Glenbard N. keeps pushing forward

From the opening exchanges through the celebratory finish, Glenbard North was as crisp Friday night as the Carol Stream air.

And it was just that kind of effort that saw the Panthers win their second straight Class 8A playoff game -- a 35-13 upset of York.

"We were really focused," Glenbard North defensive lineman Kyle Schwetz said. "We've been waiting for this. We thought just about this game, not the next, and we kept pushing forward."

Glenbard North (7-4) kept York (8-3) off the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter and limited the Dukes' offensive effectiveness until very late in the contest.

"They have a big O-line and it was hard," Schwetz said. "We just fought past them, stayed low and drove them."

After a 5-4 regular season, Glenbard North finds itself 2-0 in the postseason and awaits the winner of tonight's Loyola-Fremd ballgame.

"At the beginning of the year, we kind of stumbled," Schwetz said. "We're finally getting together and are putting it through."

Based on Friday's performance, no one would have known Glenbard North needed a Week 9 win over West Aurora to make the playoffs.

"We have a feeling we can take down anyone in the state right now, and we feel we can compete with anyone," Glenbard North quarterback Evan Watkins said.

Both facets of Glenbard North's offense clicked. Tyler Doll gained 125 yards on 28 carries, scored 1 touchdown and chewed huge chunks off the game clock.

Watkins was 9-of-10 passing for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns. Overall, the Panthers gained 349 offensive yards.

"We were prepared," Watkins said. "We knew what to expect and what they were going to come with. We had great play-calling all night. The line was doing well, and we were clicking on offense."

York struggled just as Glenbard North excelled. The Dukes drove late in the first half and did not score, trailing 21-0 at intermission.

Needing a momentum-building defensive stop at the start of the second half, York saw Glenbard North score in 3 plays. The offense then drove deep into Panthers territory before the drive stalled at the 8.

"We came flat the first couple of series," York wide receiver Luke Regole said. "We had to change up things because we couldn't get anything going."

Regole had 11 catches for 124 yards and was Tom Judge's prime target. Judge finished with 208 yards passing.

The Dukes broke the shutout when Spencer Ingle ran in from 3 yards with four minutes left. York recovered the onside kickoff and scored again, but time ran out on the team's season.

"We've had a lot of fun this season," Regole said. "We came out and showed people what York football is. Through the season we saw ourselves growing and getting better and better."