While playing against top-seeded, undefeated Loyola, Glenbard West was unable to capture the win and continue on to the IHSA 8A State Final. The final score was 42-13 with Loyola dominating the second half. This concludes Hitter football for the year, but the players have so much to be proud about.

West’s record ended up being 10-3 and the boys made it all the way to the semifinals. With Loyola being a private school undefeated since 2014, the Hitters were viewed as the underdogs going into November 3rd’s game. 

Glenbard West’s football team starts training in mid June and each players sacrifice sweat and tears nearly every day until playoffs end in November. Immense amounts of dedication and focus are needed from the boys and every one of them must give it everything he’s got in order for him to get to where he was that day.

To find out a little bit more about what it means to be a Hitter, I talked to starting varsity quarterback Cole Brady. On how to recover from a few rough games, Brady says, “We just try to block out any outside noise-positive or negative- and play for each other” and “just [we] tried to play Hitter football through any situation.”

The most important lesson Brady has learned from being a Hitter is how to overcome difficult circumstances saying, “All season we have battled through adversity and learning how to overcome it is something that will help me throughout my life.”

Not only has Brady learned many valuable lessons from football, but he also has made friends he will have for life. It is clear the Hitters have an unbreakable brotherhood, but why is that the case? “I think it’s just everything we go through together in the off season and all the hard work we put in together,” says Brady .

Win or lose, Brady is proud of the Hitters’ season saying, “Coming off of a state championship last year and losing Sam Brodner, a lot of people didn’t think that we were going to be able to do big things especially after the two losses, but being able to battle through everything that has come at us has been amazing and it’s been an incredible season.”

It really has been an amazing season and the Hitters have a lot to be proud of. Football is something that has always brought the Glenbard community together and given us something to root for. Congratulations to Brady and the Hitters on an amazing season and thank you for bringing us together as one.