Lisle blanks Reed-Custer for 1st win
In recent years, Lisle had relied on a perfect tonic to cure any problems.
The Lions have dominated their annual series against Reed-Custer dating back to 2015.
After losing their opener to Wilmington, the Lions welcomed the chance to extend their series winning streak against the Comets - and capture their first win of the season.
The Lions scored on long touchdown drives on their first 2 possessions to record a 20-0 victory over the Comets in Illinois Central Eight Conference play on Thursday at Benedictine University.
Running back Gabe Quinones led the Lions with 14 carries for 84 yards, Cole Campbell ran for 79 yards and a touchdown to go with a key sack to stop a scoring threat in the second quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Tyrese Watson threw a touchdown, while senior tight end/linebacker Josh Farrell caught 3 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter.
"We really stepped up today and came up with some big stops on defense," Watson said. "The first two drives set the tone for the whole game. We came out with a mentality to win our first game. We want to win conference."
The Lions (1-1, 1-1) have won 6 straight games against the Comets, starting the streak with a 42-0 triumph in 2015.
In total, the Lions have won the 6 games by a margin of 184-36, including a 49-6 victory over the Comets in 2019.
"I know this entire week in practice we got the mental and physical reps and brought the intensity into today's game," Campbell said. "I think our defense really stepped up compared to last week. Overall, as a team, we really brought it today."
The Comets (1-1, 1-1) struggled building off last week's impressive showing against Manteno, when junior running back Elliott Cassem rushed for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Lions' defense bottled up Cassem and quarterback Jake McPherson. Cassem was held to minus-3 yards in the first half to finish with 44 yards, while McPherson, a running and passing threat, tallied 73 yards rushing and 15 yards against the Lions. The Comets finished with 122 yards rushing and 15 yards passing.
Lisle senior running back Brett Weber scored on a 1-yard touchdown to give the hosts a 6-0 lead. Farrell hauled in a 23-yard scoring catch to raise the advantage to 12-0 early in the second quarter.
The Comets didn't threaten in the first half, but drove the ball to Lisle's 9-yard line on their first second-half possession. The Lions' defense buckled down and stopped the Comets' on downs. The Lions stopped another drive in the fourth quarter by recovering a fumble.
"Tyrese played a great game and has a great arm and will only get better," Farrell said. "We played physical the whole game and did our jobs. We had a couple of timely stops, and that's why we held them scoreless."