By Bobby Narang
A year ago, the York High School football team was in the middle of an epic season in the 100-plus years of the program.
The Dukes won all of their regular-season games, captured the West Suburban Silver championship, and reached the Class 8A playoff semifinals to finish with a 12-1 record.
Now, just five weeks into the 2023 season, the Dukes have followed the same path as last year. Five games, five victories.
This season, though, the Dukes have dominated all five of their opponents by a whopping 218-75 just over halfway through the regular season.
York head coach Mike Fitzgerald said solid wins over Glenbrook South and Nazareth Academy to open the season gave his team confidence, notably after losing several talented players from last season’s historic team.
“Our kids have done a great job of staying focused on the process and preparing the right way each week,” Fitzgerald said. “They have stayed humble and keep working each week. I think all three phases of offense, defense, and special teams, have all played well and are getting better each week.
“I think our two nonconference games were a lot more challenging this year, which has been beneficial for setting the tone for conference play. We have faced some adversity and some different styles of offenses and defenses, which has helped us identify some things we need to improve on a little earlier than last season. I think what we learned from last year was to take it week by week and focus on the task at hand.”
The Dukes have another big test Friday, Sept. 29 with a battle against undefeated Downers Grove North on the road in a key West Suburban Silver Conference game. Downers Grove North has allowed just 26 points in its last three games, while the Dukes have scored at least 35 points in each game this season.
The Mustangs, similar to the York last season, is off to one of its best starts in recent years.
Fitzgerald said his team must stick to their game plan to knock off Downers Grove North.
“I think the ability to run the ball and stop the run will be a big factor in the game,” he said. “We need to win at the line of scrimmage to be successful Friday. We also need to play a clean game in terms of winning the turnover battle and avoiding penalties. Big plays will be a factor in the game, so hopefully we can continue to create some big plays and eliminate big ones on defense and special teams.”