Cochrane on target as Glenbard West rolls by York
Glenbard West senior quarterback Brian Cochrane had no idea how good he was Saturday afternoon.
York's football team sure knew.
With the Dukes slowing down the Hilltoppers' vaunted ground game, Cochrane and Glenbard West's pass attack played to near perfection in a 41-14 West Suburban Silver Conference victory at Glen Ellyn's Duchon Field.
Cochrane completed his first 12 passes and 13 of 14 overall while throwing for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns. On a day when Glenbard West's run game mustered a well-below-average 118 yards, the Hilltoppers (3-0, 1-0) needed the boost Cochrane calmly provided.
"No, I didn't know that," Cochrane said with a laugh when informed of his completion streak to start the game. "Our receivers did a great job and I just found them. We threw deep a couple times and it worked out pretty well for us. We're going to be a versatile offense. We can do both, pass and run."
York (1-2, 0-1) hung tough early, tying the game 7-7 in the second quarter on Johnny DiCanio's 5-yard pass to Lucas Alexander. Cochrane, who threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Skinner on Glenbard West's opening series, gave his team a 14-7 halftime lead with a 29-yard scoring strike to Sam Brodner.
Brodner scored three more times to extend the lead before Skinner scored again to boost the advantage to 41-7 with eight minutes left in the game.
"The first half we played the game we wanted to play," said York coach Matt Monken. "We're right there. We're so close. Our kids battled, we just have to learn how to finish."
Keith Freeman added an 82-yard touchdown run for York, but Glenbard West's defense already had done its job by then. Nico Gagliano and Mark Mattson snared interceptions among the four turnovers forced by the Hilltoppers, and Gagliano also had 3 sacks.
Brodner rushed for 30 yards while Isaiah Skinner had 61 rushing yards and 86 receiving yards.
"We've seen it a million times where people pack the box and force us to throw the ball," said Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet. "When you've got a kid like (Cochrane) and receivers that make plays, I was really impressed with him today. In the game of football you shouldn't be able to take everything away. We had some options, we just had to make sure we executed."
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