By Bobby Narang
Nothing has been ordinary about Glenbard South High School’s football season.
The Raiders won eight of their nine regular-season games to earn a rare No. 1 seed in Class 5A. Still, even with a prolific offense and stout defense, the Raiders had to settle for second place in the Upstate Eight Conference. By beating Glenbard South 35-7 in week three, South Elgin captured first place in the Conference with an undefeated 8-0 record.
Thus far, the Raiders have made the most of the second season with a 41-14 rout over Chicago Bulls Prep in a first-round game. The Raiders, 9-1, who will play at Sycamore, 7-3, at 2 p.m.. Saturday in a second-round game, have been scoring points in bushel loads this season, led by running back Trevor Burnett, wide receiver Cam Williams, and sophomore quarterback Michael Champagne.
In the playoff victory, Burnett, who has numerous college offers, rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 45 yards and two TDs.
Champagne, a sophomore, was seven-of-eight passing for 90 yards and four touchdowns and Williams and Owen Gibson each caught a TD pass.
But Glenbard South’s success, at least offensively, has to be attributed to the strong play of the offensive line.
Senior left guard Brandon Lim said the O-line has been playing at a high level and been constantly helping Champagne’s development.
“Our starting line is something special,” Lim said. “The entire starling offensive line is all seniors that know what they’re doing and capable of going against tough opponents. We have several two-year and three-year starters who have all made an impact on this program.
“Although our quarterback is young and only a sophomore, that doesn’t stop him from achieving greatness. In my opinion, he’s chasing greatness. Communication between the offensive line and the quarterback is very beneficial in playmaking. You see what you like and don’t like, and you have to communicate it through the coaches and each other.”
• In another 5A game, Nazareth Academy will play at Marmion Academy in Aurora at 1 p.m. Saturday in a second-round game. The visiting Roadrunners, 6-4, sneaked into the playoffs by beating Benet Academy in week nine. The host Cadets, 7-3, represent a tough test for Nazareth, according to coach Nazareth head Tim Racki.
“Marmion’s offensive line is impressive,” Racki said. “They can move people off the ball. On paper, it should be an interesting matchup because we’re built more for speed and athleticism and are not oversized guys up front. It will be a fun match-up to watch.
“Marmion’s got a really good running game. The biggest key is controlling the run game. They’ve got a smart and athletic quarterback (Daniel Chung) who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Offensively, they’re very balanced. You can’t fall sleep at the run game. They got big-play potential in pace. Defensively, Marmion is always disciplined and doesn’t make mistakes. They’re very sound, a good unit. It looks like a good match-up on paper. They’ve played a tough schedule, and we’ve played a tough schedule.”