Big Second Half Leads York To 37-14 Win

Scoring 30 points against Hinsdale Central's defense is a noteworthy accomplishment for any team, and York not only did so but did it in just one half of play Friday night.

What's better, the Dukes also didn't allow a single score during the second half of Friday's 37-14 victory in Hinsdale. The score was 7-14 going into halftime when York coach Bill Lech decided to revamp his game plan.

"We made a key adjustment at halftime," Lech said. "Instead of keeping all those guys in the box, we moved two wide receivers outside to keep them honest to the pass. They were (consistently) committing eight or even nine guys to the run and that needed to change."

It was a 71-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver David Byerley that convinced York's coaching staff to risk quarterback protection for the new scheme. The score came with 2:23 remaining in the first half and gave the Dukes a positive to build off of.

"The long pass to David (Byerley) before the half really energized us and got us thinking," Lech said.

York capitalized on three second-half interceptions, scoring points after each turnover.

With wider formations and good field positions in the second half, senior quarterback Jim Nudera was able to stretch the field just as Lech wanted. Nudera found Byerley for a 35-yard reception that set up senior Ryan Kent's 6-yard touchdown run with 5:47 remaining in the third quarter.

After a York field goal, Nudera eventually hit Byerley for a 40-yard touchdown and junior Jordan Preuss for a 29-yard score. Byerley finished the game with four catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

"We had a talk before today's game," Byerley said of his quarterback. "We were in a groove the first few games of the season and then we drifted apart. So we had that talk tonight and it seems to have worked."

Kent also finished the game strong as he compiled 82 yards on 23 carries during the 37-14 victory, stats that put him over 1,000 yards this season. He's just the fifth Duke to ever do so in one season.

York's final score came on an 81-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior Joe Paparone with 1:11 remaining in regulation.

Big halftime adjustments are apparently nothing new to York.

"In every game this year, we've had a better second half and that's definitely what happened tonight, too," Byerley said.

The victory puts York at 7-1 and in position to fight for one of the number two seeds in the playoffs. Lech said Simeon, Stevenson and Barrington are all teams that will probably win next week and finish undefeated, filling the top seeds.

If York beats an inconsistent Willowbrook team next week, they could be looking at a fourth overall ranking. The Red Devils dropped to 4-4 and have to beat Proviso West next week to earn a low seed in the playoffs.