Lyons edge out Hinsdale Central

Updated: October 4, 2011 9:09PM

He dove to his right and when he did, Lyons goalkeeper Max Hadley secured the win for his side in one of the oldest and most heated rivalries you’ll see on any high school soccer field.

The Lions’ 1-0 win over Hinsdale Central came on an Elliot Borge goal at 50 minutes, and a penalty kick save by Hadley with less than four minutes remaining in a game filled with emotion and physicality from start to finish.

“I just guessed right. It was more instinct than anything,” Hadley said. “You just kind of have to make a decision and stick with it. It felt amazing, and then the biggest thing on my mind was ‘lets not get scored on’.”

Hinsdale Central brought the attacking heat down the stretch but Lyons Township held on and stayed in the hunt for this year’s West Suburban Conference, Silver Division title.

The Lions (8-4-3, 3-1 in WSS play) entered the game along with five other teams with one conference loss this season. The loss dropped Hinsdale Central to 8-7-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

A scoreless first half in LaGrange wasn’t without its near-goals. A Lyons Township shot was destined for the net 20 minutes in, with goalkeeper Will Meyer well off his line, but Central defender RJ Dralle got back in time to head the ball away.

Yellow cards and injury timeouts marked a good portion of the second half. The game’s lone goal came when Borge made a run into the Red Devils’ penalty area on the left side and teammate Brett Heimerdinger found him for the score.

“Mitch Reavis is a difference-maker for us, and Elliot Borge is a difference-maker for LT,” Red Devils coach Mike Wiggins said. “If anyone doesn’t think that Borge is the best player coming out of the Chicago area this year, they’re wrong.”

The win for the Lions also allowed them to keep ownership of this year’s Silver Brick trophy, given annually to game’s winner. The game also features a large crowd gathered to honor of the American Youth Soccer Organization, Region 300, which feeds both high school programs.

An estimated 900 fans showed up in LaGrange for the annual contest on Tuesday.

“That’s mainly what this night is about – I lost track of who’s ahead in the conference,” Labbato said. “We were mainly focused on this as a community night. It’s important for us to get these little (AYSO) kids out here to see a great soccer game, and I think we managed to do that.”

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.