South Elgin turns three onside kicks into TDs, breaks open close game with Glenbard South

GLEN ELLYN – Considering all the action the South Elgin offense saw in the second half Friday night at Glenbard South, they could have been excused if they had gotten a little tired.

But they were having too much fun.

The Storm broke open a tied game at halftime by keeping the Glenbard South offense off the field for more than 12 minutes. The Storm recovered three straight onside kicks and converted each into second-half touchdowns to take a 49-27 Upstate Eight Conference football victory in front of more than 4,000 fans in Glen Ellyn.

“You know what? Past games we would have been tired, this game we were prepared,” South Elgin senior offensive tackle Nathan Dinse said. “We were ready. We were ready for it. We were under control. We got on the bench, took a quick breath and were out there, ready to go.”

Glenbard South (5-1, 5-1) stayed with South Elgin touchdown for touchdown in the first half. The teams were tied at 21-21 at halftime.

Glenbard South, which celebrated homecoming and the 50th anniversary of the school’s 1972 opening, started the third quarter with a three-and-out, and South Elgin (6-0, 6-0) took control of the game from there. By the time the Glenbard South offense took the field again, South Elgin led 49-21 and there was just 8:45 left in the fourth quarter.

For the game South Elgin kicker Bryan Cortez attempted six onside kicks, and the Storm recovered three.

“On film we thought that was something we could do, and part of it was trying to keep (Glenbard South receiver) Cam Williams off the field,” Storm coach Dragan Teonic said. “We had him covered multiple times, he came up with a couple of touchdowns. They had some momentum early.”

“You’ve got to give it up for the onside kick,” Dinse added. “It does wonders when you do it right. And we have the toughest, strongest dudes out there for it, so we get it done.”

The South Elgin running game got it done too, totaling 441 yards rushing. South Elgin’s Lucas Norworol and Mason Montgomery each ran for two touchdowns, and Michael Tringali, Kyle Steinhofer and Jordan Green added one each.

For Williams, a Notre Dame recruit, it was tough to spend so much time on the sideline watching and waiting.

“It’s hard when you get in a groove on offense and it takes three or four possessions for you to get back on the field, it’s just kind of hard,” Williams said. “It’s just unlucky things with the onsides, but I know we’ll get over it for sure.”

Still, Williams caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Michael Champagne, finishing with 7 catches for 112 yards. But just one of those catches came in the second half.

“Going into halftime we were real confident,” Williams said. “Obviously, the second half didn’t go our way. But I think that first half kind of says a lot about our guys and about our team.”

“They are so stinking good at their onside kicks, I mean they wrote the book on it,” Raiders coach Ryan Crissey said of the Storm. “The ball literally didn’t bounce our way a few times, and that’s what happens against good teams, they take advantage.”