As the regular season winds down, the varsity football team is striving to finish strong and make a deep playoff run. Despite facing adversity early in the season, the team remains focused, motivated, and united, with a brotherhood stronger than ever, Quarterback Jack Slightom ‘26 said.

“The players are working really hard in practice as coaches, it’s what we want to see: the process, and getting 1% better every day, and reflecting on their mistakes,” Coach John Beutjer said. 

The team opened the season with a solid start, showing flashes of potential in the eyes of Defensive Back Cole Harris ‘27. However, as the schedule intensified and top-tier opponents tested their resolve, the team suffered two tough losses. Still, spirits remained high, and the locker room was locked in on improvement.

“I think we had a decent start, then played really good teams, but we have a lot of room for improvement,” Harris said. “The coaches say we have a lot of potential.”

The team’s record was at 5-2 in mid-October, with two regular-season games remaining. Players and coaches alike believed a 7-2 finish was within reach, which would position the team for a strong seed in the IHSA playoff bracket, Linebacker Patrick Cheney ‘26 said.

“Our goal is to win out,” Cheney said in mid-October. “So we have two losses, which is not the best, but if we win out, we will get a good seed in the playoff bracket. We’ll be 7-2. We have to beat a tough team day by day, especially with a 7-2 record.”

That mindset, “day by day,” has become a motto in the locker room. Beutjer and his staff have emphasized steady improvement over perfection. One area they’ve particularly focused on: mental discipline.

“We can definitely go deep into the postseason,” Slightom said. “We just need to keep progressively getting better every single week. We can’t plateau, we can’t just stay the same. Every team has to work on things, but we need to work on the simple mental errors, a couple of situational errors, and we have to keep developing.”

Development has been visible week to week, both on the field and in the team’s chemistry. According to Cheney, the bond within this year’s squad is unmatched.

“We’re not satisfied with where we are,” Slightom said. “We’re chasing what we can become.”

And if they get there, LT could turn a challenging start into something special, Beutjer said

All three of the team players said that the brotherhood of this team is the strongest they have ever seen, with almost all the football players having played together since they were 8 years old in the Lyons Football Club (LFC). 

That unity has helped the team weather early setbacks and continue pushing forward. As the postseason nears, the Lions are focused, confident, and motivated by more than just wins; they’re playing for each other.

This team won’t just be dangerous in the playoffs; they’ll be a contender, Beutjer said. 

“This team has grown close together, for this program, they’re not just a team but a family where they play and care for each other and hold each other accountable,” Beutjer said. “I would say I think they have grown since summer. It’s a challenge to mesh seniors and juniors, but they were able to come together and care for each other.”