LT started this season on a high note: By beating Joliet Catholic 24-14, winning against Wheaton Warrenville South 31-28, and a dramatic win of 55-0 against Morton, ranking LT 8th in their State division. 

On Sept. 20, Dylan Wolf ‘26 kicked off the game, which allowed Cole Harris ‘27 to gain yards towards the end zone. LT moved far after making a 24-yard play, yet Hinsdale Central continuously intercepted the ball, leading to incomplete passes on behalf of quarterback Jack Slightom ‘26. 

“I think we had a really good week at practice, the team is prepared,” defensive back Cash Graves ‘26 said before the game started. “It will be a good game, we work well as a unit together, and our defense and offense looked really solid coming into this week.”

Slightom passed the ball to running back EJ Kuhlman ‘27 on numerous occasions during the first quarter, gaining enough yardage to score the first touchdown of the game with six minutes and 33 seconds remaining. Slightom made an incomplete pass that, soon after, resulted in a touchdown for Hinsdale, leaving the score tied at the beginning of the second quarter. 

“We have a lot of players returning from last year,” Varsity Head Coach Jon Beutjer said. “We also have a lot of younger athletes who are continuing to learn.”

Tight end Owen Matela ‘27 intercepted the Hinsdale ball, setting the Lions 48 yards in. Soon after, Grant Smith ‘28 intercepted the ball then made a pass to Brady Rusk ‘26, ending 10 yards away from a touchdown. Slightom threw the perfect pass to Kuhlman, allowing him to avoid the rush of Hinsdale’s offensive line and score a touchdown. Patrick Cheney ‘26 and Harris tackle Hinsdale’s running back, preventing them from scoring a touchdown. Lou Ratcliffe ‘26 ran for the ball, while wide receiver Anthony Pearson ‘26 ran near the sideline to catch a pass made by Hinsdale, yet knocked the referee onto the ground. He turned back to aid the referee. At that exact moment, the Hinsdale athlete running with the ball lost his footing as Brady Koren ‘27 forcefully wrapped his arms around his legs, giving Ratcliffe an opening to tackle. With two minutes on the clock, Hinsdale got a holding penalty, allowing Kuhlman to run the ball 20 yards. Soon after, Wolf scored three points, successfully kicking the ball into the field goal, which gave LT a 17-14 lead at halftime. 

“I am really proud of the team; they worked really hard.” Beutjer said, “The goal continues to be to get better every time and focus on LT.”

The team’s hard work shone through as they ran out to begin the third quarter, yet the injuries that occurred in the third quarter could not have been predicted. Matela carried the ball far once again, then, while Pearson sprinted to catch it, he ran out of bounds and fell hard. The team took a knee after he struggled to get back up, eventually returning to the sidelines with a limp. While Captain Roman Sosnovyy ‘26 and Rusk took down the Hinsdale opponent, Rusk struggled to get up briefly before running with Sosnovyy to the sidelines. Sosnovyy then prevented a Hinsdale player from punting the ball, while Kuhlman continued to push the ball far to the five-yard line. Ratcliffe assisted in a botched punt resulting in a safety, which made the score 19-14 with LT in the lead. However, while in the end zone, Ratcliffe got taken down with force, having a hard time making his way back up while the team took a knee. The stands, once full of blue screaming faces, were now deafeningly silent as he got assistance to the medical tent. 

Hinsdale locked in for the fourth quarter, almost immediately. Hinsdale athlete Dominic Tresslar ‘26 scored a touchdown for Hinsdale while nailing the punt, and the score became 22-19 with LT at its first deficit of the match. LT got flagged for holding, while Hinsdale got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Rusk returned to the game and successfully tackled Tresslar with six minutes left on the clock for LT to score. Tresslar received a penalty, yet Hinsdale athlete Riley Contreras ‘26 swooped in with a touchdown, leaving LT at a 10-point deficit. While students flocked from the bleachers, Slightom successfully passed the ball far enough to the endzone for Rusk to score the final touchdown with 50 seconds left on the clock, ending the game 29-26 with LT’s first loss of the season.
This is a harsh blow for the fans, given their previous undefeated season, but the team will strive for success in their next matchup against Glenbard West on Sept. 27.

Gallery • 11 Photos

Roman Sosnovyy ‘26 and James Hillmann ‘26 take their positions on the offensive line to rush Hinsdale adversaries (Simmons/LION).