McMiller runs for 190 yards, helps Glenbard West hand Lyons its first loss

For the first 45 minutes of play, Glenbard West’s Jaylen McMiller accomplished all kinds of great things on both sides of the football field, including an interception in the end zone and a lot of yards on the ground.

What he hadn’t done until just 1:37 remained on the clock Friday night was find the end zone. But that was not what mattered to the senior cornerback/wide receiver. He just wanted to lead his team to a huge road win at Lyons Township and he was well on his way to doing just that.

But to cap off his big night, as well as the Hilltoppers’ big night, McMiller did close out solid his effort and the game’s scoring with an 8-yard touchdown in Glenbard West’s 37-16 defeat of the Lions (4-1).

“It wasn’t so much about getting a touchdown as it was us getting a win tonight,” said McMiller, who carried the ball 19 times for 190 yards, while also helping the defense slow down the previously unbeaten Lions.

McMiller was one of two Hilltoppers to top the 100-yard rushing mark as Ace Harris added 112 yards on 21 carries, including a 2-yard touchdown on a night when the offensive line consistently set their runners free.

“I had a couple pops,” said McMiller, who broke off a 55-yarder in the first half and finished with six runs of 10 or more yards. “Those dudes up front, they do the dirty work, and they were opening things up.”

Glenbard West (3-2), which had a tough loss to Downers Grove North last week, had too much speed and power on the ground for Lyons to handle. McMiller and Keyante Johnson kept bursting free on the outside, while Harris followed the powerful offensive line to attack the middle over and over.

Johnson had a pair of touchdowns, racing around the corner each time, and Jack Kovich hauled in an 80-yard back-breaking touchdown catch on the first play following McMiller’s interception in the end zone to break the game open in the third quarter.

“It’s our standard. We had to bounce back after last week,” said Johnson, a transfer from Oak Park-River Forest. “We had to get better and we did. I expect us to go 7-2 and make a run at a state title.”

Not to be overlooked was the Hilltoppers defensive effort, especially considering the linebacking core has been ravaged by injuries. The Lions, who closed to within 13-9 on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Brendan McCabe to Owen Matela in the second quarter, never got a running game going and struggled to move the ball in the second half.

“We lost four linebackers early and we’re missing seven starters on defense,” Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet said. “We’ve been playing four sophomores at linebacker and I’m so proud of how well the defense played. That was an undefeated, state-ranked team and we just beat them handedly.”

Ryder Stroup, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound offensive lineman, switched over to the defensive side on Friday to help the injury-depleted unit. The move paid off as he helped the defense perform well while the revamped offensive line did not skip a beat while setting McMiller and his running mates free.