By Bobby Narang
New quarterback. New No. 1 running back. And a new coach.
But the York High School football team, which had historic success under the direction of Mike Fitzgerald, is still humming along despite massive changes in the offseason.
First off, the Dukes welcomed a new starting quarterback in senior Bruno Massel. Through three games, Massel is looking like the next standout quarterback to lead the Dukes.
Massel, a first-year starter, passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 70 yards and two scores in a 54-21 victory over the Downers Grove South in a West Suburban Conference crossover game Friday night. Massel, a sprinter on the track team, scored on runs 35 and 26 yards to go with his three touchdowns passing.
“We knew we were playing a really good team and came into practice and worked hard,” Massel said. “The offense line was great and the defense was great. We reset after they scored two touchdowns and adjusted. We had fun out there. The offense was firing on all cylinders, got a lot of guys involved and moved the ball.”
The Dukes (3-0) knocked off the Mustangs (1-2) thanks to a big first quarter.
York junior running back Henry Duda, also a first-year starter, showed he wasn’t fazed by the promotion to RBI. He ran for 177 of his 235 yards in the first half, finishing with touchdown runs of 65 and 55 yards to go with a 17-yard touchdown catch.
“We have a very good offensive line, so when they are blocking upfront and moving bodies like tonight, it makes my life so much easier against a great team like that,” Duda said.
First-year York coach Donald Gelsomino said his entire team played strong in the nearly three-hour marathon.
“We started off really hot, kind of been the same story the last couple of weeks,” Gelsomino said. “We have to be more consistent. Bruno is growing and poses some problems for team. He’s worked really hard. When he’s out there throwing around, it’s tough to stop because he can throw it, too.”
Trailing 28-0, Downers Grove South scored 14 straight points to cut the gap in half. Joseph Vieyra scored on a three-yard run and Keon Maggit Jr. added a 52-yard touchdown on a short pass.