By Bobby Narang
York High School football head coach Mike Fitzgerald had a clear understanding of the importance of a breakout season for his program.
In Fitzgerald’s fourth season, the Dukes won their first six games to earn the program’s first playoff berth since 2011. The Dukes, who will play host to Minooka, 5-4, in a Class 8A first-round playoff game, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, won seven of their nine regular-season games to finish in second place in the West Suburban Silver Conference.
The Dukes, 5-1 in Conference, had milestone victories against Lyons and Glenbard West, with their lone loss a 27-23 setback to conference champion Hinsdale Central in week seven.
“Making the playoffs is something we’ve been shooting for since I’ve gotten here,” Fitzgerald said. “We came so close in 2019. We lost a couple of heartbreakers, fell short, and then didn’t have any playoffs in the Spring, so we had no opportunity to do it. I think our last class would’ve done it, so it’s awesome to see all the hard work these kids have put in to get a playoff spot. The kids before them helped set the foundation.”
The Dukes long have been a sleeping giant in the Conference, with success in several sports, a strong community, a good talent base to go with support from the athletic department and the community, and a solid alumni base yearning for success in football.
“Everybody is really excited about what’s going on in the town (Elmhurst) about York football,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s a lot of positive energy, for a lot of people have commented about that when they come to play at our place. They can sense the environment and the good vibe around York football. The (local) kids want to be a part of it. We’re close to running out of equipment. It’s really special to be in the playoffs.”
• Lyons is another conference team back in the playoff, but its drought was a tab bit shorter. The Lions (5-4) defeated Downers Grove North, 21-14, Friday to earn the program’s first playoff bid since 2017. Lyons will open the Class 8A playoffs at Lockport at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30.
“The senior class worked really hard to achieve the goal of making the playoffs,” Lyons head coach Jon Beutjer said, a former all-State quarterback at Wheaton Warrenville South. “It means a lot to them that they helped get the program in the right direction. We’ve been playing good sound football.”
Meanwhile, Downers Grove South lost its first four games by a combined margin of 140-7, but rebounded to win five straight games to punch a ticket to the playoffs. The Mustangs, 5-4, get the task of battling heavily-favored and No. 1 seed Loyola in an 8A first-round playoff game. The Mustangs defeated Leyden, 28-15, in Friday’s regular-season finale to secure a playoff berth.
Senior wide receiver Eli Reed, a Northern Illinois University recruit, said the senior class was motivated to make a run at the playoffs.
“It feels amazing to make the playoffs,” Reed said. “The whole team came together and we bonded and never gave up on this program. The senior leaders all stepped up to the plate and it showed on the field. We took control of everything, and good things happened, in practice, and in school. Loyola is a great team, but every team has weak spots. It’s an insurmountable game. We’re going to take it step by step. We’ve done a good job scouting on them. We know areas we can attack. We have a good plan to beat them.”