Game Preview: Downers Grove North vs. Glenbard West

    After losing their final regular season home game to the Hinsdale Central Red Devils, 21-20, the Downers Grove North Trojans are looking for a win this week on the road, as they go against one of the toughest opponents in the state, Glenbard West.

    The Hilltoppers are coming into this game ranked #5 in the state, and the Trojans are going to have a tough time against this team, especially playing on the road. The Hilltoppers are going to have energy, and the crowd will be loud, as they try to get the final home win of the regular season. Trojan fans who may be in attendance will have to be loud and show a lot of support for their Trojans, who come in as the underdog.  

    Glenbard West continued to remain undefeated last week, defeating York High School, 41-7. The Trojans lost last week, and fell for the second time in a row. The Trojans have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, but would like to get this final win, and have some momentum on their side as they head into the playoffs.

    Last season, the Trojans came into the game with a 2-6 record on the season, while the Hilltoppers had a 8-0 record going into the game. The Hilltoppers were able to defeat the Trojans by a big score, 49-7. The Trojans are a much stronger team this fall, and they hope to be able to play hard against the Hilltoppers this season.

    The Trojans are in the playoffs, as mentioned above. However, after losing to a tough team last week, and playing a tough team this week, they will get the chance to see what playoff football is like.

Keys to the Game:

    The first main key to this game for the Trojans will be holding Glenbard West late in the game. According to Max Preps, the Hilltoppers do not normally score in the first quarter, and score a small amount in the second quarter. The Hilltoppers are averaging 14 points in the third quarter, which the Trojans can try to stop. This Hilltopper team is a great team after half time, which means the Trojans need to strike early and often. If the Trojans can get a big lead early in the game, they could keep it.

    The Trojans do not need to stress a lot over this game either. As mentioned above, the Trojans are in the playoffs, and no matter what happens this week, they still go to the playoffs. Of course, they want to play tough and win, but this is not a life or death game for the Trojans. They can take their time, enjoy the game and just see what happens. Use this game as a learning experience for the playoffs.

    Lastly, the Trojans may want to get some of their backup players in the game. The Trojans are going to the playoffs, but they have used the same team for the majority of the season. If a starter goes down, then the Trojans will be thrown off. Get some of the backups in the game, and see what they can do.

Time for Predictions:    

    Looking at this game on paper, the Hilltoppers clearly have the advantage. They come into the game ranked #5 in the state, where the Trojans are ranked #132. The Trojans do have a chance at winning the game, and can play to the level of the Hilltoppers, but it is going to be a very big challenge for the Trojans.

Game Time:

    This game is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1:00 pm. The game will be held at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Playoff Coverage:

    On Saturday night, the IHSA will pick the pairings for week one of the playoffs. These parings can be seen live on Comcast Sports Net in Chicago. Each division will be picked separately.