Lyons Township High School junior Meg Robinson is learning to make the most of her 5-foot-10 height for receptions and interceptions on the girls flag football field.
“My brothers always tell me to do one-on-ones so I learn it from them,” Robinson said.
She and the Lions couldn’t have felt much taller Thursday. The program’s third successful season of existence added another milestone – a share of their first West Suburban Conference Silver Division title with Oak Park and River Forest by beating the Huskies 33-13 after trailing 13-6 at halftime.
“I feel like this one might be one of the best (victories ever for us),” Robinson said. “It’s amazing because this sport’s so new and it’s fun that our team is already this good. It just feels good to be a good team and have the competition.”
The Lions (11-2, 5-1 in Silver) could have been emotionally down after OPRF (10-5, 5-1) scored just eight seconds before halftime but instead answered with TDs on their first four possessions of the second half. Meanwhile, the two-rusher defense led by senior Margeaux Dvorak and junior Alyssa Episcopo of Brookfield combined for five sacks in the second half. Sophomore Kennedy Moore and Robinson had interceptions.
“One of our game plans was to gain the momentum and not give it back,” LTHS coach Meghan Hutchens said. “I felt like our defense did a really nice job of carrying our offensive momentum and getting stops and giving us the ball when we were hot.”
Thursday’s effort combined the Lions’ strong defense that has allowed just 74 points with five shutouts and a progressing offense and sophomore quarterback Evie Riopell, who was 24 for 35 passing for 254 yards with five TDs. Junior Taylor Hoffenberg had team highs of nine catches and 106 yards. The turning point came when Hoffenberg took a 1-yard slant pass from Riopell turned it into a 44-yard TD run by somehow avoiding four flag pulls while cutting across the field. Moore caught the conversion for a 14-13 lead.
Next came a 30-yard TD pass to Robinson up top over defenders, a 2-yard TD pass to Hoffenberg and a 30-yard TD pass to Moore, who leapt between two defenders.
“I feel like the big part of our team is teamwork and how we’re so close,” Hoffenberg said. “From this game now on, we’re going to have a lot more confidence and it’s just really going to bring us closer. We were able to communicate more and really hype each other up.”
OPRF, meanwhile, had just 15 total yards in the second half mostly through the defensive work or rushers Dvorak (4 sacks) and Episcopo (2 sacks). Leah Monoham and Mary Karam led in flag pulls.
“I think we had a really great game and this gives us a lot more confidence,” Episcopo said. “We tried switching to (two rushers) last year. We were really able to see their weaknesses and get in where we could. We were just on a roll and kept it going.”
Dvorak hardly played last season on offense. She’s switched to defense to exploit her speed without having to catch balls.
“(My inexperience) makes me nervous. It’s a lot of pressure to have the team depend on you but once you start getting the momentum, it’s boosted,” Dvorak said. “It makes me feel good and kind of makes me want to do even better.”
Robinson (6 catches, 82 yards) also had 29-yard TD and conversion catches for a 7-7 tie in the second quarter. This is the second year of WSC Silver competition. Last year, the Lions lost last year’s title showdown with Glenbard West and then lost again to the Hilltoppers 7-6 Sept. 15 in Western Springs on what Hutchens called a “perfectly thrown” 30-yard TD pass with 1:10 left.
Glenbard West (9-5, 4-2) lost to OPRF 24-20, Sept. 8, and York 31-19, Sept. 18.
“We could have easily won that (Glenbard West) game in my opinion. It was just dumb mistakes by everybody,” Robinson said. “It gave us much more momentum to do better because now we could actually be conference champs.”
The next test is postseason success as the No. 2 seed in the LT Sectional. The Lions have won two straight regional titles and lost in the sectional semifinals.
LTHS boys soccer
Senior Ryan Keenan had a senior night and homecoming game to remember Friday. Keenan scored 12:44 with remaining to help lift the unbeaten Lions to a 2-1 victory over Lane Tech in Western Springs.
LTHS (10-0-1) and Lane (9-2-2) were No. 2 and 4, respectively, in the Sept. 21 area rankings by ChicagolandSoccer.org. The Lions are scheduled to play host to No. 1 St. Laurence (15-0-1) Sunday, Oct. 4.
Keenan headed home Charlie Pelling’s left-wing corner kick with the ball going off the shoulder of two Lane defenders before reaching the net. The Champions, who tied the game with 25:44 left, had lost to No. 5 Taft 2-0 two days earlier.
Senior Cormac Moran gave LTHS a 1-0 lead with 11:54 left in the first half off a lead pass from Max Sklaryk after Reinis Velkme deflected aa attempted defensive clear.
LTHS moved to 3-0 in WSC Silver play with a 3-0 victory at Downers Grove North Sept. 22. Joao Piretti (team-high 9 goals) scored twice and Sklaryk once.