Raiders vanquish Foxes in second half

Yorkville QB sits out with injured rib

GLEN ELLYN -- They looked like a team in the hunt for a conference title.

Glenbard South led just 14-7 at halftime against a shorthanded Yorkville team Friday. But the Raiders scored on three straight possessions to open the second half and pulled away to a 34-14 Western Sun Conference victory. Glenbard South is now 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the league.

"With all due respect to (coach) Rob (Wicinski) and Geneva, I thought at the beginning of the season Glenbard South might be the team to beat," Yorkville coach Jim Still said. "Just because of the amount of starters they had back from a final eight team that lost on a missed PAT kick last year. Then they lost to Geneva (this year) by just two points. I think you're gonna see them make a deep playoff run."

The biggest cheer from the crowd might have come when the score of Rochelle's upset of Geneva was announced. The Raiders' lone loss was to the Vikings and they remain in the title hunt with games at Sycamore and Rochelle remaining. Yorkville falls to 3-4, 1-4.

Senior quarterback Trace Wanless led the way for the Raiders, completing nine of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 62 yards.

Glenbard South claimed a 20-10 advantage in first downs, rushed for 204 yards as a team and rolled up 390 yards of offense to just 140 for the Foxes, who were without starting quarterback Luke Parece.

Still said Parece suffered a rib injury in the Rochelle game when he "took a helmet."

The senior played last week but was still having discomfort, and his doctor ordered an MRI exam and he's still awaiting the results.

"Obviously, when you lose your starting quarterback, especially one whose been playing (varsity) since he was a sophomore, there's bound to be a letdown," Still said. "Even so, I thought Adam (Gilbert) stepped in and did a nice job. He didn't hurt us out there."

A 5-foot-9-inch junior, Gilbert completed six of 12 passes for 75 yards with one interception.

Fleet-footed slot back Connor Douglas capped a 79-yard drive in the second quarter with an 8-yard scoring run to give the Raiders an early lead.

Yorkville, which had gone three-and-out on its first two possessions, answered with a march to the Glenbard South 18. Facing fourth-and-10 from the Raiders 20, Still's team lined up for an apparent 37-yard field goal attempt by Maxwell Brusveen.

Holder Mike Soris took the snap, rose to his feet and rolled left and connected with tight end Jaden Richardson on a 20-yard score. Brusveen's extra point knotted it at 7.

Moments later, the Foxes were in business after senior cornerback Sean Anderson picked off a Wanless pass and gave his team possession at the Raiders 16. Three plays netted only 7 yards, however, and Brusveen's 26-yard field goal attempt was wide right.

Glenbard South then marched 80 yards and scored on a 17-yard Wanless pass to Nick Slezak (four catches, 78 yards, two touchdowns) on fourth-and-10 with just 16 seconds remaining in the half.

"That was a great catch by Nick and a big momentum boost for us," Glenbard South coach Dan Starkey said.

Still, whose team was held to 52 totals yards in the second half by Glenbard South's defense, agreed.

"It was a 14-7 game at the half and we missed a field goal and we gave up a fourth-and-10 for a score," he said. "It could have very easily been a 10-7 (Yorkville) halftime game. It really could have been, and that's not me being hypothetical or looking through rose-colored glasses. Two plays and it was the difference from a 10-7 lead to a 14-7 deficit. The kids are playing hard."