Glenbrook North football coach Frank Whalen can always count on running back James Velissaris. The junior carried the ball 33 times Friday night for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
But he needed a little help from the Spartans’ defense. Two fumble recoveries–by Adam Shifrin and Mike Rich–led to two Glenbrook TDs at Niles West in the Spartans’ 28-21 Central Suburban crossover win. “One thing I like is our team forced two turnovers that we scored off of,” said Whalen, whose Spartans improved to 4-0.
Velissaris had to like that, too. Especially Rich’s recovery late in the third quarter. Niles West (3-1) was down only 21-14 and had the ball on its own 41. But Jeremy Will fumbled and Glenbrook North quickly capitalized.
A disputed pass-interference penalty gave the Spartans the ball on the Wolves’ 24.
Then it was Velissaris’ turn. He had scored on runs of 2 and 4 yards. This time he went in from 24 for a 28-14 lead.
“We knew it was going to be a fight coming in and knew they had ballplayers who could score,” Velissaris said.
Will, who gained 147 yards in 16 carries, made amends with his 9-yard run to bring West within 28-21.
Glenbrook North, the two-time defending Central Suburban North champ, had gone on top 7-0 on Velissaris’ 2-yard run. Shifrin set that one up by recovering Niles West quarterback Pat Donoghue’s fumble.
The Spartans went up 14-0 with 2 minutes 7 seconds left in the first quarter on Pete Brown’s 9-yard score. The two-play, 25-yard drive was set up by Sebastian Klosowiak’s 39-yard punt return.
Alex Filin gave Niles West life with a 29-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. On the Wolves’ next drive, Donoghue was sacked three times and it appeared the Spartans would take back control.
Niles West trailed 14-7 when sophomore Walter Mendenhall came up with a 55-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds left in the half to tie the game 14-14.
Glenbrook North opened the third quarter with a seven-play, 65-yard drive highlighted by a 52-yard pass from quarterback Kevin Kasper to Klosowiak to the Wolves’ 6-yard line. Two plays later, Velissaris scored from the 4 for a 21-14 lead.
