Glenbard West lost its first four games. Opening a highly anticipated season with such a rough start can send a team into a downward spiral.
Negativity builds as quickly as positivity. But the Hilltoppers fended that off, beat Leyden in Week 5 and waited for dynamic senior Teyion Oriental to return from injury.
Oriental was back Saturday for Glenbard West’s crucial game against Hinsdale Central. He said he felt about 80%, but his presence turned the Hilltoppers’ offense around completely in a 35-14 victory.
‘‘It was hard being out and watching the last few weeks, but that’s just a young team that struggled a little bit,’’ Oriental said. ‘‘We will just take it game by game now and hopefully make the playoffs.’’
Oriental played running back and occasionally quarterback for Glenbard West (2-4, 1-2 West Suburban Silver). He threw a 23-yard pass to Mason Ellens in the second quarter, then ran for a one-yard touchdown on the next play to put the Hilltoppers ahead 7-0.
His other pass went for a 41-yard touchdown to Dillon Platten to give Glenbard West a 21-7 lead just before halftime.
‘‘It’s a tremendous difference having [Oriental] back,’’ Ellens said. ‘‘Now we have a chance to get rolling.’’
Junior JaMarcus Kelly also gave the Hilltoppers’ offense a major lift with eight carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Oliver Valdez was 5-for-9 for 65 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
‘‘We’ve played a really rough schedule and dealt with some injuries,’’ Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet said. ‘‘We knew we had good pieces. Getting [Oriental] back was important. He’s a dynamic player, but so is [Kelly]. Now our offensive line is clicking, and we can be more multidimensional.’’
The Red Devils (2-4, 0-3) tied the score at 7 on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Riley Contreras to James Skokna in the second quarter before Glenbard West scored the next 28 points.
Contreras, a junior, was 17-for-26 for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Skokna, also a junior, had 10 catches for 72 yards and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Hilltoppers limited Hinsdale Central to fewer than 80 rushing yards.
‘‘All year long, we’ve played well against the run,’’ Hetlet said. ‘‘Credit to the defensive line and the linebackers for taking out their run game and containing [Contreras]. That is hard. We didn’t let him get all over the place on us.’’
Oriental, Kelly and Ellens admitted it has been rough shouldering a sub-.500 record in a community crazy about high school football.
‘‘It has not been the best to hear everyone talking about that,’’ Ellens said. ‘‘We don’t have a winning record right now, but this is ‘Hitter’ football, and we will do whatever we can to make the playoffs.’’
Glenbard West wraps up the regular season with home games against York and Oak Park and a road game at Proviso West.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, face a difficult path to playoff eligibility. They probably will have to win all their remaining games, including a challenging matchup in Week 9 against Downers Grove North.
Big play for Glenbard West. Oliver Valdez to Mason Ellens for a 23-yard TD.
Hilltoppers lead Hinsdale Central 14-7 just before halftime. pic.twitter.com/FPuHmcn1Wq
— Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) October 5, 2024