All-American Chris Watt’s sprained ankle was the buzz of the day, but teammate Bryant Venson grabbed all the headlines during Glenbard West’s 28-14 victory over Lyons Township in Glen Ellyn on Saturday.
Despite the absence of Watt’s bulldozing blocks, the speedy 5-foot-9, 185-pound Venson (10 carries, 145 yards) broke free on the first play from scrimmage for a 65-yard touchdown run to put the Hilltoppers ahead 7-0.
“On the first play, we wanted to score,” Venson said. “We wanted to let it be known that we were ready to go.”
After LT quarterback Ryan Mitchell (17-for-25, 135 yards) found Jordan Hester on a 15-yard scoring strike to pull the Lions within 21-14 with 1:15 left in the third quarter, Venson struck again on the ensuing kickoff with a 96-yard burst for a touchdown that sealed the victory for Glenbard West.
“We told our kids that Glenbard West is a big play offense,” LT coach Jack Derning said. “The first play of the ballgame, Venson scores on an 80-yard run and then he has the kickoff return for a touchdown.”
Despite Venson’s shockingly fast first strike, the Lions (3-5, 2-3 West Suburban Silver) appeared in the game for the long haul. Mitchell capped off an impressive five-play, 55-yard scoring drive on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Brown, squaring the score 7-7 at the 5:46 mark of the first quarter. During the drive, Mitchell continually found Brown and Deonte Brown for effective, quick-hitting passes.
The Hilltoppers capitalized on a fumble by Mitchell late in the second quarter. Three plays after the turnover, quarterback Chris Cochrane (7-for-10, 145 yards) tossed a screen pass to Jessie Condie, who raced into the end zone from 31 yards out to propel Glenbard West to a 14-7 lead at the half.
The loss, which eliminated LT from the postseason, reflected a campaign full of great effort but too many turnovers.
“We felt we gave away three games [this year] and should be 6-2,” Derning said. “Everybody is disappointed, but the kids have played hard. I’m proud of their effort.”
The Lions close their season against Downers Grove North Friday (7:30 p.m.) at Bennett Field.