Lyons wide receiver Brandon Fischer has been making big catches since he played on the varsity team as a sophomore.
He kept making plays Friday night, when the Lions fell to Hinsdale Central 21-20 in a West Suburban Silver contest.
The 5-foot-9 senior started a comeback in the third quarter when he caught a pass from quarterback Ben Bryant and raced past several Red Devils defenders to score a 52-yard touchdown.
It was the first score for Lyons (6-2, 3-2 WSC Silver), which trailed 13-0 at halftime.
“He is one of the most explosive kids I have ever been around,” Lyons coach Kurt Weinberg said. “He is physical, fast and he catches the ball well. He is smart. He is a full-package kind of kid, and that is why he does so many things for us.”
Fischer’s game against Hinsdale Central reminded Weinberg of a performance he had in the postseason as a junior.
“Last year, he made a monster catch in the playoffs to help us beat Naperville North,” Weinberg recalled of the 25-23 first-round victory. “(Friday night), he made a monster catch, a couple of them. The kid is special.”
Lyons trailed 21-14 late in the fourth quarter when Fischer made another huge grab to set up the final score for the Lions. On third down while pinned deep in Lyons’ own territory, he made a one-handed, 44-yard catch that put the Lions in scoring position after a penalty on the play.
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Four plays after the long gain, Lyons found the end zone and decided to go for two. The two-point conversion with 1 minute, 18 seconds to go was unsuccessful.
Fischer finished with six catches for 119 yards. Five of those catches came in the second half.
“That is why he is who he is. He is a special player,” Weinberg said. “He means a ton to our team and to our offense. We would not be the same without him.”
The Lions did not have much luck containing Red Devils junior running back Luke Skokna, who rushed for 176 yards and all three of Hinsdale Central’s scores on 35 carries.
“There was not a whole lot of deception there,” Hinsdale Central coach Dan Hartman said. “(Lyons) pretty much knew he was getting the ball.”
Patrick Kelly is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press