Glenbard South looks to the air

Last year Glenbard South's football team rolled to a seven-win season with a powerful running game.

This season quarterback Kevin Marshall and the passing game takes center stage. Of course, the Raiders won't complain if they also end up rushing for another 1,800 yards.

"This could be one of the best passing games we've had in a long time," coach Dan Starkey said. "But we still need to find someone who will deliver the mail in the running game."

Stopping the mail is a defensive issue for the Raiders.

While they return eight starters on offense, only four starters return to the inexperienced defense. Thankfully, though, all four - linebackers Austin Teitsma and Louis Erkins, safety Ryan McKean and cornerback Kyle Stott - were all-Western Sun Conference picks as juniors.

With an offense that appears explosive, the Raiders plan to challenge for the Western Sun Conference title against a strong field led by Geneva, which went 11-1 last year.

Marshall had a nice junior season, throwing for 1,400 yards and rushing for 500 while accounting for 19 touchdowns. Junior Trace Wanless is another talented quarterback who will be on the field as a potent receiver along with returning starter Jon Holland.

If running backs Curtis Ford and Mike Williams can be effective on the ground in the spread zone option, the offense - deep and dangerous - will be tough to stop behind a line that returns four starters in Paul Andrzejewski, Billy Trakas, Kevin O'Brien and Alex Pulos.

"We've got a lot of diversity in our offense," Starkey said. "Even though we're a spread team, we're still going to run the ball."