Judging by how calm and collected Glenbrook South (23-10) looked on Thursday, you couldn’t tell it was the school’s biggest softball game in 10 years. Playing composed – but still confident – Glenbrook South capitalized on a number of Glenbrook North errors and Mykenzie Buzard had five RBIs helping the Titans to an 8-1 victory in the IHSA Class 4A Winnetka Sectional semifinals. Glenbrook South will play New Trier on Saturday in Winnetka for the sectional championship. “I think being relaxed is key here in the postseason, just being relaxed, having fun,” Glenbrook South's Kay Sopocy said. “The…

John Strickland was jumping with a heavy heart at the IHSA Class 3A Skokie Sectional meet on Thursday. Just that morning his cousin had passed away and, without a doubt, it was on his mind. But the Glenbrook South senior still had the long jump to worry about, and a state championship berth at stake. After scratching on his first attempt, Strickland finished with a mark of 22 feet, good for second place and a chance at a state championship next weekend in Charleston. “I wanted the gold so bad today, but can’t argue with state,” Strickland said. The second-place finish provides a little …

Danielle DeVito knew she was cutting it close in the 3200 run. Behind the three front runners, DeVito’s only shot at getting to the state championships was getting under the IHSA qualifying time of 11:22.04. “Coming down the home stretch I was looking at the clock, sprinting and sprinting,” DeVito told Patch. “I crossed and thought it was going to be very close so I was scared.” DeVito’s final time: 11:22.01 (read: she qualified for state by three one-hundredths of a second at the IHSA Class 3A Wilmette Sectional). DeVito went to state in the 3200 last year when the qualifying time was nine …

Standing at a mere 5-foot-9, Andy Dunk knows he doesn’t intimidate opposing pitchers when he steps into the batter’s box. So when Dunk was called upon to pinch hit in the fifth inning with two outs and runners on second and third, the senior knew what was coming. “I was thinking they were going to go fastball with the bottom of the order,” Dunk said. “I’m a small guy, they usually start me off with a fastball.” Dunk got a fastball on the outside corner and lined a single into right field, scoring both runners to tie the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning. Glenbrook South (16-5, 7-1 CSL) would …

Glenbrook South had the defending state champions right where they wanted them. After Friday night’s doubles matches at the Central Suburban League badminton tournament, the Titans were leading New Trier by a point and had hopes of tying the Trevians for the conference championship. Unfortunately the Titans couldn’t muster enough points in Saturday’s 12 singles matches, taking second place at the tournament and finishing as the runner-ups in the conference behind New Trier. “I’m a little disappointed,” Glenbrook South Coach Teresa Kimura said. “I think some people were up yesterday and didn’t…

At first glance Glenbrook South’s failure to advance to the championship bracket in the Glenbrook Cup this weekend might be considered a disappointment compared to their semi-final appearance in the prestigious Pepsi Showdown. But looking at the box scores and talking to coaches will tell a different story. The Titans went 2-0-2 in the tournament, including wins over Lake Forest and Niles North, and shut out all three opponents on Saturday. “We’ve learned a lot through this tournament,” Glenbrook South Coach Seong Ha said. “We’re heading in a positive direction going into a tough part of our …

Glenbrook South isn’t new to playing without their full lineup. Just last weekend the Titans won a tournament without two of their top players. So when the boys' tennis team went on a quick road trip to rival Glenbrook North still without senior Konrad Ryba, they remained confident. Paced by freshman Sam Hoogland’s victory in No. 1 singles, the Titans edged Glenbrook North, 4-3, in a CSL crossover match on Wednesday. “To win without one of your better players is always nice,” Coach Larry Faulkner said. “And to beat our sister school, our rival school is always nice.” Hoogland avenged a loss …

After spending time down in Florida during spring break, Glenbrook South's softball team received a big reminder that everything won’t always be so sunny. The lady Titans managed only three hits against Elk Grove pitching as the Grenadiers ran away with a 14-1 victory. “It was a wake-up call for us,” Glenbrook South coach Kay Sopocy said. “We did not play well. We let some balls get out of the infield and it kind of set the tone and we were just a little off compared to how we usually play.” A mercy rule loss wasn’t how the Titans envisioned their home opener. Last year Glenbrook South …

Welcome to Glenview Patch's newest feature! Each week during the spring sports season, Glenview Patch will cover a "Game of the Week" highlighting one of the Titans' best teams in an important match. Readers are encouraged to suggest games through e-mail or in the comments section. This week, check out GBS' boys' volleybally match against York-- Many coaches will say that early-season games are more about gaining experience rather than worrying about the result. If a team can win, that's a bonus. Fighting through some early-season rust, Glenbrook South improved to 2-0 with a 25-20, 25-18 …