With the football season kicking off in merely a few days, Lyons Township coach Jack Derning faces a bad news-good news scenario regarding great players. The bad news is that the Lions have lost all-everything athlete Casey McMurray to graduation; however, LT thankfully returns 6-foot-4, 215-pound standout senior quarterback Ed Viliunas.
McMurray, a West Suburban (Silver) all-conference running back/punter last season, has moved on to play baseball at the University of Illinois. Although McMurray, the 2006-07 Chicago Sun-Times Athlete of the Year is not easily replaced, Viliunas is the heir apparent as the Lions’ premier talent. Since an auspicious varsity debut during the second game of last season, in which Viliunas sparked the Lions to a 20-7 comeback victory at Hinsdale South, the three-sport star has seized control of the LT offense.
“It’s tough to replace a guy like Casey who did so many things well for our football team,” Derning said. “Eddie is a proven commodity, though. Like Casey, he’s a tremendous athlete, and Eddie is one of the top quarterbacks in the Midwest. He’s a smart, tough kid and a good leader.”
Viliunas, a returning all-conference player who will engineer the Lions’ split veer back option offense, will look for help in the offensive backfield from senior running back Mike Anderson. Hampered by injuries in the past, Anderson (6-foot, 195 pounds) appears ready and focused to step in for last year’s effective running duo of Lucas Gacek and McMurray.
“Mike has a lot of potential,” Derning said. “The key for him will be staying healthy.”
The Lions’ top two aforementioned offensive threats should be well protected by a stalwart offensive line. Returning starters Jeff Adams (6-8, 275) and Gerald Rigo (6-5, 285) serve as huge offensive tackle bookends on the right and left side of the line, respectively. Left guard Nick Hitterman (6-1, 250), right guard Kevin Konstanty (6-2, 230) and center Peter Letarte (6-1, 190) round out an imposing front five.
On the perimeter, experienced wide receivers Alex Sewall, Pat Stafford, Mike Kogut and Peter Conn should provide the strong armed Viliunas plenty of targets in the passing attack.
Junior Ethan Guenther is slated as the Lions’ kicker, while Anderson will be the punter.
“On the offensive side of the ball, I think we will be fine,” Derning said. “This year, due to a lack of depth and some injuries, we may look to utilize Eddie’s talents even more fully and run a little more wide open offense.”
Defensively, the Lions graduated several talented players particularly at the linebacker positions. Four relatively new linebackers Barry Trilla (6-1, 190), Michael Stockwell (6-3, 215), Ben Houk and John Devereux will look to collectively fill the leadership role of former LT star Les Bates.
Seniors Dan McCroy and Kevin Cooke, team up with a pair of promising juniors, Pat Thomas and Joe Soudan, on the defensive line. Sewall, an all-conference player at free safety last season, anchors a solid secondary including senior cornerback Mike Callaghan and juniors Matt Lakis and Matt Tomaso.
“We lost some good football players on defense,” noted Derning. “Alex Sewall is one of the best players in the conference and we will look to him for leadership.”
In the perennially competitive West Suburban (Silver) Conference, McDerning picks York, a Class 8A semifinalist a year ago, as the preseason favorite with LT, Hinsdale Central, Downers North and Oak Park all in hot pursuit of the Dukes.
“A lot of the programs in our conference typically graduate very good players but replace them with quality kids,” Derning said. “This year should be no exception. Our goals are the same as always, which is to win conference, get in the playoffs, and win a state championship.”
The Lions kick off their season on the road Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Sandburg.
Key returners: Ed Viliunas, Alex Sewall
2006 record (finish): 5-5 overall, lost in first round of playoffs; 4-3 in conference
Tidbit: A big team in a conference full of them. Lions will need to scratch and claw.
Coach’s quote: “Last year, we had a series of injuries that I have never experienced in my 35 years of coaching. Staying healthy this year will be crucial for us.”