Merrithey leads Glenbard East past Willowbrook

Glenbard East quarterback Jack Merrithey picked up where he left off last season in Friday's football opener against rival Willowbrook. Merrithey used both his arm and legs to power the host Rams to a 27-7 nonconference victory over the Warriors in Lombard.

Now in his third year as the varsity starter, Merrithey showed that he is one of the area's top playmakers, passing for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns while also running in a pair of scores, including one from 27 yards out. The water-logged field and fog did not slow the senior down, nor did the Willowbrook defense.

"He is a good player and reads the defense well," said Glenbard East coach Dennis Lueck.

"We tried to contain him (Merrithey)," said Willowbrook coach Mark Olson. "He goes out and gets plays. He is a good athlete."

In addition to Merrithey, the Rams (1-0) got strong games on the ground from halfback Steven Kinney and fullback Matt Clark. Six different receivers also got in on the action led by 3 catches for 67 yards by wide receiver Kevin Priebe. Wideout Lee Skinner and Kinney had touchdown catches.

Glenbard East wasted no time on the opening possession and marched down the field to the Warriors 12-yard line, but it got stuffed on a fourth-down try. But after stopping Willowbrook on the next series, the Rams got rolling again on a sweet 35-yard punt return by Montrel Flanders. Four plays later, Merrithey connected with Kinney on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 5:35 to play in the first quarter.

"We want to punch it in any time we get in the red zone," Merrithey said. "We can't let a red zone opportunity go to waste. When we didn't score, we had to punch it in when we got the ball back."

Merrithey scored 1:21 later when he juked the defense from 9 yards out. But his best play of the night came right before halftime. On a third-and-long situation on Willowbrook's 27-yard line, Merrithey dropped back to pass, but the defensive lineman and linebackers were concentrating on the receivers, so he ran it up the middle and broke free for touchdown run.

He also showed his athleticism on the touchdown pass to Skinner in the fourth quarter. With the defense bearing down on him, the crafty Merrithey - a lefty - threw the ball across his body to a wide open Skinner in the right corner of the end zone.

For the Warriors (0-1), they did not get much going against the Glenbard East defense led by linebacker Larry Lloyd. They scored late in the game when quarterback Brad Collins hit Mike McLean on a 5-yard touchdown pass. This reception came two plays after they had a touchdown called back on an illegal block in the back penalty flag.

"The kids didn't give up," Olson said. "We had a nice drive and we will build from that."