Glawe, Glenbard West gain confidence
Glenbard West football coach Chad Hetlet says Daver Glawe was already a confident guy.
Friday night definitely didn't hurt.
The Hilltoppers' senior quarterback starting for injured Mike Matthew rallied his team to a 27-10 West Suburban Silver victory over York in a showdown between unbeatens in Elmhurst.
Glenbard West (7-0, 4-0) trailed the Dukes (6-1, 4-1) 10-0 early in the second quarter as mistakes thwarted any semblance of momentum. The Hilltoppers responded with 27 straight points behind another tough defensive effort and Glawe, who completed 9 of 12 passes for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"Sometimes he'll make a pass that other quarterbacks won't just because he's fearless," Hetlet said. "He's a confident guy. He's not a guy we were worried about (with) that. We thought that York would try to pack it in to stop our run because we have a backup quarterback, and that's what happens when you do that. You give up big plays."
Nick Burrello ran in 2 touchdowns, including a pivotal one in the final seconds of the first half to give Glenbard West a 13-10 lead. York nearly went to the half with a 10-7 lead, but a high snap on a punt gave the Hilltoppers first-and-goal at the Dukes' 1-yard line with only 16 seconds left.
Glenbard West added a touchdown late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to move a crucial step closer to claiming a third straight Silver title.
"My O-line said, 'Trust us and we'll give you the time and you'll make the plays,'" said Glawe, who played the second half of last week's win over Addison Trail after Matthew suffered a concussion and collapsed lung. "It's definitely a big help when the coaches and your teammates give you that little boost."
York opened a 3-0 lead on Sean McDaid's 38-yard field goal following a fumble on Glenbard West's first play from scrimmage. The Dukes capped a 14-play, 66-yard drive with a perfect 18-yard touchdown pass from Jim Nudera to Jordan Preuss for a 10-0 lead.
The Dukes looked in good shape even after Glawe's 62-yard touchdown pass to Mark Hiben, who had 4 catches for 127 yards, but the troubled punt snap and subsequent Glenbard West touchdown turned the game around.
"You're not going to beat anyone when you give up 27 straight points," said York coach Bill Lech, whose team was 6-0 for the first time in program history. "The first half was a story of mistakes, the second half we just couldn't get anything going."
Mike Laning's interception set up Glenbard West's third-quarter touchdown when two big passes led to Burrello's 2-yard scoring run. Glawe added a 5-yard scoring pass to Kendall Johnson early in the fourth quarter.
Glenbard West's defense held York running back Ryan Kent, the leading rusher in DuPage County, to 63 yards on 21 carries. The Hilltoppers outgained the Dukes 297-127 in total yards.
"We try to buckle down every game," Laning said. "We think we're the best defense in the state, so we just try to prove it to people every game."