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Jake Lytton was in a lot of places for IC Catholic on both sides of the ball Friday night against Bishop McNamara, and in the closing seconds of the game, he was in the perfect spot.
With the Knights trailing by a score in the final minute of the fourth quarter, Lytton caught a 50-yard pass from Khalil Saunders perfectly in stride and soon was in the end zone.
Tommy Sloan added the extra point that handed IC Catholic a 21-20 victory in a Metro Suburban Blue showdown in Elmhurst.
“It was just a play, we ran double-posts I think,” said Lytton, who lives in Berkeley. “The offensive line gave (Saunders) great time, and he threw a perfect ball. It is all on the offensive line and Khalil.”
Before the deciding play, Lytton made an impact on both sides of the ball.
“Jake does everything,” Knights coach Bill Krefft said. “Jake is in that game playing linebacker inside the box, then we have him playing strong safety. He is in the slot (receiver). He was our running back if (Steven) Crady was getting tired.
“Jake has always been like that. He is a football player. He is not the fastest, he is not the biggest, but it does not really matter. … Winners win.”
Lytton said he does not prefer one side of the ball over the other. He played extensively on both sides against Bishop McNamara (3-1, 1-1).
“It is whatever the coaches say,” Lytton said. “I am versatile, I know that. They can put me wherever, and I will do my best to provide what the team needs.”
He finished with five catches for 120 yards, but most of his grabs were short passes that Saunders disguised as a run play before passing.
“(Saunders) reads it, so it is whatever he reads,” Lytton said. “If he reads it correctly, it can be for a big gain, and we had a couple of those.
“He is a great leader, he just reads the defense well. He knows what is going on. His football IQ is unreal.”
The game’s winning drive started with only 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the Knights had to overcome three turnovers in the last quarter. After a Bishop McNamara penalty, IC Catholic (4-0, 2-0) called the long pass on the next play.
“I thought we were going to work it downfield, (but) I did not think it was going to be that quick.” Lytton said. “I thought we were going to go no-huddle, very quick, but the offensive line did a great job.”
At one point, the Knights trailed 14-0 in the second half before responding with back-to-back scores. A 6-yard touchdown run by Kyle Franklin tied the game at 14-14. Franklin had 111 yards rushing in the second half and finished with 171 yards on 33 carries.
“The coaches told us it was time to work hard (in the second half), so we came out and worked hard,” said Franklin, who lives in Bellwood. “I learned to focus, calm down, slow down, be patient and watch for those holes. Thanks to my linemen, those holes were there.”