LT 31
Plainfield 8
After the Lyons Township football team applied the finishing touches on its 31-8 victory over Plainfield Central, Lions first-year coach Kurt Weinberg felt a range of emotions as diverse as his spread offense.
“I felt a lot of pressure, there’s no doubt about that,” Weinberg said about his LT debut. “After the game, I felt joy, happiness and a sense of relief.”
Ryan Mitchell eased any concerns for Weinberg by turning in a signature start. The dual -threat quarterback scored on a five-yard run and tossed touchdown passes to rangy wideouts J.D. Heinz (16 yards) and Christian Klotz (45 yards), staking the Lions to a 21-0 lead at halftime.
“Ryan was awesome,” Weinberg said. “He showed his athleticism and speed and was clearly the best player on the field.”
Mitchell completed 12-of-20 passes for 120 yards and contributed a team-high 70 yards rushing. Senior running back Nic Brown (12 carries, 40 yards) and Klotz (4 catches, 70 yards) provided balance for LT’s multi-faceted attack.
Weinberg also cited the work of LT offensive linemen Bill Bronec, Tim Brockman, Mike Harper, Wesley Ott and Tom Callahan as key to victory.
“Offensively, I thought we were a little nervous [at first], but then we got it rolling,” Weinberg said. “We controlled the line of scrimmage. I was very pleased with how physical we were on both sides of the football.”
While Mitchell and Co. were busy lighting up the scoreboard, the LT defense completely shut down the host Wildcats. Jim Newsome, Kevin Konstant, Mark Sewall (interception), and Matt Marzo (fumble recovery) sparked the Lions’ swarming defense.
“Defensively, we played incredible,” Weinberg said. “They scored eight points in the fourth quarter, but the outcome was already decided.”
In the third quarter, the Lions (1-0) extended their lead to 24-0 on a 20-yard field goal by Mike Pett.
Lyons welcomes Addison Trail on Sept. 4 (7:30 p.m.) at Bennett Field.