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LT tops Willowbrook

Missed opportunities can kill any team's momentum. Willowbrook learned that the hard way in its home loss to Lyons Township Friday night.

Leading by 11 points with time running out in the third quarter, the Warriors had the opportunity to take a firm hold on the game. However, an interception returned for a touchdown set the tone for the final quarter. The Lions scored again with just more than one minute to go in the game to take the lead and eventually win 25-21.

"We had an opportunity to run the clock out, we had the opportunity to get a stop to win the game and we didn't do that," Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth said.

The Lions weren't without their own miscues. A failure to score from with the 5-yard line and a missed field goal gave Willowbrook life late in the first half.

The final seconds in the first half were a sign of things to come for the Warriors. With the ball and marching, quarterback Billy Degnan threw a jump ball in the end zone only to have the ball wrestled away by the defensive back for a touchback as time expired.

Despite trailing 10-7 at half, Willowbrook looked rejuvinated to start the third quarter. Degnan led back-to-back touchdown drives to take the 21-10 lead.

Following the defensive touchdown, both teams traded stops before the Lions took over inside their own 20 with less than 10-minutes left in the game. After a controversial completion that Hildreth said was picked up off the ground the Lions offense started rolling with quarterback Tom Fiedler and a healthy dose of running back Leonard Ross taking control.

Down only 3 and the clock running, Lyons Township fed Ross 6 of the final 7 plays before he broke in for a 2-yard touchdown run to take the 4-point lead.

The Warriors had one final opportunity to march down the field, but after four incompletions the Lions were able to run out the clock.

"You found out how good you are," Hildreth said he told his team. "And you're a very good football team. But you allowed a team to drive 90 yards on you and you couldn't pick up a first down. You lost yourself a football game"

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