Lyons lashes Leyden
Leyden's Josh Serrano has carried the load for the Eagles this season, and the senior running back passed a rushing milestone Saturday.
But despite his effort, Leyden was no match for visiting Lyons Township (6-1), as the Lions' balanced offense blistered the Eagles with 56-0 West Suburban crossover victory before a homecoming crowd in Northlake.
Serrano was one of the few bright spots for the Eagles, rushing for 64 yards on 18 carries. The senior's 11-yard run midway through the third quarter pushed him past the 1,000-yard mark.
"Yeah it's special," said Serrano of his mark. "But it would have been better to get the victory."
"He's a kid that gives 100 percent on every play," said Leyden coach Tom Cerasani of his two-way senior star. "He doesn't want to come off the field. He's a special kid."
It was just the opposite for the Lyons offense, which seemed to want to get off the field as fast as possible.
On the Lions' first play from scrimmage, senior running back Michael Anderson sprinted for an 80-yard score and an 8-0 advantage.
Anderson rushed for 108 yards on only 4 carries, as the Lions gained 242 yards on the ground. The senior added a 14-yard score on the Lions' next possession that pushed the margin to 14-0.
Quarterback Eddie Vilunas chipped in scoring runs of 2 and 4 yards as the Lions built a 28-0 lead.
Vilunas also led a potent passing attack, completing 10 of 11 passes for 179 yards, including a 46-yard scoring toss to Matt Boudreau just before halftime as the Lions led 35-0.
"We were a little surprised," said Vilunas of the Lions' offensive explosion. "They had a good record and we knew they had a strong runner, but after the first couple plays we just kept rolling."
Lyons accumulated 331 total yards in the first half, while Leyden had 63 yards.
"We practiced all week to defend the pass," Serrano said. "When they started off running, we couldn't stop it. Then when they started passing, we couldn't stop it. Nothing was working."
Despite the lopsided defeat, Leyden (4-3) is still in the playoff picture with two games left and is hoping to post its first winning season since 1999.
"The consistency in this program is finally starting to take hold," Cerasani said. "It's showing in our progress, and now we're in the hunt for the playoffs."