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Football: Glenbard North ground game too much for Stevenson
Updated: November 14, 2011 10:27AM
Maybe it’s best that Glenbard North senior Phillip Jackson and sophomore brother Justin Jackson are never in the backfield at the same time.
The two running backs rotate depending on the situation, always allowing one to watch the other. And both enjoy doing that.
The younger Jackson scored the first two touchdowns for the Panthers against Stevenson Saturday afternoon. The elder could not have been prouder after their team’s 28-0 victory in a Class 8A quarterfinal in Carol Stream.
“It’s never a rivalry with us,” the elder Jackson said. “When we are out on this field we are together. As long as we win that is all that matters to us. He did a great job today; he had two and put us on top.”
The younger Jackson finished with 13 carries for 111 yard and the two first-half touchdown runs of 19 and 44 yards that helped put the Panthers (9-3) up 21-0 at the break.
The elder Jackson (22 carries, 118 yards) made his mark in the second half. He scored on a brilliant 46-yard run around left end. On defense, he had two sacks in leading his team to their fourth shutout of the season.
The Panthers will meet Loyola next week and will play in their third semifinal in five years.
“I think more than anything we just tried to do what we do best and that is run the ball,” Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens said. “Our defensive backs played very well, they had two key interceptions for us.”
Those interceptions came during the Patriots last two possessions of the first half. Tremel Smith got the first and Alex Mendez grabbed the other. They both set up two late scores at the end of the half the turned a tight 7-0 game into a more comfortable advantage.
Trevor Hackett caught a 20-yard pass from Brian Murphy will 25 seconds left in the half. The play was followed by the first of seven total major penalties (unsportsmanlike, personal foul) combined by both teams.
The Patriots (9-3) fall short after making history last Saturday by ending Maine South’s three-year stranglehold on the Class 8A playoffs.
“It was a nice win last week but we prepared and worked really hard this week,” Stevenson coach Bill McNamara said. “A lot of credit has to go to Glenbard North today.”
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