Glenbard West runs past Hinsdale Central
"Next man up" is a revered saying in the NFL, meaning that when a player is lost to injury, someone needs to step up and fill the void. When Glenbard West running back Donahvon Vaughn was knocked from Friday's game at Hinsdale Central on the second play with a right ankle injury, his backfield mates put a new spin on that old saying.
Call it "Next men up" as Sam Brodner, Sean Mackey and Isaiah Skinner stepped up to combine for 278 rushing yards and 5 TDs to lead the Hilltoppers to a 42-7 West Suburban Conference Silver Division defeat of the Red Devils.
"When Donahvon went down, it was good to have multiple guys who are able to play every spot in the backfield," said Brodner, who stepped up highest with 146 yards and 2 TDs on 28 carries. "Also, when you have an offensive line that blocks like that, it makes it even easier."
It took a while for the Hilltoppers (5-0, 3-0) to get in gear. The game was scoreless after one quarter, but then they blitzed Hinsdale Central (3-2, 2-1) with 4 touchdowns on 4 possessions in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead.
Brodner set the tone with 11 carries on a 16-play, 83-yard drive that he capped with a 1-yard scoring run. After the Hilltoppers recovered a fumble on Hinsdale Central's subsequent possession, Mackey followed Brodner's 23-yard reception from Kyle Kramer with a 10-yard TD run.
Kramer's 36-yard pass to Ben Marcus and Brodner's 2-yard run with 29 seconds left closed the perfect second quarter.
While the Glenbard West offense was finding its gear, the defense was totally stymieing the Red Devils. In the half, Hinsdale Central could manage just 1 first down and 17 total yards with only 1 running play in 8 attempts netting positive yardage.
"We had this planned out while we were watching film this week," said Hilltoppers junior linebacker Nico Gagliano. "Basically, we knew what they were going to do and our linebackers attacked real well."
Hinsdale Central found some semblance of an offensive rhythm on a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive in the third quarter in which Matt Rafferty completed 4 passes for 50 yards before Christian Bobak ran for a 3-yard score. But Skinner notched 1- and 16-yard scoring runs to cap Glenbard West's next two drives and establish the final score.
"Matt was a little rusty coming out since he hadn't played in two or three weeks and we also missed some blocking assignments," said Hinsdale Central coach Dan Hartman. "When we executed and didn't make mistakes we were good, but we have to be more consistent with that."
The game was declared official with 4 minutes, 29 seconds remaining after Hinsdale Central offensive lineman Stefan Ivanisevic was injured and had to be stretchered from the field. In the first half Red Devils defensive back Colin Goss was also taken from the field on a stretcher. After the game Hartman indicated that both had movement in their extremities and would likely make full recoveries.