By Bobby Narang
Two of the biggest high school football games in the Chicago suburbs took place Friday night, September 30.
In week five, feature games billed State powerhouse Glenbard West at up-and-coming York, and the annual Naperville North- Naperville Central game at North Central College in Naperville was on the docket to make for an interesting night of football.
Napervlle Central defeated Naperville North, 10-7, in overtime, in front of 7,000. Neither game was a competitive disappointment.
Host York made some recent history by beating the Hilltoppers for the second consecutive season. A year ago, in the same week, the York Dukes defeated the Hilltoppers 12-10 in Glen Ellyn to end a series losing streak that dated to 2007.
The York Dukes wanted to show that last season’s victory was no fluke. In front of an estimated crowd of 7,000 fans, the Dukes survived a late scare to pull off a 17-13 victory over the visiting Glenbard West Hilltoppers in Elmhurst.
The Dukes (6-0, 4-0) accomplished several feats in the comeback victory. They moved a step closer to the program’s first undefeated season since the start of the program in 1920. The Dukes did put together a 7-0-2 record in 1932 under the direction of Clarence D. East. They can equal the seven-win total without a loss from 1932. The victory also kept the Dukes in the driver’s seat for the conference title heading into Friday’s key game against Hinsdale Central. Lyons (5-1, 3-1) currently sits in second-place but the Dukes own the tie-breaker with a 27-14 win in Week 5.
“It was a great atmosphere tonight,” York coach Mike Fitzgerald said. “Our defense has always stood tall. Our defense found a way to come through. I had a lot of confidence and faith on that last drive. It all worked out.”
The Dukes pulled ahead in the final minutes when quarterback Matt Vezza hooked up with Charlie Specht for a 43-yard touchdown. The Hilltoppers caused a late stir when Aidan Murphy blocked a punt with under two minutes left. The Hilltoppers took over at York’s 20-yard line with 1:36 remaining in the game. Quarterback Korey Tai, who scored on a 5-yard touchdown run in the first half, had his first-down pass intercepted by Matt Sutter to end the drama for the Dukes.
Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet praised the Dukes for their spirited win. He called York senior Kelly Watson’s 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the first half a key play of the game.
“The kickoff return was the biggest play of the game,” Hetlet said. “Matt Vezza played with no fear (last year) against us. He did again tonight. He makes the plays he has to make…Our inability to move the ball (hurt us), but that blocked punt was big. He’s been doing it all year in practice, just incredible. He does it, but we don’t cash in on it. All the credit to York.”
Just off 1-88, Naperville Central stayed in the thick of the DuPage Conference Valley race by posting a 10-7 overtime victory over Naperville North. The Redhawks (4-2, 2-1) are just behind league leader Neuqua Valley (5-1, 3-0). The Wildcats beat the Redhawks 14-7 in Week 5.