South Lyon football continues to make name known, beats Detroit Country Day – Hometown Life
Before South Lyon’s Week 4 game against Detroit Country Day, senior Dakota Blackwell texted senior teammate Quinn Fracassi.
“I was like, ‘Quinn. I know it. I told God. We’re going to have a house call and it’s going to go all nuts,’” Blackwell said. “’It’s going to go crazy.’”
Teams had been kicking away from Fracassi on kickoffs for each of the past two weeks, not allowing him the opportunity to make a play with the ball in his hands.
But the Lions needed a boost.
Holding onto a 10-0 lead, Detroit Country Day methodically moved the ball downfield, using a 13-play, 78-yard scoring drive, capped off by a six-yard touchdown run by sophomore Gabe Winowich, to cut its deficit to three points.
“They just drove it right down our throat and we had to do something,” Fracassi said.
On the ensuing kickoff, fielding the ball at the 6-yard line, Fracassi did something, following his blockers and breaking free on the right sideline for a 94-yard touchdown return.
With South Lyon (4-0) setting the tone at the start of the fourth quarter, the reigning Division 4 state champions were unable to close the floodgates as the Lions scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter to beat Detroit Country Day (3-1), 31-7.
“Our message all week was we have to play tough this week,” South Lyon head coach Jeff Henson said. “We really didn’t have to battle much since Week 1. We practiced and preached being tough all week and knew they would be a formidable opponent and give us all we could handle. And they did.”
Defense shines against reigning state champs
For the first three quarters, South Lyon had to make a statement on defense.
The Lions already knew its defensive backfield was in good shape, returning each of its starters from the 2020 team. The question mark heading into the season was the defensive line: a rotation of six players, none of which started for varsity in 2020.
The defense had worked through the first three games, allowing 41 total points. But facing senior quarterback Brandon Mann and a group of extremely physical running backs, the test was on.
In the first half, South Lyon limited Detroit Country Day to 74 yards of offense, converting two of its six attempts on third down and forcing fourth-down stops twice.
And when the pressure was on Detroit Country Day quarterback Brandon Mann and the passing game, South Lyon stepped up, limiting the senior to two completions on eight attempts in the second half for seven yards and two interceptions: both by Blackwell.
“The defense showed up and we showed out,” Fracassi said, who starts at defensive back with Blackwell said. “I mean, we believe we’re one of the best defenses in the state. We showed it tonight.”
Offense feeds off momentum
After a three-point first half, scoring on a 33-yard field goal by kicker Alex Stoyanovich, South Lyon started to find the holes it needed in the Yellowjackets defense.
Senior quarterback Dawson Skupin found Fracassi on an eight-yard slant to take a 10-point lead.
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After Fracassi’s kickoff return at the start of the fourth quarter, though, the Lions broke it open, using generous field position from both of Blackwell’s interceptions to lead to two touchdowns: a 49-yard touchdown run by Skupin and an 11-yard touchdown run on fourth down by Fracassi.
“We have established something here at South Lyon,” Henson said. “We take a lot of pride in who we are and what we’re about. And I think our kids play like it.”
Turning heads
Blackwell remembers what people thought of South Lyon heading into 2021, knowing that the Lions brought eight starters back on each side of the ball.
96. South Lyon was ranked as the 96th-best team in the state, a number that was prominently placed in the Lions’ locker room from Day 1 of practice.
That’s where the Lions want to be. They want to be tested. They feel they can match up with any team in the state.
Handing Detroit Country Day its worst loss since its 2019 Division 4 state final loss to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, earning four wins by an average of 31.3 points, South Lyon’s making a statement.
“They are going to know where we are and who we are,” Fracassi said. “They were the defending champs, and they probably came in cocky and thought they were going to kick our butt.
“We think we can beat anyone anywhere. And I think we’re showing it.”
South Lyon will take on Lakeland in Week 5 Sept. 24, as Detroit Country Day tries to bounce back against Harper Woods.
Contact reporter Colin Gay at cgay@hometownlife.com or 248-330-6710. Follow him on Twitter @ColinGay17. Send game results and stats to Liv-Sports@hometownlife.com.