The Lyons Township football team’s secondary is loaded with playmakers like Will Konstant, Mike Thomas and Matthew Harris. Fellow defensive backs Evan Booth and Connor Wasz showed they are also “game-changers” during the Lions’ 24-19 season opening win over visiting Stevenson on Friday night.
With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Stevenson moved the ball to the LT 33-yard line, but Wasz intercepted quarterback Matt Micucci’s pass to shut down the Patriots’ spirited rally.
Three plays into the game, Booth snagged his first of two picks, which set up LT in Stevenson territory. The Lions quickly capitalized with a five-play, 35-yard scoring drive capped off by Konstant’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone. Jake Elliot kicked a 25-yard field goal to extend the Lions’ advantage to 10-0 after one quarter.
Stevenson whittled the deficit to 10-7 on a 5-yard touchdown run, but LT quarterback Connor Onion (20-for-34, 185 yards) tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rennick Thompson (7 catches, 52 yards) with 30 seconds left until halftime. The strike out LT up 17-7.
Konstant struck again with a 2-yard touchdown run to extend the Lions’ advantage to 24-7 midway through the third quarter. The Patriots rallied when Micucci threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Troy Radtke (7 catches, 168 yards) late in the third quarter. Stevenson scored its final touchdown with 5:08 left in the game.
“I was very impressed with our team,” LT head coach Kurt Weinberg said. “I thought we showed a lot of fight and remained athletically mature. Our players did a great job of maintaining an even keel especially when Stevenson came back.”
Lyons host Downers Grove South on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Mustangs (1-0) feature Josh Williams, who rushed for 336 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries, in a 28-7 win over South Elgin last week.
“The hits keep on coming,” said Weinberg, alluding to the Lions’ challenging schedule. “Williams is legit. He’s one of the better running backs I’ve seen in recent years.”