Health & Fitness
CN100 Game of the Week preview: Football - Downers Grove North vs. Glenbard West
The Trojans and Hilltoppers close out the 2012 regular season on the CN100 Game of the Week.
GLEN ELLYN - Aside from injuries, something every team faces, things have gone just about according to plan for undefeated Glenbard West as it heads into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Downers Grove North.
The Trojans are the only thing standing in the way of the Hilltoppers of a perfect regular season and a No. 1 seed in Class 7A when the playoff pairings are announced Saturday night.
“We have to get through Downers Grove North first,” Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said. “Hopefully we get a victory and we’ll get a No. 1 seed because of our playoff points. Then the fun begins. Then it’s a whole other season and you amp up the intensity because if you don’t play well, you’re done for the year.”
Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The game will be shown on CN100, The Comcast Network, at Noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23. You can also find it throughout Chicagoland with Xfinity On Demand.
The Hilltoppers have plenty of star power. Tight end Nathan Marcus has 31 catches for 597 yards and five scores, more than half of the passing yards quarterback Henry Haeffner has this season. Marcus is headed for Vanderbilt next year.
Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Despite passing about 10 times a game, Haeffner has been efficient in throwing for 1,073 yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Junior Scott Andrews has turned into a star at running back. He has rushed for 828 yards and 14 touchdowns to go with 12 catches for 182 yards in the receiving game.
“He’s had an outstanding year, done a great job,” Hetlet said. “He’s a special kid with a great line in front of him. He had 230 yards on the ground last week (against York). He’s been playing really well for us.”
He has gotten some help in the running game from senior Joey Zito (462 yards, nine touchdowns) and Jermon Kindle-Joyner (204 yards, two touchdowns).
Since winning the Class 7A state title in 2004 behind quarterback Garrett Edwards, the Trojans have had a down spell the past few years. Coming into this season, the Trojans were 5-22 the past three seasons combined. But this season, the Trojans are eligible for the postseason regardless of Saturday’s outcome. They come into the game having lost two straight tough games to Proviso West and Hinsdale Central, however.
“We have a lot of respect for (Coach John Wander) and his staff,” Hetlet said. “He’s got it going a little bit now. They had a few down years there, but they have the ability to beat anybody at any time. They’re doing a great job.”
Dave Edwards, a 6-foot-6 sophomore and cousin of Garrett Edwards, has keyed the turnaround this season.
“He doesn’t play like a sophomore,” Hetlet said. “Like any quarterback we face, we want to rattle him somehow, someway. He’s a tough kid. I don’t think you can rattle that kid too much.”
Be sure to tune in to see Edgy Tim’s “Keys to the Game.” Get more Edgy at edgytim.com
- Paul Johnson, CN100 Correspondent
Stay up to date on all of CN100's games this season by visiting www.cn100.tv/game_of_the_week.aspx or at www.facebook.com/gameoftheweek. Find us at twitter.com/CN100GOTW. Also, check out the Battle of the Fans section at www.facebook.com/battleofthefans to see who has the biggest and wildest fans. Each week, catch up on the best in Chicagoland prep sports with CN100 Sports Weekly. Check it out at http://www.cn100.tv/sports_weekly.aspx or at www.facebook.com/sportsweekly.
