The middle of the season was like nothing Glenbard West has experienced in the decade its current players have been brought up as “Hitters.”
Up to Class 8A after winning its second 7A title in four seasons last fall and seeded 20th because of consecutive losses in weeks four and five, the postseason has been business as usual.
No. 6 Glenbard West has risen above its difficult playoff draw, knocking off Neuqua Valley on the road last week before recording a 28-21 victory over No. 2 Homewood-Flossmoor before an overflow crowd Saturday in Glen Ellyn.
Ryan Diver ran for 164 yards, sophomore Tyquan Cox returned the second half kickoff for a tiebreaking score and West held a prolific H-F offense to two long scoring drives before the Vikings (10-1) added a late score in the closing seconds.
Glenbard West (9-2) will face Saturday night’s Oswego-Edwardsville winner in the quarterfinals.
“For our seniors, those were our first two losses of their whole Glenbard West career,” Diver, a junior, said. “It kind of felt like we lost a lot of hope. But it helped us find a new team, really helped us get through games like this. We don’t want to be on that side anymore. So those games really benefited us.”
The grass surface at Duchon Field benefited the home team, too, as West was able to neutralize Homewood-Flossmoor’s superior speed while managing to find its footing with Diver.
Glenbard West set the tone early with a 12-play, 54-yard drive that chewed up most of the first quarter and gave them a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard pass from Cole Brady to Patrick Mackey — one of Brady’s two completions.
West twice led by two touchdowns, going up 21-7 late in the third quarter and 28-14 on an 11-play, 65-yard drive that lasted half of the fourth quarter.
“This is not a team that was playing like this eight weeks ago, seven weeks ago, five weeks ago,” Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said. “We just started figuring it out. Bunch of faceless guys, but they’re playing so well and now they believe.
“We don’t talk about, ‘Let’s not get intimidated by H-F.’ They know the kind of game we need to play to win, and they played it to a tee. Small ball, let’s move the chains. Our kids are amazing. They blow me away.”
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Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Ryan Diver, Glenbard West, 31 carries, 164 yards, TD.
Key performers: Glenbard West — Jack Campanella, 2 INTs; Tyquan Cox, 82-yard kick return TD; Nolan Shaw, INT. Homewood-Flossmoor — Bryant Wright, 186 passing yards, TD; 85 rushing yards, 2 TDs.