It’s that time of year again- the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. For many of us, this marks the end of our social lives, the end of our sanity; but a few, the lucky ones, have an escape. Like a lot of kids, my escape from the school year is sports. And what better school to enjoy sports at than Lyons Township with all of our fantastic teams and stand out individuals? Let’s have another record-setting year LT. Here are my predictions:

Football

As the football season enters its height, look to quarterback Tom Fiedler ‘15 and running back Leonard Ross ‘15, two of the team’s key components, to be pivotal on the field. Despite their obvious skillset and knowledge of the game, they aren’t the team’s entire offense. Wide receiver Emmett Corrigan ‘15 is a consistent player who doesn’t drop passes and is likely to come up huge as the season progresses.

Girls Volleyball

Hannah Juley ‘15 and Jesse Skonning ‘15 will dominate the volleyball court this fall as they are already committed to University of Wisconsin and Manhattan College respectively. Both have played on varsity since their freshman year, and this experience combined with that of Toni Saracco ‘15 will create a commanding half of the court for the Lions. Despite the obvious advantages of the team, recent claims suggest that the team is very political in deciding which players make varsity, so look for this as it could potentially harm the team’s chemistry.

Wrestling

I want to start by saying that I may be more than a little biased as I’m a member of the wrestling team, but look to Mac Casella ‘16 to lead the wrestling team to an all-state finish, not only individually, but as a team. Most athletes have an offseason where they make gains and improve in certain areas– not Casella. The kid is an animal, but he didn’t just improve this offseason, he transformed. As a two-time varsity starter, entering his junior year, he is a presence on the mat, quite literally a force to be reckoned with. Weighing in at an entire 138 pounds (soaking wet) Casella has the strength of someone that weighs 170, as he’s capable of benching over 200. He’s got the cardio to match, mat awareness like none other on the team and is the embodiment of the wrestler mentality: kill or be killed. He’s more than capable of a top six finish at state. The only one that could prevent him from this is himself. The team as a whole will be great, but keep an eye on Zach Villarreal ‘17 who will quietly run away with the award for most takedowns.

Boys Basketball

Watch for Harrison Niego ‘15 and Jaquan Phipps ‘15 as they lead the basketball team, hopefully, to a conference championship. Don’t be surprised when Sean Lannan ‘15 is huge with the boards, Connor Riordan ‘15 comes in clutch from behind the arc, or Joey Brunner ‘15 steps up as an influential all around player. Stay aware of the rest of the Niegoes, and how the family ties will impact their style of play and the game in its entirety.

Boys Baseball

As baseball rolls around in the spring, look to the returning slugger Chris Cooper ‘15 to stand out. Cooper had clutch performances at the plate last year and has only improved. His sheer concentration, dedication to the game and in-game attitude allow him to stand out among other players on the team. I wouldn’t count him out as a presence in the outfield either. His speed, arm and ability to judge a fly ball will land him comfortably as the starting right fielder, but don’t be surprised if he steals the show at first base. On the bump, I expect nothing less from Tom Hickey ‘15 than to assume the role of the team’s ace. Coming off a 10-1 season with a 0.85 era as a junior, he has high expectations and the team is going to depend on him for a win every time he gets the start. If Hickey had the strength to match his size he would be deadly, especially when you factor in his baseball IQ and ability to read the situation, which is unlike any that I’ve seen before.

There are countless other sports at LT, and I’m actually upset that I couldn’t mention more. Regardless of whether or not I mentioned them, there will be standout athletes and unexpected MVPs in every sport. So keep your eyes open LT.