High school boys soccer: Lyons Township rebounds from rivalry loss with tourney title

WESTERN SPRINGS – Aaron Onion has played soccer on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, but rarely has he felt as excited as he was playing against Hinsdale Central.

The Lyons Township senior midfielder played all 80 minutes in an impressive but ultimately heartbreaking effort to help the Lions win back the Silver Brick Trophy from arch-rival Hinsdale Central.

LT held a 12-10 edge in shots and had more scoring chances in the second half, but the reigning state champion Red Devils got two first-half goals from star striker Rigoberto Rojas and hung on to win 2-0 before a large crowd at Bennett Field on Sept. 25.

“Playing in front of this atmosphere is one of the coolest experiences on a soccer field that I’ve ever had,” Onion said. “I just wanted to enjoy my senior year, play with people I’ve been playing with since I was little, and so far I’m very happy with it.”

Onion played on the freshman team his first year at LT before playing club soccer exclusively for the Chicago Fire Academy. He spent the fall semester of junior year attending school in Bournemouth, England, where he trained with the youth team of that city’s English Premier League team.

While grateful for those amazing opportunities, Onion said nothing compares to playing for a top high school team in high-profile games such as the Silver Brick match and the championship game of the PespiCo Showdown.

“Playing for LT is a big deal for me,” Onion said. “It’s been awesome.”

The same can be said for the play of Onion, a co-captain who has scored two goals and stands out as a two-way player.

“He brings a great level to our team,” LT coach Paul Labbato said. “He’s played on very high-level teams around the world.

“The best part about Aaron is he works tirelessly in the center midfield. It is really amazing how much he can endure running, along with the hits you take. He can do it all and be effective the entire 80 minutes and never gets tired.”

Despite the loss against Hinsdale Central, the Lions are off to a better start than expected with a relatively inexperienced team.

“We came out with a mindset that, OK, we have some areas that maybe we’re a bit weak in,” Onion said. “We’ve struggled to put the ball in the back of the net, but I think that’s pushed us to come together as a team and it’s really not about individuals at all.

“It’s about the core group, and that’s what has given us success is when we’re on the same page and we’re working for each other.”

The Lions found just enough offense to claim the PepsiCo Showdown title Sept. 27 with a 2-1 win against Libertyville in Chicago.

Nick Economou headed in a free kick from Camilo Drobny in the 68th minute to tie the game against Libertyville and immediately sprinted the length of DePaul’s Wish Field to the boisterous Lyons student section, which was camped behind LT’s goal.

Adrian Valadez scored the game-winner in overtime for a 2-1 win and LT celebrated some more.

“I love our fans; our whole team loves our fans,” Economou said. “They’re traveling, hundreds of them are coming down to watch us play. It’s amazing to see how much they love to watch us play. Scoring that goal, why would you not celebrate with the fans?”

The win in the final upped LT’s record to 10-3-1 overall this season.

Dan Santaromita contributed to this report.

–

Next home match

Who: Reavis at Lyons Township

When: 4:30 p.m. Oct. 2

Where: LT soccer complex, Cossitt and Gilbert, La Grange