Senior Jimmy Hillmann has become a two-way lineman this season for the Lyons football team.

Now also starting on defense, Hillmann literally had a huge hand in securing the Lions’ hard-fought 31-28 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South Friday in Western Springs.

Moments after playing right guard as the Lions (2-0) scored their fourth-quarter touchdown for a 28-21 lead, Hillmann made a strip and fumble recovery on defense to give the Lions the ball back at the 24.

“I haven’t done anything like that since (youth football),” Hillmann said.

Ryland Avants’ 30-yard field goal created a 31-21 advantage with 1:31 left. Like so many times Friday, the Tigers (1-1) came back and scored on a 22–yard TD pass from quarterback Justin Miller to Lucas Beres. The Lions recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

“It’s nice to be playing defense now that I’m a senior, moving the ball, playing both ways,” Hillmann said. “It’s just fun to get out there and make a play like that and help the team shift momentum there.”

After three-and-outs on its previous two drives, WW South marched 80 yards and tied the game 21-21 with 10:57 left on an 18-yard TD pass from Miller to Kirby Christensen.

But the Lions went back ahead 28-21 with a 75-yard TD drive of its own. After five consecutive rushes by EJ Kuhlman, LT quarterback Jack Slightom found senior Anthony Pearson for a 12-yard TD play-action pass with 5:34 left.

Pearson is Hillmann’s cousin.

“(The TD) felt amazing,” Pearson said. “One of my dreams as a kid was get a touchdown on this (home) field. And it’s all thanks to my O-line.”

The Lions never trailed. After a 14-14 first half, they went ahead 21-14 on senior linebacker Patrick Cheney’s 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

The Lions scored first on a 4-yard TD pass from Slightom to Owen Matela. The Tigers closed to 7-6 on Miller’s 21-yard pass to the end zone Brady McClatchy wrestled from an LT defender in the end zone but the extra point failed.

In the second quarter, Slightom scored on a 1-yard run. Just 57.2 seconds before halftime, WW South tied the game on a 13-yard TD run by running back Owen Yorke. Miller ran in the two-point conversion.

“I’m super proud of this senior group, this whole team. They fight,” WW South coach Sean Norris said.

“They believed every minute that we were going to come out (with a win). I feel like if we had a few more minutes maybe it would have been a different result. To see the resiliency and heart, I’m really proud of them for that.”

Slightom passed for 137 yards, 68 to Lukas Sanguinet. Kuhlman rushed for 62 yards.

Miller passed for 201 yards with his three TDs. Yorke rushed for 96 yards and and Jacob Macholl had 74 receiving yards.