Live Look Week 1: Lyons Township

It was a hard fought game for Lyons, as they held onto a 9-7 lead at halftime only to fall behind by two scores with under 8 minutes to play. The hosts battled back, but their comeback fell short as they lost 30-23 to New Trier. That didn’t mean there weren’t standout performances from Lyons and here are the players that stood out. (Check out the recap of <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/live-look-week-1-new-trier-trevians/">New Trier here</a>) <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193727" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/36573B86-C8CE-4741-A028-7A257C1F8F35-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2024 Defensive [player_tooltip player_id="142544" first="Eddie" last="Tuerk"] (6’5” and 240lbs) @eddietuerk78 There is no surprising teams this fall, after getting multiple P5 offers during the offseason, Tuerk is a known commodity. With that comes a lot of expectations and he’s got the game to do so. Tuerk started off a bit slow, but eventually started make an impact. Tuerk was able to get some quality penetration on multiple run plays before the heat took it’s tole. Unfortunately, camps held back the star defender for much of the second half, and it really slowed him down. He’s powerful and quick off the line, but is still a bit raw. That doesn’t mean Tuerk isn’t talented right now, he’s just a bit rough around the edges. I have no doubt in my mind that when Tuerk goes off to whatever P5 school he selects, he’s going to have an impact. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193728" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/49BF6876-1FD9-4B23-823A-BE915A732E8D-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2024 Wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="119388" first="Noah" last="Pfafflin"] (6’2” and 180lbs) @noahpfafflin Another player that was hurt by cramps, Pfafflin caught every target except one, and if he did catch it, it would have been one of the first few highlights on this years Hudl. The hands were impressive, just like I had seen during the offseason, same with the route running. When Pfafflin couldn’t make the play, he was getting calls to go his way. His end of game numbers might not have been spectacular, but he made the most of his chances and still had a solid showing. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193729" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/B12DE2D0-8D01-4A01-8F73-BF108B0B94AF-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2023 Offensive tackle Aidan Hallett (6’5” and 275lbs) @AidanHallett_ When walking around the sidelines prior to the game, Hallett passed the look test with flying colors. He got a fantastic frame and moves very well for his size. Hallett has great bend, is very athletic for his size. He moves his feet well in pass protection, while as a run blocker he uses his long arms to guide opponents off the line of scrimmage. Hallett probably doesn’t quite have the frame to stay on the left side, but as a right tackle, he’s got a ton of potential. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193731" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/F9CE6B18-1CBC-4661-BCED-176D6D1A7531-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Defender Owen McManaman (6’2” and 190lbs) @McmanamanOwen With great size and ability, McManaman did a bit of everything on the field Friday night. He played in the box, made great reads on runs plays that ended with him making a tackle. The diagnosis of plays was impressive. McManaman dropped back into coverage well also, showing a good back pedal and again, his diagnosis was very strong. He’s labeled as a defender due to the versatility, the potential for him to play either linebacker or safety is enticing. McManaman has enough speed to cover a good amount of ground and had a very solid game. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193734" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/752A2FF9-2DAF-4605-86AC-71A92362104D-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2024 Running back [player_tooltip player_id="140304" first="Jack" last="Cheney"] (5’11” and 165lbs) @jackcheney21 His first touch, Cheney showed off his vision and explosiveness by taking back a kickoff for about 35-yards. During the remainder of the game, his ability to get to the edge was impressive. A bit on the smaller side, Cheney does well to fight and churn his legs to get tough yardage inside the tackles. As he grows and gets bigger, those yards will come much easier for him. Cheney did well on Friday and his best football is ahead of him. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193735" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/C364F689-2BA3-4E12-AAFD-F9AD133F48E7-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Offensive lineman Liam Cashin (6’3” and 280lbs) @leleontheblock Although Cashin played the game at right tackle, he projects to slide inside to guard at the next level. He was solid in pass protection, but where he really made his impact was on the ground game. Both of Lyons touchdowns on the ground went to his side, as he successfully sealed off the edge to give quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="142050" first="Joey" last="Antonietti"] enough room to get to paydirt. I was impressed with what I saw out of Cashin and there’s potential for him to be a solid player for a program next year. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193882" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/623FF987-53AE-433E-801D-5FDEA6C7D56F-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Wide receiver Colin Grace (6’4” and 190lbs) @colingrace03 The frame stick out, Grace was targeted multiple times as the big play threat with Pfafflin dealing with cramps. He found the endzone late in the contest, as he split a pair of defenders and found a big hole in the defense. https://twitter.com/mikefchen/status/1431459389609758724?s=21 I think that the frame is very projectable, Grace can be a big time red zone target with his length and long arms. He was a solid route runner as well and has plenty of upside and should be getting some attention on the recruiting trail. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193737" style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/B11AAA71-C6F3-4BF5-BB6D-A4349F6738DB-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2022 Cornerback [player_tooltip player_id="185181" first="Alex" last="Bailey"] (5’8” and 180lbs) @officialabailey Even though Bailey is a bit on the smaller side heigh wise, he did well against some of New Triers taller receivers. It was due to him ability to backpedal and flip his hips well, he often stayed right with the opposing receiver. Bailey does need to improve on his run support, but if he moves into a slot at the next level, it won’t matter much. He plays much bigger than his listed size and has potential to be a solid player at the next level.