Glenbrook North running back Grant Rushing’s performance Friday was just the latest in an already-glittering senior season — and he got a little help from sophomore David Burnside.
Rushing carried the ball 11 times for 244 yards and four touchdowns for the Spartans (4-1, 1-0) in the 42-14 victory against Deerfield in the CSL North opener.
Burnside, who lined up at both running back and receiver, recorded a pair of touchdowns in his varsity debut. He finished with four catches for 60 yards and delivered a key block on a third-quarter run by junior quarterback A.J. Spitz.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Burnside also relieved Rushing for a few plays at safety.
“We told these kids, from freshman to varsity, that we were going to evaluate the first four games and put our best product on the field for conference. (Burnside) showed us he could play varsity,” Glenbrook North head coach Bob Pieper said. “He’s a great athlete. I’m not going to say he exceeded my expectations, but he met them.”
Burnside caught a 17-yard touchdown from Spitz with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter to give the home team a 7-0 lead. The pair combined again on a 20-yard score in the third quarter that increased the Spartans’ lead to 35-7.
Burnside said he was glad to be embraced by the team’s veterans and to contribute to the victory.
“Everyone has been really nice to me and treated me like a little brother,” he said. “For the seniors, the main goal was to win on homecoming, and I was just happy to be a part of that and enjoy their success.”
Rushing said he wasn’t surprised by Burnside’s play.
“(His performance) was huge. I knew Berny was going to do well. He’s a solid athlete and it was a good start to the (varsity) season for him,” Rushing said.~.
