Sloan Jambor '26, Sports Editor
From the moment tryouts were held, there was an instant feeling that the upcoming South Lyon Varsity Baseball Team would become something very special. From the beginning of April to the postseason in June, the squad has dedicated themselves to making sure their season was as successful as possible. With numerous LVC standout players, the team ended with a new school record of 29-10, a district tournament win, and they made their audience incredibly proud.
This team's talent came out as soon as the regular season began. With their first four games resulting in excellent wins, there was no doubt that the LVC title would soon belong to the Lions. The team consisted of 20 players, each a contributing member throughout the season. Junior and pitcher Chris Mathis said, "It was great to have one of, if not the best, seasons in school history. Also, it was always great to have a defense behind me that I could trust when I was pitching." Mathis led the team to multiple team wins with his pitching, and he was nominated as one of the five All-District Honors for the LVC All-Conference. Along with him, senior Aidan Miller, and juniors Andrew Verona Kerley, Luke Stevens, and Sam Stoll were also nominated to the All-Conference team. Juniors Ryan Walters, Braden Fox, and Aiden Robinson were nominated as LVC Honorable Mention for the team as well.
On May 22, history was made by the South Lyon Lions. With all of the incredible pitching, fielding, and hitting, the team secured their LVC championship after a 13-3 win against Walled Lake Western. The team has never come out with an LVC title, or any title since their KVC championship win in 1996, and on the same day, they set the new school regular season win record of 27-9. Sophomore Owen McRoberts said, "It was sweet to make history with my first year on varsity, and I really enjoyed being able to do it with such a fun team." The team knew they had already had a historical season, and they wanted to close their regular season with success and carry that momentum into the playoffs.
A week after the LVC title was claimed, it was time for the boys' pre-district game. Essentially, they had to beat Howell to make it to the district playoffs four days later. So, when May 28 came around, the team traveled to Howell and came home with a nerve-wracking 3-2 win. They were officially in the district playoffs. However, they could not take their foot off the gas just yet, so they entered districts that Saturday with the same intensity displayed all season. The team came out with a 2-1 win over the Milford Mavericks, and they advanced to the district championship. History was again made with a district semi-final win. Playoffs have always been a sore spot for the boys, and unfortunately, their season of success came to an end in the District Championship game. When the Lions faced the Brighton Bulldogs, they ended their season in a 14-1 loss and were consequently knocked out of the playoffs.
Even though the season did not end with a state title, the team made history for the school and their team. The time together may be done, but the memories of this past season will stick around forever. To the seniors: congratulations on a successful last season and good luck on your future endeavors. To the underclassman: pass the success onto the next season and break some more school records. As a whole: kudos to you guys for being the record-breaking team; the city behind you is incredibly proud.
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