Many, including, Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet, thought the Hilltoppers were going to be one of the state's best teams this year. But after five games, they've been better than many, including Hetlet, thought they could be.
On Saturday, No. 4 Glenbard West knocked off previously unbeaten Proviso West 41-0 and improved to 5-0. Hetlet had a few moments on Tuesday to talk about the win, the season and his program.
What has impressed you about your team this season?
Chad Hetlet: I think our team speed on both sides of the ball is impressive. We get to the ball really well on defense. Offensively, we have the speed spread out from wide receiver and running backs. Our line gets off the ball. I think we're an explosive team from that standpoint.
What was the key to containing Proviso West wide receiver and USC recruit Kyle Prater on Saturday?
CH: I think we needed to give him different looks on coverage as well as getting our linebackers to re-route him on his routes. Don't allow him to get as deep and put pressure on the quarterback.
Has your team surprised you in any ways?
CH: Different kids have surprised me. I thought we were going to be solid this year. We knew we were going to be a young defense. We graduated eight kids, so we knew there was going to be a learning curve. We had to play Hinsdale Central and Downers South in Weeks 2 and 3, so we had to grow up really quick. Nick Burrello, offensively, has really been surprising to me. We knew he was going go to be a good player, but he's becoming an explosive player. Our running backs have impressed me. We have five guys rotating in and out, and it allows us to spread the ball around quite a bit.
What's specifically have you liked about Burrello's play?
CH: I think he's made some plays. Saturday against some defensive speed in Proviso West he ran away from a couple different players. On the opening kickoff of the second half, he went 94 yards. I guess he has good football speed. He was a good player on the sophomore level, but you're unsure how he's going to be at the varsity level. He's made some very explosive plays every game we've played. It's been a pleasant surprise.
How has the defense progressed?
CH: We're a little more sound on our tackling and our run pursuit. Teams haven't been able to run the ball on us. No team has been able to run more than 80 yards on us this year.
How has quarterback Tyler Warden improved this season?
CH: Tyler's just been great. We're not a team that passes the ball 20-30 times a game. We're going to pass it 10-12 times. His completion percentage is like 84-85 percent. He's made some plays on his feet. He gets better every week.
Does him passing the ball only a dozen times affect whether colleges can see him enough?
CH: Not as much as an option quarterback. When he throws the ball, he's using five-step drops. He throws the ball on the run. It's not like he's not getting to showcase his talent. It doesn't hinder him. The coaches are going to see an accurate passer who has good speed for a 6-6 kid and can throw the ball. John Whitelaw throws the ball 40 times, and he still has trouble getting looks. There are a number of MAC schools on him, and UTEP has called and seems to be extremely interested in him.
Is this where you'd thought your program would be in its third year?
CH: No, you hope. We wanted to compete in our conference. We wanted to be a perennial playoff team. We wanted to be a program that trains year round and develops explosive players. We've been fortunate to have talent to go with the things we've done. Things have been rolling really good for us.
Is this team better than you'd thought it would be?
CH: I thought this team was going to be pretty good. I think it's better than I thought it was going to be. It keeps amazing me from week to week. We didn't think we'd drop off from last year. We have talent. It's just spread out different than last year.
Did the win over Hinsdale Central earlier in the season give the team the confidence it needed?
CH: Hinsdale Central's a great football team. To be able to beat them, that's a huge rivalry game for us for a number of reasons. That's a huge challenge for us. It's as important a game as any game we play, but we felt the game going into the year was the difference-maker for conference. That's a big game obviously.
Have you had an MVP so far this season?
CH: No, I don't think so. I don't think anyone stands out. Everyone does their jobs.
Scott Powers covers high school and college sports for ESPNChicago.com and can be reached at preps@espnchicago.com.