Benet had a 7-0 lead, and all the momentum, early in the second quarter Friday night at Glenbard North.

Senior running back Joe Salvino had put the Redwings on the board with an early 75-yard touchdown run. Then to begin the second quarter, they drove deep into Panthers territory looking for another tally.

But Glenbard North senior linebacker Kayden Smith made a big defensive stop to keep Benet out of the end zone for a second time, and after that, it was all Panthers.

Glenbard North went on to score six consecutive touchdowns, and didn’t allow the Redwings another TD until 11 seconds remained in the game.

It all added up to a 41-15 nonconference victory for the Panthers.

Senior running back Donato Gatses was an unstoppable force for the home team in the win. He rushed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns, while his younger brother, junior Angelo Gatses, found the end zone twice and also caught three passes for 51 yards.

“We’re a brand new team,” Donato Gatses said. “We learned from our mistakes of last year.

“We take it play by play,” he added. “Whatever isn’t working, we fix it.”

Benet coach Pat New was happy about his team’s hot start to the game, but the Redwings couldn’t sustain the effort.

“We kind of let it get away from us,” New said. “They (Glenbard North) have a core of really great athletes. They took control.”

With about nine minutes left in the second quarter, Benet drove to the Panthers 16-yard line, hoping to add on to their one-score lead. But on third down, Smith came up with a 9-yard sack of Benet QB Benjamin Clevenger, and the Redwings missed an ensuing field goal attempt.

Then Glenbard North started rolling. Donato Gatses (36-yard touchdown run), Angelo Gatses (9-yard scoring run and 46-yard punt return for a TD) staked the Panthers to a 20-7 halftime lead.

“I saw a hole,” said Angelo of his electrifying punt return, “made a little move at the end, and just took it.”

It was no different for Glenbard North in the second half, as they put up three more TDs.

QB Kyle Melody (164 yards through the air) threw a 66-yard scoring strike on play-action to Zachariah Morris, and Donato Gatses had two more rushing scores, from 34 yards and 1 yard.

Benet tacked on a late TD on a 1-yard rush by Zachary Idhe. Salvino finished with 113 yards on the ground for the Redwings.

“The punt return (by Angelo Gatses) hurt us,” said Redwings coach New. “That put us two scores down.

“They (Glenbard North) made the big plays when they needed to.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250905/prep-football/gatses-glenbard-north-run-over-benet-panthers-improve-to-2-0/