When Lyons running back Danny Carroll takes a handoff, he usually knows which way he’s heading.
“We like to run to our left tackle side, Tyler Chambers,” Carroll said, “He always gets a great push.”
Even when Chambers is battling one of the best defensive linemen in the country, which was the case on Friday.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Northern Illinois commit was matched up against four-star prospect and Notre Dame recruit Joseph Reiff of York.
Chambers, with some help from Cooper Komsthoeft and the rest of the offensive line, won enough battles to help No. 7 Lyons beat No. 25 York 24-7 in Elmhurst.
“Tyler is a very good football player, so is Joe Reiff,” Lyons coach Jon Beutjer said. “It was cool, I know they were excited for that competition. They’re both going to do great things in high school as they continue to play in the playoffs and then obviously at the next level.”
The Lions (8-0, 6-0 West Suburban) clinched their first outright conference title since 1987. A victory over winless Proviso East next week will give them their first unbeaten regular season since 1954.
Carroll, also an elite hockey player, ran 31 times for 153 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Dominic Pisciotti was 14 of 24 passing for 131 yards with an interception.
“He’s a stud,” Chambers said of Carroll. “When we run the ball, it feels safe with him. We know he’s going to make a play and he’s going to get positive yards.”
A.J. Vavrik added a field goal for the Lions, who avenged two losses to York last season. The second was a season-ender in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs.
“Last year, those were all our guys,” Carroll said. “We were supposed to be one of the best teams in the state. And York robbed that from us two times.
“And ever since we lost that last game last year, we’ve been prepping for this game right here. We’ve had our foot on the gas the whole year and it’s paid off every single day.”
Lyons led 10-0 at halftime. A 45-yard pick-six by Jimmy Conners got York (6-2, 3-2) within 10-7 early in the third quarter, but then the Lions took control on both sides of the ball.
Carroll had 116 of his yards after halftime and York didn’t get its initial first down of the second half till its final drive of the game.
“We knew we were going to go inch by inch, yard by yard, and we were gonna wear them out,” Komsthoeft said, “And that’s what we did.”
Lyons held York to 43 rushing yards on 22 attempts. Dukes quarterback Bruno Massel was 13 of 24 for 109 yards with two interceptions.
“On Nov. 6 (last year), those kids turned in their gear and they said, ‘Guess what? We’re going to do something special,'” Beutjer said. “And they didn’t just say it. Twenty-one weeks in the offseason, seven weeks in the summer. And they just don’t get rattled.
“They have grit, resilience. They play for each other.”