By Bobby Narang
Hinsdale Central High School heads into a key Week 7 football game against Glenbard West with some momentum.
The Hinsdale Central Red Devils entered the season with some question marks, especially on the defensive line.
But six weeks into the season, the Red Devils (4-2, 1-2) are in fourth place in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. The Glenbard West Hilltoppers (6-0, 3-0) are having a banner season, beating Batavia, Joliet Catholic, Downers Grove North, and Lyons this season.
Hinsdale Central is aiming to move up the conference ladder in Friday’s home game against league leader Glenbard West. The Red Devils finish the season with winnable games against Proviso West and Oak Park-River Forest.
“Glenbard West like to be aggressive and fast and we have to be patient and take what little they will give us and stay on that,” Hinsdale Central coach Brian Griffin said. “We have to trust the process in slowly moving the ball down the field. Our schedule is difficult in our conference. Every week feels like a heavyweight fight. We have to do several good things and execute to win (Friday).”
Griffin said the first six weeks featured development from numerous aspects of the ball, plus battling with building consistency.
“We now have a good handle of where everyone fits into,” Griffin said. “We moved a few people around. The wide receivers crops has lived up to what we expected from and are really good athletes and continue to get better. This team has a really good mindset and showed growth every day. This group has high aspirations. We just have to fix the little things.”
The development of junior defensive ends John Breton and Tommy Riordan helped speed up the improvement of the defense this season.
The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Breton had a solid game against Lyons, and talked about his growing bond with Riordan.
“Tommy and I have grown up together, so our chemistry is very natural,” Breton said. “We’ve formed a good duo on defense by understanding where each other are and by working very hard in the offseason together.”
After not playing on the varsity last season, Breton has become an integral player in the Red Devils quest to move up the conference standings and earn a playoff berth. Breton said he was dripping with motivation in the offseason.
“I think that really motivated me to work harder and getting bigger and stronger to earn my spot,” Breton said. “I learned to fight against adversity. It has really helped mold me into becoming a better player. I knew that I needed to develop myself physically to compete in this tough conference.”
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Riordan is a player to watch after he spending his weekends visiting several colleges, including Michigan and Ohio State this season. His brother, Gene, is a offensive lineman who committed to Iowa.
Griffin said his talented defensive ends have become key players for his inexperienced defense.
“The defensive line has come a long way,” Griffin said. “We were young and inexperienced at the start of the season. We’re still young, but we probably had our best night last week (against York). It’s exciting to see them grow into their own and figure it out. John and Tommie have both come into their own. We put a lot on their plate to start the season, but both have responded and are playing well.”