Glenbard West gets physical with Downers North

Football against Downers Grove North is a physical war in the trenches, whether limiting its option offense or mustering yardage of your own.

The Hilltoppers beat Downers North 35-0 in Saturday's West Suburban Silver game at Duchon Field in Glen Ellyn but knew they were in a battle.

"They're the most physical team we've played, as they usually are, and it was good for us to get punched in the mouth a little bit and see what it's like," said Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet.

Without injured linebacker Garrett Richards Glenbard West (7-0, 4-0) still squashed the option, not allowing a first down until the last three minutes of the third quarter. Downers North coach John Wander went shotgun with Tom Benton at quarterback in for Dan Sheppard, who didn't play the second half with back spasms. Glenbard West lineman Chris Watt also sat out the second half with his second sprained ankle in two games.

Glenbard West scored on its first possession, a 4-yard Matt Hassan run, but Downers North's rugged defense and 10 Glenbard West penalties let the Trojans hang in.

"We just have to come out better," said Glenbard West running back Bryant Venson, who ran for 48 yards and had 4 receptions for 86 yards with a 61-yard touchdown.

"The first half was just a horrible start for us," he said. "We've never started like that before. We learned from our mistakes."

Downers North (3-4, 2-2) got flagged on a pass interference call with Glenbard West mired at its own 36-yard line and third-and-25.

"We just let them off the hook too many times," said Trojans linebacker Leo Ellis IV.

Glenbard West marched and scored when Robert Cook - who ran 12 times for 99 yards - fumbled going into the end zone and guard Jordan Walsh covered it. Tim Hollowed's kick provided a 14-0 halftime lead.

A lifetime lineman, Walsh said scoring a touchdown has been a dream.

"It's been one of them," said the 6-foot-3 sophomore. "State's definitely up there."

Despite Ellis IV's early third-quarter fumble recovery and an interception by Joe Claver, who also averaged 48 yards on 7 punts, the Trojans couldn't convert.

Venson did, turning a Tyler Warden screen pass into a 61-yard touchdown for a 21-0 lead at 4:22 of the third.

Glenbard West's final two scores were set up by Jack Marston - an interception that snuffed a good Downers drive and led to Chris Cochrane's 82-yard pass to J.T. Mesch; and his fumble recovery that led to Warden's 1-yard sneak behind center Tim O'Neil.

"Good teams find a way to finish - average teams find a way to let the other team finish, and that's what we did." Wander said. "We gave them the opportunity to come up big and they did."