Final drive keeps Hilltoppers alive

Lake Zurich's Gus Coon is tackled by the Glenbard West defense.
(Ruthie Hauge/Pioneer Press)

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Glenbard West’s football program has had plenty of memorable moments in its history, including a 1983 state championship.

But the Hilltoppers’ final drive of Saturday’s 21-17 Class 7A semifinal win over Lake Zurich will go down as one of the most memorable in school history.

Down three points late in the fourth quarter, Glenbard West embarked on a 15-play, 81-yard drive that chewed up 4:24 off the clock. With six seconds left, junior Mark Hiben, who did not have a varsity reception until last week, caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from senior Tyler Warden on a third-and-10 play to send the Hilltoppers to Champaign.

Glenbard West will face its neighbor to the west, Wheaton Warrenville South, for the Class 7A state championship Saturday in a DuPage County battle.

“We never gave up,” an emotional Warden said. “We were always saying that we could come back. I’m just so happy. I can’t really describe how I feel. I’ve never felt like this in my life.”

The winning score came on a play-action pass. Hiben said that it was designed for the running backs and the line to sprint to the right with Warden breaking out in a bootleg to the left. Then Hiben broke free from a double-team on the comeback route and came down with the winning catch.

“The coaches just made the right call,” Hiben said. “Tyler put it in the right spot and I just caught it. I just try to follow him. When he goes one way, I go that way and we just have a little connection going.”

Lake Zurich (9-4) led 14-7 at the half on the strength of two rushing touchdowns from senior standout Jacob Brinlee. The Hilltoppers (13-0) were able to stick within a touchdown despite three first-half turnovers and some key penalties. Their first-half TD came on a 5-yard Steve Jones run.

Glenbard West grabbed the momentum in the third quarter on Adam Bruere’s 76-yard touchdown run, but were unable to take the lead. Lake Zurich took the lead with 4:30 left in the game on Matt Methling’s 28-yard field goal before Glenbard West’s heroics in the final seconds gave the Hilltoppers the win.