Glenbard South makes amends

Glenbard South played Friday night like a football team in a hurry to right a wrong.

Still stinging from last year’s loss to Elmwood Park, their only defeat in Metro Suburban Conference play, the Raiders made sure there would be no repeat this year, romping 48-0 on Homecoming in Glen Ellyn.

“There’s no question about it,” Raiders coach Jeremy Cordell said. “This was obviously at the forefront (this week). Last year hurt, it hurt a lot.”

“Every game we try to play the same way,” senior linebacker Connor Willis added. “This one we gave a little extra. Getting beat last year made this one stick with us. Coach preached all week about getting out fast on these guys.”

The Raiders (5-0, 1-0) put this game away early. They scored three touchdowns in the game’s first seven minutes, with no drive lasting more than five plays or going more than 46 yards.

Quarterback Alex Jeske threw 3 touchdown passes, two to senior Clark Gary and one to sophomore Jimmy Ebbole. Zach Smith added touchdown runs of 3 and 19 yards, and junior Jake Straza added a 5-yard TD run.

“Our kids started fast, and they kept finishing,” Cordell said.

Meanwhile, the defense was giving Elmwood Park (1-4, 0-1) nothing and taking the ball away twice, on interceptions by Willis and junior defensive back Andrew Wrona.

Wrona returned his interception 48 yards, diving into the end zone with 1:28 to play in the second quarter to put the Raiders ahead 48-0 going into halftime. They had a running clock the entire second half.

“We had about three guys around the ball on that one, and he got it and we had a convoy out front,” Willis said of Wrona’s pick. “It was nice.”

The Glenbard South defense allowed Elmwood Park just 103 yards of offense and 8 first downs in the game.

“That’s awesome,” Willis said. “Our goal was to shut them down. We knew this team wanted to come out and run the ball so we were getting up and stacking the box and just trying to play base defense and fill our holes and read our keys. That was going to be our key to success, is stop the run and make them beat us through the air.”

“Our kids are playing well,” Cordell said. “I thought they were very physical.”

Follow Orrin on Twitter @orrin_schwarz