When Lyons players gathered for their final postgame huddle of the season on Nov. 15, it was fitting that Travis Stamm and Shane Harris were side by side, arms draped around each other’s shoulders.
The two played pivotal roles for the Lions (11-1), who set a program record for wins and achieved their first unbeaten and untied regular season since 1947. Their run ended with a 24-7 loss to visiting Naperville Central in the Class 8A quarterfinals.
“Shane’s been a guy who was under the radar,” Stamm said. “He really stepped up this offseason and this season. He spent a lot of time out here on the field and working hard. We spent a lot of time together. Shane never gave up and he never quit.”
Harris and Stamm were key components of a Lyons defense that formed the foundation of the team’s success. The Lions allowed just 157 points across 12 games, a 13.1 average.
“Travis has been like a brother to me the last five years,” Harris said. “I met him in eighth grade, and I knew he was going to be a special player. Travis is a special player, but he’s an even more special person with the way he carries himself and how he leads people.”
“It’s tough to end it like this,” Lyons coach Jon Beutjer said. “We didn’t play our best football tonight. We had a good week of practice, but we just couldn’t get anything going. That’s what’s hard about tonight. You play one bad game, and your season is over. Our kids battled and kept fighting, and I’m most proud of that. Naperville Central is a good football team, and they had a great game plan tonight.”
On their opening possession, the Redhawks drove 80 yards in 10 plays, taking a 7-0 lead when quarterback Sebastian Hayes connected with wide receiver DeShaun Williams on a juggling 50-yard touchdown pass down the middle.
Naperville Central doubled its lead to 14-0 in the second quarter when Hayes and Williams collaborated again, this time on a 42-yard strike with 8:15 remaining.
The Lions narrowed the gap to 14-7 with 5:39 left in the first half when running back Danny Carroll scored on a 25-yard touchdown run.
A penalty for running into the kicker proved costly for Lyons on the ensuing possession. After Gavin Ellison missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt wide left, he rebounded with a 42-yard kick on the final play of the half, extending the Redhawks’ lead to 17-7.
Naperville Central controlled the clock in the second half behind running back Aiden Clark, who had 34 carries for 110 yards. The Redhawks marched 80 yards in 14 plays on their opening drive, capped by Hayes’ 1-yard quarterback sneak with 4:14 left in the third quarter to make it 24-7.
Lyons had just four possessions in the second half. Two drives ended on downs, one on an interception by Daniel Nussbaum at the Naperville Central 30-yard line, and one on a fumble recovered by Jake Stanish at the Lions’ 10.
“We had a lot to hang our hats on this season for sure,” Stamm said. “People had us finishing third or fourth or fifth in the conference, and that motivated us because we had something to prove. We won our conference, and it sucks that the season ended early. But we’ll take it all with us no matter what we did.”