Hilltoppers end Downers North's run

Glenbard West's Robert Cook (21) carries the ball against Downers North.
(Stacia Timonere/For the Sun-TImes)

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

Downers Grove North’s luck finally ran out.

The host Trojans, who earlier in the playoffs had upset a strong Wheaton Warrenville South team in the first round, couldn’t find the same magic against Glenbard West and dropped a Class 7A quarterfinal matchup 35-7 Friday.

No. 2 Glenbard West (12-0) will play the winner of Saturday’s St. Rita-East St. Louis game in the semifinals next weekend. This is the first time the Hilltoppers have advanced to the semifinals since 1983, the year they won the Class 5A state title.

“It’s a great feeling knowing we are one of those few teams to have [advanced to the semifinals],” said Glenbard West running back Bryant Venson, who scored two touchdowns and ran for 94 yards on six carries. “All the work we’ve done has finally paid off.”

The last time these two West Suburban Silver teams met was in Week 7, with Glenbard West shutting out the Trojans 35-0.

“Limited flags,” said Venson of what Glenbard West did differently in this second meeting. “We didn’t have many penalties and we had a couple that we could fix, but before we had multiple penalties of about 100 yards.”

Glenbard West’s defense would have had its fourth shutout of the season, but Downers North’s Jermal Jones scored on a 43-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Hilltoppers previously blanked Hinsdale Central in Week 9 and Wheaton North in the first round of the playoffs.

Glenbard West’s offense put together two scoring drives in the first and second quarters, taking a 28-0 lead at halftime.

Venson scored twice in the second quarter on runs of 50 and 32 yards.

In the first quarter, Robert Cook (59 yards, eight carries) scored on a 42-yard run for a 7-0 Hilltopper lead. With 24.1 seconds to play in the first quarter, quarterback Tyler Warden ran in from three yards out for a 14-0 Glenbard lead.

“Our line did a great job blocking and they blocked for me and for Robert, also,” Venson said. “There was no selfish play and that’s why we were so successful.”

U.S. Army All-American lineman Chris Watt was one reason for the strong ground game of Cook and Venson.

“They’re a good defense, they’re really quick and we knew they beat a really good Wheaton Warrenville South team,” Watt said. “We knew they wouldn’t let us get away with our offense.”

Glenbard West made it 35-0 on Chris Cochrane’s 39-yard pass to Jessie Condie with 5:43 to go in the third.

No. 17 Downers Grove North (7-5) had a stunning playoff run that included the upset of WW South, the defending 7A state runner up, 8-7. Last week the Trojans shut out Proviso East 16-0, setting up the quarterfinal matchup with Glenbard West.