Brennan Cascarano following in brothers’ footsteps at Glenbrook South

SHARE Brennan Cascarano following in brothers’ footsteps at Glenbrook South
tst.0491.297704.3ea60e371c13f21feb4745732c0ac13a_630x420.jpg

EVANSTON — One of several legacy players on Glenbrook South’s roster, senior lineman Brennan Cascarano has been attending Titans football games for years.

“It does make football more than just another sport at Glenbrook South for me,” said the 6-foot-1, 245-pound Cascarano, whose older brothers Patrick and Sean both were standouts for the Titans. “I wouldn’t be as committed and don’t think I could be as committed to wrestling or any other sport because of the legacy of football.”

Brennan Cascarano, who had 1.5 sacks in Friday’s 17-14 loss at Evanston, said he is pleased his oldest brother has been able to watch him play this season. Patrick Cascarano, a 2011 Yale graduate, has returned to the Chicagoland area after working for a few years in New York.

Meanwhile, Sean Cascarano, keeps close tabs on his younger brother’s career from Charlottesville, Va., where he is a student assistant for the University of Virginia football team.

A standout lineman at Glenbrook South, Sean Cascarano played three seasons for the Virginia Cavaliers, starting every game in 2012, before giving up the sport prior to this season because of persistent shoulder and hip injuries.

Brennan Cascarano said he gets pregame and postgame text messages from Sean Cascarano every week.

“(After the Evanston game) he wrote that there still is a lot of time left in the season and to keep working hard because championship teams learn from their mistakes,” Brennan Cascarano said.

Before each game, Brennan Cascarano gets a good luck messages from Sean Cascarano.

“The only constant is that he writes in capital letters ‘HAVE FUN!’ ” Brennan Cascarano said. “In the end, he knows that’s why you play high school football, to have fun and have a good experience. You are playing with your pals.”

After playing primarily offensive tackle as a junior, Brennan Cascarano has added defensive end to his responsibilities. The results have been positive for Brennan Cascarano and the Titans, who take a 4-2 overall (0-2 CSL South) record into Friday’s home game versus New Trier.

“(Brennan Cascarano) rarely gets a break on the field,” said fellow defensive lineman David Thompson, a senior. “He’s got a good motor as far as pushing guys around. It’s tough to go both ways. But as the season has gone on, he’s dealt with it better and better every game. Coaches are more and more comfortable playing him the whole game on both sides of the ball.”

Thompson, the first in his family to play for the Titans, said Brennan Cascarano and the team’s other legacy players benefit from having a long association with the Glenbrook South program.

“(Having older siblings who played) gives them a little advantage. They got to live with someone on the team and understand what it means to be a varsity football player,” he said. “For others, that didn’t hit us until freshman year. But for someone with brothers in the program, they understood the commitment it took and they came into high school with that type of passion.”

Thompson added: “I think Brennan wants to make his brothers proud and he wants to play well for Glenbrook South. (Titans football) has been a big part of his family for a long time.”

As for Brennan Cascarano’s future, he appears as if he might combine Patrick Cascarano’s Ivy League education with Sean Cascarano’s college football career. Brennan Cascarano is being recruited by several Ivy League football programs and said he had a positive visit to Penn over the summer, though he remains undecided.

When he has a question about making the leap to college, Brennan Cascarano said he knows who to call.

“Whenever I need advice, I always can call my brothers,” he said. “They are just great resources to have around.”

The Latest
Despite getting into foul trouble, which limited him to just six minutes in the second half, Shannon finished with 29 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Cowboy hats, bell-bottoms and boots were on full display Thursday night as fans lined up for the first of his three sold-out shows.
The incident occurred about 3:40 p.m. near Minooka. The horse was successfully placed back into the trailer, and the highway reopened about 40 minutes later. No injuries were reported.
The Hawks conceded the game’s only two goals within the first seven minutes and were shut out for the 12th time this season in a 2-0 defeat Thursday.