More undefeated football teams will fall; West Aurora volleyball up

By Carter Crane – 

High school football, girls volleyball, and an amendment on Ellsworth Hill, offer good tastes this week in this space.

• Glenbard East High School continued undefeated with a second half comeback and an inspired 17-13 victory over previously undefeated West Aurora Friday in Lombard in an Upstate Eight Conference game. Glenbard East, led by veteran three-year quarterback Bret Bushka, overcame a 13-10 halftime deficit. However, both head coaches, John Walters of Glenbard East, and Nate Eimer of West Aurora, agreed that East’s successful goal-line stand at the end of the first half was inspiration and a determining factor in the outcome.

“They proved they could stop us on the ground which they had not done to that point,” West’s Eimer said. “(Glenbard East) defended the pass much better than we threw it.” West completed four passes in 19 attempts and did not score in the second half.

Walters said, “Guys were juiced to get back on the field and play (in the second half). These guys are hungry, have worked hard, paid their dues. Focus isn’t an issue. They have a plan and are executing it.”

South Elgin, 4-0 overall and in the Upstate Eight, will be next for Glenbard East. Host South Elgin is unscored on and has scored 193 points, not less than 40.

“(SE) is an option team, something we haven’t seen, so that should be a challenge,” Walters said. West Aurora will play at home Friday against Bartlett, 2-2.

• Through the fourth week of football, in a nine-game regular-season schedule, 15 teams of interest to The Voice remain undefeated, each 4-0. In no particular order, Montini, Batavia, Wheaton Warrenville S., Waubonsie Valley, Lisle, Aurora Christian, IC Catholic Prep, St. Francis, Yorkville, Oswego East, Oswego, Plainfield South, Glenbard East, South Elgin, and Willowbrook.

• There was no order of the above undefeated teams, however, adjacent teams listed will play Friday: Wheaton Warrenville South at Batavia, IC Catholic Prep at Aurora Christian, and Glenbard East at South Elgin. Other good games will include the start of DuPage Valley Conference games, Sycamore at Yorkville, and Downers Grove North at Glenbard West’s homecoming Saturday (see First Call on page 3).

• District 204 teams went south and won, Waubonsie Valley against Edwardsville, 21-7, and Neuqua Valley against Normal, 36-35, on Brandt Stare’s 77-yard kickoff return with 0:24 remaining in the game.

• The West Aurora girls volleyball team started 11-4 and defeated top-rated Joliet Catholic, Kaneland, and Neuqua V

alley. “I believe West can beat more top-rated teams and keep pace with big-hitting teams,” said head coach Kevin Mortlock.

• East Aurora fan John Roesch called to say that Ellsworth Hill, Class of 1929, was not an athlete, however become president of Merchants Bank.