Glenbard North shuts out Wheaton North
When Glenbard North lost back-to-back nailbiters to Naperville Central and Waubonsie Valley to open the football schedule, it would have been easy for the Panthers to fold against the weight of a difficult schedule.
Instead, the opening losses seem to have brought out the best in Glenbard North.
The Panthers dug deep, righted the ship in a 28-6 win over Wheaton Warrenville South and now are on a roll, claiming their fourth straight victory Friday night with a 14-0 shutout of Wheaton North at a chilly and wind-swept Jim Rexilius Field. Glenbard North is now on the cusp of IHSA playoff eligibility at 4-2 (3-2 DuPage Valley Conference) heading into another challenging road trip to Lake Park next Friday.
As has been the case all season, Glenbard North's victory over the Falcons (3-3, 3-2) was fueled by defense. The Panthers recorded their first shutout of the fall, harassing Wheaton North quarterback Luke Anthony with defensive pressure all game and containing the Falcons' rushing attack. Glenbard North thwarted the hosts' best opportunity to score in the third quarter, turning the ball over on downs at the Panthers' 9-yard line four plays after Anthony had connected with wideout Steele Graham for a 69-yard gain. The defensive stand preserved Glenbard North's 14-0 lead in a key turn of events.
"We played a great defensive game," Panthers coach Ryan Wilkens said. "We applied great pressure on the quarterback, were strong up front and had excellent pursuit on the ball. The defense has been great all year. Rich Smelko (defensive coordinator) has done a phenomenal job of preparing them and game planning the whole year."
Glenbard North's defense received enough support from its running attack to hold Wheaton North at bay in a game played in 30-mph winds that wreaked havoc with both teams' quarterbacks. The 1-2 tandem of small but elusive tailbacks Vittorio Tricase and Devion Hodges combined for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns by Tricase. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound junior ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. He then capped a back-breaking 13-play, 81-yard drive to start the second half with a 2-yard TD burst that gave the Panthers a 14-0 cushion. The drive ate up 6:32 and came at an ideal time for Glenbard North, which had the gusty wind against it in the third quarter.
"We knew we were going into the wind in the third quarter, so we wanted to attack them with our running game," Tricase said. "It was a huge drive for us. It really took the wind out of their sails. (Devion and I) are like a 1-2 punch. We wear out defenses with our speed, and by sharing the ball we always have a fresh set of legs on the field."
"Devion and Vittorio are a special pair of running backs," Wilkens said. "They're so explosive. When nothing is there, they can create holes on their own and make plays for us."
After a pair of three-and-outs, the Falcons gave themselves a chance to climb back into the game on Anthony's 69-yard bomb, but Graham was caught by sophomore defensive back Greg Newsome before he could reach the end zone, and Glenbard North's defense turned back Wheaton North from there, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth down to get the ball back.
The Falcons made one last stab at a comeback late in the fourth quarter. Anthony completed five consecutive passes for 60 yards, but the drive stalled at the 5, as the Panthers stopped Anthony on back-to-back quarterback keepers and a fourth-down pass to the corner of the end zone was dropped.
Wheaton North will look to rebound in its quest for a playoff berth when it hosts Neuqua Valley for its homecoming game next Friday.