DeShaun Williams' magical catch and Naperville Central's stout defense beats undefeated Lyons

Naperville Central’s defense was nearly flawless in a 24-7 win against undefeated Lyons on Friday in Western Springs. 

But even the defensive stars wanted to talk about DeShaun Williams’ touchdown catch after clinching a spot in the Class 8A semifinals against York. 

“Oh my,” Redhawks lineman Troy Kashul said. “It was probably one of the most unbelievable football plays I’ve seen in a high school game.”

Naperville Central quarterback Sebastian Hayes threw the ball out in front of Williams in the center of the field. Some receivers may have given up on the play. Not Williams. 

“My mom and I have a motto: See ball. Catch ball,” Williams said. “My instincts took over.”

Williams managed to get enough of one hand on the ball to stop its momentum. It wasn’t a tip, more of a tiny flip to himself. Williams hauled it in and went 50 yards for a TD to give the Redhawks a 7-0 lead. It was Naperville Central’s first drive of the game. 

“That was something,” Redhawks linebacker Daniel Nussbaum said. “[Williams] is one of the best receivers I’ve ever played with. And he plays for the team, not individual stats. He makes plays happen, blocking or catching the ball.”

Hayes and Williams connected for a 42-yard TD over the middle in the second quarter to lead 14-0. Williams had six catches for 130 yards. 

Lyons (11-1) could not find big plays of its own. Vanderbilt-bound defensive lineman Jake Stanish had a pass deflection and a key fumble recovery in the fourth quarter for Naperville Central. Kashul had a sack and linebacker Nathan Czachor had two sacks and a pass deflection. Nussbaum intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter. 

The Lions rushed for 65 yards and threw for 128 and were rarely even in the red zone. 

“We knew what their tendencies were and we stopped them,” Kashul said. “And we gave the ball to the offense, and they did their job. We complement each other very well. That’s the best part of our football team.”

Hayes was 14-for-17 for 161 yards for Naperville Central (11-1). He missed the last two seasons due to injuries, making his nearly mistake-free state quarterfinal performance on the road against an undefeated team even more impressive. 

“He sits in film and he learns,” Williams said. “He listens. He’s a really smart football player.”

“That has to be one of the best stories of the season,” Naperville Central coach Mike Ulreich said. “To miss two seasons and come back and play like this is something. He just sees the game so well. We had a feeling if we could get him back this season, we had a chance to be a really special football team."

Naperville Central running back Aiden Clark had 33 carries for 105 yards. His ability to turn a two or three-yard gain into four may be the key to the Redhawks’ offense. 

“Pound the rock,” Williams said. “Then pass when we need to and get some explosive plays.”

Lyons scored on a 25-yard touchdown run from Danny Carroll in the second quarter. Carroll had 13 carries for 66 yards. Lions quarterback Dom Pisciotti was 11 of 18 for 128 yards. 

Naperville Central’s only loss this season was at Lincoln-Way East. The Redhawks will host York in the semifinals next weekend.