RED DEVIL REDUX
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Hinsdale Central vs. Lyons Township 2017: Retold
ivalry week, at any competitive level, is arguably the biggest week of the season. Typically forged out of geographical proximity, rivalry games mean so much more to fans and players alike. This is no different for Hinsdale Central and Lyons Township (LT), two schools that are only four miles apart and are some of the fiercest high school rivals in the area. On October 13th, 2017, Central and LT faced off in one of the most competitive games in the history of the rivalry. In an extremely close matchup, The Red Devils ultimately prevailed 21-20 over the Lions. The game still lives fresh in the minds of those who played in it, due to how it played out, as well as the circumstances surrounding the rivalry. Luke Skokna, junior running back at the time, said the Central vs. LT rivalry was special to him for multiple reasons. “[The rivalry] means a lot to me,” Skokna said. “Not only is LT our rival school, but my
only meant more to the players, but also had a different feeling on the field. Connor Bauer, senior quarterback in 2017, said the games against LT were more intense, with players giving everything to win. “It got really physical, everyone’s giving their all,” Bauer said. “Everyone gives their all every game, but you find a little more drive when it’s a game against LT.” In the week leading up to the game between Central and LT, competition between the two schools had already started off the field. Students from each side challenged each other to see which school could raise more money for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. According to the Chicago Tribune, more than $5,000 was raised. The student body not only made an impact outside of the stadium, but also in it. Oakey said that the atmosphere created by the fans made the games against LT the best games he played in. “[The game against LT] was definitely the most fun game of the year,” Oakey
Photo from HC Football
Junior running back Luke Skokna (7) not only rushed for 178 yards against LT, but also completed a 2-point conversion with a pass, showing both his versatility and impact on the HC offense.
dad and his eight siblings all went to LT. He always jokes about how LT has the tougher kids, so I really just wanted to go out there and prove something.” Garrett Oakey, senior wide receiver and running back at the time, also said the rivalry with LT was meaningful because of how long the players on each team had known and faced each other. “[The rivalry] meant everything to me and to a bunch of guys on the team,” Oakey said. “We’ve grown up playing them since elementary school with the Hinsdale Falcons.” The games between Central and LT not
said. “The stands for both teams were jampacked, and they had confetti, baby powder, signs, you name it. It was definitely the best atmosphere that I played in.” Heading into the game, which would be played at Dickinson Field, Central was 5-2, coming off of a 14-9 loss away at Glenbard West. It could be argued that the biggest loss Central suffered wasn’t on the field, but off of it, as both starting quarterback Matt Rush and starting center Joe Monahan were out for the LT game. This forced Central to adapt their offense to cope with the injuries. Bauer said the injuries forced Central to
by John Olsen
play to their strengths, but they still wanted to remain aggressive. “We ran the ball a little more in general that year, but against LT, we tried to attack them and do what we did best and use Luke [Skokna] as much as we could,” Bauer said. “He was that power back that just made plays, and we relied on him.” Central also planned to change their formation and run a lot of Wildcat, with running backs, such as Skokna and Oakey, taking direct snaps and running the ball. For LT, they were 6-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Glenbard West. Averaging 28.1 points per game and led by senior QB and three star recruit Ben Bryant, LT’s offense posed a very real threat to Central’s defense, which was only allowing an average of 14.5 points per game. To deal with this, Bauer said Central tried to put Bryant under as much pressure as possible and tried to force him to make mistakes. Given the way both teams were playing coming into this game, it would no doubt be one of the most competitive and compelling games between the two schools in recent history. Central had won the last 3 meetings between the two sides by a combined score of 116-65, and LT was eager to snap that losing streak. With a 4-0 record on the road so far coming into this game, the Lions had a good chance of coming out with a win. Bauer said everyone worked harder at practice that week in order to give themselves the best chance at winning. “Everyone studied the plays a little more, worked a little more in practice, and watched a little more film,” Bauer said. “We just wanted to give our all throughout the week so that we were ready to take them on Friday night.” The game kicked off on an ominous Friday the 13th in October, with somewhat of a horror story unfolding on Central’s first possession. Oakey went down with an ankle injury, meaning that Central would have to adapt to injuries once again. “I got tackled funny, and ended up getting a Grade 3 ankle sprain,” Oakey said. “I was on crutches and couldn’t play the rest of the game, and that was probably the most devastating moment of my high school career. I had been working for four years to play that game against LT my senior year
28 | Perspectives
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10/26/2020 10/27/20 6:25:09 6:09 PMPM
