On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Red Devil football team defeated conference rival Glenbard West for the first time since 2006. Central is now tied for the West Suburban Conference title with an undefeated record of 6-0 matched by Lyons Township and Oak Park River Forest high schools.

The matchup was highly anticipated by fans and players because of the two team’s history. The game was also Central’s Homecoming, meaning many alumni were in attendance to witness the victory.

“This game was a test for us to show that we can play with anyone. Going into this week, we knew we had to have the best practice of the year,” said kicker Quentin Wallace, junior.

The game started promising, with Central’s Luke Skokna, sophomore, scoring the first touchdown early in the first quarter. However, by halftime Glenbard was winning 21-14.

“I knew how badly [the players] wanted to win,” said Danny Ahern, senior and fan. “It was a lot more energetic than other games because [seniors] Anthony Brescia and Ryan Thayer brought four speakers and we were bumping tunes.”

There was no change in the score over the entirety of the third quarter. A 25-yard field goal by Glenbard kicker Logan Ryan put the score at 24-14 with 8:28 remaining in regulation, leaving the Devils down by a two possession deficit.

“You could feel a balance of both nerves and hope within the fans and the team,” said Mckenna Ryan, senior cheerleader. “Everyone was ready to rally despite being down the majority of the game.”

With 6:50 left in the game, Josh Bean, quarterback, ran 11-yards for a touchdown, decreasing Glenbard’s lead to only a field goal. The game-tying goal was made by Wallace for 36-yards with under 20 seconds left in the game.

“Once the game was sent to overtime I knew we were going to pull away on top,” Wallace said. “Our crowd was fired up and our players had something to prove on Homecoming.”

The high school style of overtime allows both teams four downs to score within 10 yards of the end zone, and continues until one team earns more points than the other with the allotted opportunity.

Bean passed to Matt Bjorson, junior, on the second play of overtime for an 8-yard touchdown and lead of 31-24. Glenbard answered on its first offensive play with a 10-yard touchdown.

In order to end the game, Glenbard elected to go for a 2-point conversion rather than kicking the extra point as Central did. When the Red Devil defense made the stop, the game ended with a final score of 31-30.

The student section stormed the field moments after the win was confirmed, causing chaos but also reinforcing the excitement around this feat.

“I was nervous during overtime,” Ahern said. “It was awesome to share the victory over GBW with the team for the first time in nine years.”

Next week Central takes on top rival Lyons Township at their South campus. Both teams are 6-0, and the game will determine who takes the first position in the WSS conference. It is expected to be packed with fans from both schools. The theme for the student section is the “Red Sea” and takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7.