Super 25 countdown: Glenbard North

Updated: August 8, 2011 4:26PM

The temptation lately has been to overlook some of the other football teams in the DuPage Valley Conference.

That's more of a reflection of how good - and how dominant - Wheaton Warrenville South has been, with a 41-1 DVC record since 2005, than a knock on the rest of the league. There are some other programs that keep getting it done year in and year out, and a case in point is Glenbard North, No. 18 in the Sun-Times preseason Super 25.

Every fall, the Panthers don't seem to have a lot of returning starters. But they've been one of the top teams in the state's premier public-school conference and have made eight straight trips to the IHSA playoffs.

"It's becoming a tradition," said senior running back Phil Jackson. "Win games and do well in our conference. Glenbard (North) is becoming more of a known school."

If the Panthers are going to live up to that legacy this season, Jackson will likely play a starring role.
"He's improved his speed a little bit," coach Ryan Wilkens said, noting that Jackson's also added some size. "As a sophomore, he was 180 (pounds), last year 195. Now he's 220."

"I feel like I'm more experienced this year, I can do more damage," said Jackson, who is getting recruiting interest from Northern Illinois among others.

One of the keys, according to Wilkens and Jackson, is how well the Panthers play up front.

"It's really all about our line for offense," Jackson said. "If they play up to their potential, we could be pretty good."
"The offensive line and the tight end position, we're working some things out," Wilkens said.

Three linemen who figure to make an impact are tackles Cody Burandt (6-foot-2, 270 pounds) and Dan McHale (6-2, 290) along with right guard D'Angelo Hodges (6-2, 275).

Elsewhere on offense, there are a variety of position battles waiting to be resolved.

"It's coach-speak, (but) it's a process," Wilkens said. "We have a lot of inexperienced kids wh need to get better fast."

On defense as on offense, the Panthers will build around a few veterans. That group includes defensive backs Alex Mendez and Tremel Smith and tackle Danny Eldridge. Jackson's sophomore brother Justin will start in the secondary and also will spell his older sibling in the offensive backfield.

"Defensively, with our linebacker positions we're trying to figure things out," Wilkens said.

"I think the defense should be pretty good," Phil Jackson said. "Alex Mendez, he knows how to be a shutdown corner."

It's all pretty similar to last season, when the Panthers had plenty of positions up for grabs in August. That team lost only to unbeaten Class 7A repeat champ WW South in the regular season and wound up 8-2. Is another good year in the cards?

"I would say the athleticism is there, the want-to is there," Wilkens said. "The potential is there. We have to get them dialed in."

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