Scouting: Glenbard North at Bartlett

Posted August 28, 2008 11:00 pm

Daily Herald Staff Report

Nonconference

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today, at Streamwood's Millennium Field.

Last year: Glenbard North 35, Bartlett 28.

Outlook: It's been decades since Glenbard North last had expectations as high as they are entering this season. Tonight will be the first of many tests to see how the Panthers live up to them. Why so much hype? Two words: Evan Watkins. Two more words: Tyler Doll. Northwestern-bound Watkins enters the season as one of the state's premier quarterbacks, rated as the No. 11 recruit in the state according to Rivals.com after he threw for 2,000 yards and rushed for 300 last season. Doll is among the state's most underrated running backs after rushing for 1,700 yards. Key to it all, though, is the added dimension of powerful fullback Jordan Brooks and an offensive line led by lone returning starter Andrew Zika. The defense suffered a bunch of graduation losses, but the line remains stout with Kyle Schwetz, Nick Marks and Charleston Soko. Glenbard North's lone defeat to Bartlett was a 1998 forfeit due to a teachers strike. The Panthers haven't lost an opener on the field since a 1996 defeat to Fremd. If there's a team to match Glenbard North's physicality, it's Bartlett. The Hawks just plain hit people. And last season this formerly run-based unit added a major wrinkle with quarterback Josh Hassenberg, an all-Upstate Eight Conference returnee who last year against Glenbard North threw for 377 yards with 2 touchdowns. With Hassenberg at the helm in 2007 Bartlett set a program record for yardage. Receivers Cory Brown and Alex Van Ness and tight end Greg Partyka, all UEC postseason honorees, give Hassenberg an additional comfort zone. Defensively, linebacker Kyle Zelinski is Rivals.com's 24th-ranked Illinois recruit, with offers from Air Force and much of the Mid-American Conference. The week after Glenbard North beat coach Tom Meaney's Hawks last year, Steve Seeman returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against Oswego. Entering the season, Bartlett is favored to win the Upstate Eight Conference.

Next week: Crystal Lake South at Glenbard North; Bartlett at Oswego.

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