Lions Roar Past Eagles At Home

"I want to thank all the fans, really," junior running back Jaime Jones said. "The support they give us is a really big part of our success. Hearing them in the stands is always a kick start to our adrenaline."

Jones, along with the entire LTHS football team, fueled off of strong fan support in the Lions' second round home playoff victory over Carl Sandburg High School, 21-20.

With temperatures hovering around freezing, dedicated LT faithful saw their team grind out its tenth win of the season to advance to the IHSA class 8A quarterfinal game next week against powerhouse Mount Carmel, ranked No. 7 by the Chicago Tribune's PrepsPlus section going into the playoffs.

"This win is great for the program," two way senior starter Mark Sewall said. "It's great for the fans and all the coaches and players who have been working all year to make this happen."

When asked how the squad would continue its success against a good Mount Carmel side next week, head coach Kurt Weinberg said, "They're a great Mount Carmel team. They're a team with a tremendous amount of tradition, and at their place it'll be a hostile atmosphere."

In a game where atmosphere was on the Lions' side, it was the little things that made all the difference. Lyons was eight of eleven on third down, avoided turnovers and costly penalties and as has been true all season, the defense made key stops at key times.

"I thought our defense overall played a great second half," Weinberg said. "They took a couple of shots to the chin in the first half, and their offense really kept us off balance … it ended up working out for us."

Sandburg touted a 10-0 lead after the first quarter through a five yard touchdown carry from senior fullback Chris Lopez and a 42-yard field goal from junior kicker Taylor Zalewski.

LT opened the second quarter with a strong drive of its own, going five for five on third down to make its way downfield before senior quarterback Brian Kelley punched it in from two yards out.

Minutes later, though, the Eagles' lead was back to 10 as an 18 yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Cody Miller to shifty junior wideout Tres Oliver brought the scoreline to 17-7 with 4:20 left in the first half.

But Lyons' resiliency was a difference maker all evening, and with two seconds remaining in the half, Kelley found paydirt again from one yard out on a vital fourth-and-1 play.

Early in the third quarter, Zalewski added a second field goal to his tally before sophomore return specialist Matthew Harris went 53 yards on the ensuing kickoff to spark a Lions' comeback.

Following a 34 yard reception from senior wideout Chris Klotz—who caught four passes for 64 yards on the night—Jones scored on a three yard rush to give the hosts their first lead of the affair, 21-20, with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jones' touchdown concluded the scoring, as Lyons' defense held its ground on multiple Sandburg possessions to seal the fortuneless fate of the Orland Park side.

Junior safety Mike Thomas had solo tackles to his name, while senior Kyle Shinall had three tackles, four assisted tackles and a sack late in the fourth quarter that effectively ended Sandburg's season.

Next up for Lyons Township: Mount Carmel.

"Mount Carmel is a good team, but we are confident," Sewall said. "If we take care of the ball, there aren't too many teams out there that can compete with our size up front and speed on the outside."