Tried and true tactics work for Glenbard South
Run the football, and stop the run … it's an old formula, but not always an easy one to master.
Glenbard South, however, did just about perfect it Friday night and built a 30-0 lead on visiting Wheaton Academy in the first half on its way to a 36-7 Metro Suburban Conference victory.
The Raiders, who have won four straight after opening the season with two losses, controlled both lines of scrimmage. Sophomore running back Sean Cooke had 120 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground, while the Glenbard South defense came within a late Warriors TD pass of recording a third straight shutout.
"We ran well up the middle and controlled the game inside. You know if you play good defense and run the ball, that's a good combination," Raiders coach Jeremy Cordell said.
The Glenbard South defense picked off Warriors quarterback David Thrasher three times on Friday - including one in the end zone - and limited Wheaton Academy (4-2, 0-2) to just 57 yards of total offense in the first half. The defense even got involved in the scoring as linebacker Andre Steiger sacked Thrasher for a safety as part of the hosts' 23-point second-quarter blitz.
"We think we're a tough defense. We have good pressure up front, good linebackers and a good all around defense," said Steiger, a 6-foot, 215-pound senior. "It was a great overall game and a great team win."
With the defense either taking the ball away from Wheaton Academy or forcing a number of three-and-outs, Cooke and the offense were given plenty of opportunities. On Friday Cooke made the most out of his chances, running for 106 yards on just 11 first-half carries including TD runs of 4 and 20 yards.
"The defense was really key for us," said Cooke, who recorded 100 yards for the first-time ever and also notched his first 3-TD game. "They stopped the ball, they got turnovers for us and they put us in good positions to score."
Cooke credited his offensive line for opening up hole after hole in the middle of the Warrior defense. "The holes just happened to open up in the middle," he said. "We thought we'd be able to run the ball on this team and they holes just opened in the middle tonight."
Raiders quarterback Kyle Carli and running back A.J. Gaffney each also had short touchdown runs, while Jack Curtis, Tyler Scott and Dylan Valdez all recorded interceptions.
Warriors coach Brad Thornton's team has now dropped back-to-back games after opening the year 4-0. But he felt his team's effort Friday was a big step up from last week.
"Last week I was really disappointed with the way we came out in terms of preparation," Thornton said. "We came out flat and not quite ready to play. It was a different story tonight. It was not a lack of effort, it was a lack of execution. They wore us down a little bit in the second quarter, but the kids responded and fought well in the second half."