Lake Park tops Glenbard North for Stratford Cup

ROSELLE – Lake Park and Glenbard North met on Friday with both looking for their first DuKane Conference win. The Lancers arguably had greater pressure before a homecoming crowd as well as alumnus and three-time Olympic decathlete Zach Ziemek.

If there even was pressure, Lake Park rose to the occasion and won 29-21 to retain the Stratford Cup, much to the delight of the students who stormed the field afterward.

“It was really great,” said Lake Park coach Chris Kirkpatrick. “This is a big rivalry for these towns, and I think it’s a fun rivalry to be a part of. They do a great job.”

The Lancers (3-3, 1-3) first got on the scoreboard when George Tzamouranis, back after being injured late in the previous game, hit Nicholas Menos for a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

The Panthers (2-4, 0-4) got the game going with an all-running nine-minute, 46-second drive that culminated in a 5-yard touchdown for Donato Gatses, who had 200 yards on 35 carries for the game.

The teams traded touchdowns in the final minute before halftime to keep the score tied at 14. Kyle Melody found an open Dylan Hendee, who took the ball 48 yards to the end zone.

Soon after, Menos caught a tipped Tzamouranis pass for his second score, this one from 35 yards out. That came during a drive that featured a 32-yard reception by Robert Munaco, who also ran the ball 15 times and picked up 110 yards.

As it did for much of the first half, Glenbard North turned to Gatses for the bulk of its offense in the second. It paid off with 23 seconds left in the third quarter when he ended another run-heavy drive with a 7-yard touchdown.

The Panthers’ lead evaporated immediately when Tzamouranis threw his third touchdown pass to Menos on the first play of the subsequent drive. The 58-yard score was followed by Kamryn Ahmed running the ball in for two to give the Lancers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I’ve been picking up my teammates all week at practice,” Menos said. “And I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Glenbard North’s first fourth-quarter possession featured a combination of offensive penalties and an inability to shake Lake Park’s defense. The Lancers responded with a smooth drive that ended with a Tzamouranis 16-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Gonzalez.

The Panthers made one final push to tie the game and got deep into Lancers territory, but Melody threw an interception to Ahmed, who also recovered a Lucas Kramer fumble earlier in the game.

“The kids played hard,” said Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens. “I appreciate their effort. We’ll just keep at it. We’ve got St. Charles North next.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20241004/prep-football/lake-park-rises-to-the-occasion-beats-glenbard-north-in-stratford-cup-game/