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TIME OUT It's show(down) time for Devils, Glenbard West

October 23, 2008


Hinsdale Central had some cleaning up to do in football practice this week in preparation its game of the decade against visiting Glenbard West (8-0, 5-0) to decide the West Suburban Conference Silver Division championship.

The Red Devils (7-1, 5-0 in the Silver) knew tough workouts were in store from having littered Proviso West's field with mistakes Saturday before rallying for a 53-29 victory.

Coach Mike DiMatteo felt he owed the lowly but competitive Panthers (2-6, 0-6) a thank-you note for waking up his Red Devils, who were behind 29-27 after three quarters on the passing of Proviso West's Theodis Sloan, who threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns.

"(The Panthers) played their cans off," DiMatteo told his players. "The West Suburban is different from other conferences. Every team has a way of getting up for Hinsdale, especially those we're supposed to beat. We have targets on our backs. That's just the way it is.

"The good news is, great teams have a way of doing great things on their bad days and that's what you did today (when Hinsdale Central outscored Proviso West 26-0 in the fourth quarter). Take it and learn from it."

The Red Devils learned before the Proviso West game that top running back Rich Zajeski would be unavailable for the Glenbard West game with a left-ankle sprain injury suffered early in their Oct. 11 Homecoming victory over York.

"It happened in our first series and my foot got caught in the grass," said Zajeski, one of Hinsdale Central's four captains.

"I was upset when the doctor said I'd be out three or four games because the sprain was so high in my ankle, but the people where I'm taking therapy said, 'The harder you work, the sooner you'll get back.' Hopefully I'll be back for our first playoff game because I'm working extra hard."

Glenbard West star tackle Chris Watt sprained his right ankle two weeks ago and might miss Friday's 7:30 p.m. game.

"Playing against Hinsdale is my goal," said the Notre Dame-bound Watt, who is rated the best offensive lineman in the country.

DiMatteo has a committee off running backs to pick up Zajeski's load, including hard-pounding senior Eric Alexander and sophomore Jake Knowles, who had two 1-yard touchdown runs against Proviso West.

"Eric is a great blocker as well as a good runner," said nose tackle Pat Clegg, a third-year varsity player who was all-conference last season for the 7-4 Red Devils. "He's a quiet kid who can unload on you. He's not afraid of anything."

That goes for Knowles, a plow horse who missed some early time with severe scrapes below his knees while playing defense.

Friday's showdown matches DiMatteo against his good friend and former Hinsdale Central assistant coach Chad Hetlet, whose Hilltoppers beat the Red Devils 15-13 in last year's regular season finale to prevent Hinsdale from sharing first place in the Silver with York and Lyons Township.

"This is the best team I've been around in 15 years," Hetlet said, including his two years with DiMatteo.

The 2008 teams average more than 40 points a game.

"A lot of people underestimate our speed," Glenbard West running back Bryant Venson told the Chicago Tribune. "Don't say anything until after you see us play. I guarantee we are one of the fastest teams in the area."

There's more:

"People don't understand that we also are the best defense in the league," Glenbard West nose tackle Theo Odom told the Sun-Times.

Let the bragging begin.

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