Leyden Nips Lyons 14-10 In Last Two Minutes

David Rose fired a second down strike to tight end Dan Kiebler with 1:46 to play as Leyden came from behind for a 14-10 victory over well-regarded Lyons Township in a West Suburban cross-league clash between two 5-2 teams. The win gave Leyden a 6-2 record and a spot in the 2009 IHSA State 8A football playoffs and left Lyons (LaGrange) on the bubble with a 5-3 record. Leyden’s Rose had a banner night with 13 completions on 23 tosses for 166 yards, ending with the winning TD pass. The Eagles’ recording-breaking tailback Angel Maldonado scored Leyden’s first touchdown on a 10-yard dash in the first quarter and accumulated 159 yards rushing on 18 carries, amazingly it was his lowest rushing game of the season.

The game was a series of missed opportunities for both teams. Lyons took the opening kickoff and moved 69 yards on 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead on an 11-yard Ryan Mitchell to J.D. Heinz pass at 6:27, two of their four first downs coming on Leyden penalties. The Eagles bounced right back, using a Lyons 15-yard personal foul penalty on the kickoff to start play at their own 42. Three complete passes by Rose and runs of 25, 7 and 10 yards from Maldonado tied the score at 3:36 of the first. Midway in the second quarter, a fumble by Mitchell was recovered by Leyden’s Victor Fuentes on the Lyons 46 and seven plays led to a 35-yard field goal attempt by Ivan Momchilov that was just barely wide.

The Lions then drove from their 20 after the FG try to the Leyden 6-yard line in eight plays but were forced into a 28-yard field goal by Matt Cotiguala at 0:31, taking a 10-7 lead to the intermission. Several punt exchanges opened the second half before three passes by Lyons’ Mitchell gained a first down on the Leyden 13-yard line. Jordan Hester swept around the left side for 12 yards but he fumbled near the goal on a hit by Nelson Lugo and Diego Moreno recovered the ball in the end zone for a Leyden touchback. From the Lyons 20, Rose connected on two passes, Adam Bielech for 20 yards and Michael Ellis for 43 yards to the LT 17 only to have two holding penalties and a sack drive them back to punt.

Early in the fourth period, Rose moved the Eagles to a first down at their own 40 before Maldonado broke free up the middle for 55 yards, dragging tacklers to a first down at the Lyons 5-yard line. It appeared the Rose had a TD to Bielech on the next play but the officials ruled Bielech was beyond the end zone when he caught the ball. A holding penalty then pushed Leyden back to the 15, they made it to the nine before Momchilov came on to try a tying field goal. The center snap was high and holder Victor Fuentes ran to the LT4, where Lyons took over on downs. Defensive coach Tony Zitzka’s sometimes-maligned defense then rose to the task and forced the Lions to punt from their own 10. The short kick was downed at the LT 30 and the Eagles had another chance with 3:05 to play.

This time Rose made sure of a playoff spot. His first pass just missed Bielech in the end zone before Maldonado ripped free at the line and bolted 13 yards for a first down at the Lyons 17. He lost a yard on the next play, but Rose then faked to the tailback, spied his burly tight end Kiebler right over the middle and drilled a strike at the goal for the winning TD with 1:46 to play. Momchilov kicked the extra point to eliminate a Lyons field goal as a last minute threat. Hester returned Momchilov’s long kickoff 18 yards to the 26, Mitchell ran to the 35 on the first play but Cascella and Cassanave sacked him back to the 27 as time was winding down. Two incomplete passes in tight coverage gave Leyden the ball back at the LT 27 and Rose took a knee twice to run out the clock.

The Eagles will wind up the regular season at Addison Trail next Friday where a victory would give them a 7-2 record and second place in the West Suburban Gold depending on Downers Grove South’s meeting with Addison tonight. The last Leyden team to win six or more games was coach George Duffey’s 1998 Eagles with a 9-2 record and coach Bruce Arnold’s 6-3 squad in 1992. Coach Len Janik had three 6-3 teams in 1983, 1984 and 1986; prior to that it was East Leyden, when 6-3 would have been a disappointing season. Maldonado continues to build on his own season and career rushing records, boosting this year’s total to 1683 yards and his career mark to 3241 yards in 24 games.