What to expect from Glenbrook North!

 

Paul Jung (sr, 5'8 175lb, RB) averaged 5.66 yards per carry and ran over 700 yards last year as part of Glenbrook North's punishing ground game. Lane and GBN face off in week 2 of the football season.(GBN shutterfly photo)

Pre-season games versus non-conference opponents always warrant attention. This year's marquee non-conference game of the year may be city champion Lane Tech versus Glenbrook North of Northbrook from the Central Suburban League North conference in week 2.

It's great that Lane Tech won city last year and it's great that it beat up on teams mainly consisting of conference opponents. But non-conference losses last year to Fenwick, New Trier, and Loyola Academy are the games that really matter to the eyes of football fans outside of the CPS.

So how will Lane Tech stack up against GBN this year?

Well let's look at the Spartans of Glenbrook North (GBN)

(4-5) 2008 varsity record; (4-4-1) sophomore team record (6-1) freshman A team record

GBN's varsity team last year finished with a 4-5 record. Losses to Glenbrook South by a score of 35-7 and Maine South by a score of 42-0 was expected. GBS and Maine South are the top teams in the Central Suburban League and MaineSouth won state. So, it's worse losses last year probably came from Niles North (13-10) and Woodstock (20-6). Those are not traditional football powerhouse schools and in most years, GBN would be able to beat those schools. It's best victories came against Deerfield (10-7) and Waukegan (10-7). Waukegan, is a vastly improved team from recent years so that victory was good. Plus, Deerfield usuallly produces solid teams. But Deerfield and Waukegan are average at best teams.

Whose returning?

GBN graduates much of their starting talent from last year including QB Tom Coughlin, starting RB Mason West, and captain Jonathon Cornfield (LB). So, GBN may have to restock from members from the sophomore team and maybe freshman team from last year. But GBN returns it's leading rusher form last year in 5'8 175 senior Paul Jung. Jung averaged an outstanding  5.66 yards per carry last year rushing for a total of 741 year The top performer from their underclass last year may come from sophomore running back Jong Won Lee. However, don't expect GBN to wear Lane out in the running game. Lane Tech has one of the best run defenses in the CPS.

Lane Tech has a chance

Based on the above initial analysis I feel Lane Tech has a solid chance of winning this game. Lane returns a great core of players from last year's city championship team and will be very strong defensively with all-city Louis Pasat-Trinca and Laken Tomlinson returning. I also expect starting Running Back Thaddeus Scott to be improved from last year.

Plus, I think we caught GBN at a good time. They do not have proven QB and their running gamecan be bottled up by Lane's tough run defense. Defensively, GBN will be solid but I can't see them shutting down Lane Tech completely.

Prediction -

Lane Tech 17
GBN 14

Lane Tech 2008 Football Schedule

8/28  2:30 N     Chicago (De La Salle)          
              @ Soldier Field
9/4   7:30 H     Northbrook (Glenbrook North)      
              @ Lane Stadium
9/11  7:00 H     Chicago (C. Vocational)         
              @ Lane Stadium
9/18  3:30 A    *Chicago (Curie)             
              @ Rockne Stadium
9/24  7:00 A    *Chicago (Hyde Park)           
              @ Gately Stadium
10/2  3:30 H    *Chicago (Whitney Young)         
              @ Lane Stadium
10/9  7:00 H    *Chicago (Dunbar)            
              @ Lane Stadium
10/16  7:00 H    *Chicago (Simeon)            
              @ Lane Stadium

Comments

[Julio Rodriguez]

17-14? How about 35-0. Your low confidence is based too much off last year. This will be one of Tech's best years ever. T-Scott is the real deal THIS year.

[D and GBN]

Lane starts out with DeLasalle from the Catholic League and Glenbrook North from the Central Suburban League - some of the top football conferences in the state. If Lane can pull away with wins in both games they will be ranked in the top 25 in the state. If Lane comes out with 35-0 wins in both games, then you can say Lane is truly the real deal. I'm predicting close games versus DeLaSalle and GBN. It could go either way on both. Not really sure if Lane will be proven offensively. Yes, they have an improved Scott at RB, but how improved is he really when he averaged like 3.4 yards/rush if that last year. Lane will have a new unproven starting QB from either senior Jake Pieuccini or even more unproven juniors Tyler Routher or Preston Oshita. Plus Lane has a big weakness in pass coverage. New Trier, Fenwick, and Loyola ate Lane's pass defense. They graduate their DB's in Kyles and Rashe Allen so I'm not sure if their backups or sophs from alst year will be much better repalcements. Lot's of question marks for Lane this year. If their pass defense improves and if they find a solid Kyle Orton like QB to manage the game and not cause turnovers, Lane should be very good. But best ever is quite a stretch. You must not have watched the 2004 city championship Lane Tech team that had an out of this mind offense averaging like 45 points/game.

[Stephen]

Where did you do research? The soph that you mention from GBN doesn't exist.

[Lee]

Jong Won Lee was on GBN's freshman football team last year. He scored 4 touchdowns in one game. A lot of people don't know who he is (yet) because he did not play varsity last year. He probably missed the yearbook photo day. Jong Won Lee's picture and a quote from him is proudly displayed in Glenbrook North's 2008-09 School Year Laconian year book. Look it up yourself.