York Football Could Clinch a Playoff Berth Tonight

The York varsity football team is just one game away from clinching a state playoff berth after remaining undefeated in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division last week at Downers Grove North.

The Dukes (5-1), are , Friday, Oct. 7, against Lyons Township High School (3-3, 2-2 in Silver).

Here's a look at the pregame matchup from MaxPreps.

The Dukes come into tonight's game with its powerhouse offense, which was on full display Sept. 30 during its 41-0 rout of Downers Grove North (1-5, 0-3). Senior quarterback Joe Lucca passed for three touchdowns, and rushed for 67 yards and another TD. Andrew Iwaszkiewicz also saw action at quarterback and passed for a TD and rushed for 70 yards and a TD.

Lucca was 12-for-19 passing for 143 yards, and Iwaszkiewicz was 3-for-6 for 33 yards. Mike Despinich (3 catches, 19 yards) caught two TD passes, and Jordan Preuss (5 catches, 50 yards) and Austin Wagner (2 catches, 64 yards) also had receiving TDs. Preuss now has nine TD catches for the season.

Senior defensive back Jake Rzeszutko had another dynamic game, returning an interception 70 yards to the Trojans’ 2-yard line just before halftime. A face mask penalty on the play set up a 1-yard TD pass from Lucca to Despinich and a 27-0 York lead at intermission.

Rzeszutko, who also had a tackle for loss and fumble recovery, and Kevin Szeluga had eight tackles. Joe Dickert, Connor O’Malley and Jason Scally each had seven tackles and Sergio Lopez had five tackles. 

Kickoff tonight is at 7:30 p.m. at Clarence D. East Field, St. Charles and Spring roads.

Boys Golf

The York varsity boys golf team finished fourth at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet Sept. 27 at Willow Crest.

Joe Wark earned individual all-conference honors with a 10th-place 76. Kyle Kopinski and Adam Gracik shot 79s and Tanner Obal added an 81.

The frosh-soph team also finished fourth at its conference meet. Sophomore Max Holmes was fourth with a 77, followed by Mitch Miner (84), Jake Hanisch (87) and RJ Lewis (89).

Cheerleading

The York cheerleaders will be holding its annual fall Kiddie Clinic at 4 p.m. Oct. 21. Registration can be done in advance or at the door. For more information, contact head coach Dena Poulos at Dena.Poulos@gmail.com.

Poms 

The poms team will hold its second annual football dance clinic for more than 100 girls in kindergarten through eighth grade. The girls will be dancing with the band at halftime.

Girls Swimming and Diving

York won Thursday's dual meet at Oak Park 98-88.

On Oct. 1, the York girls used several outstanding performances to finish second among seven teams at the Downers Grove South’s 16th annual Mustang Invitational. Only state power St. Charles East (629 points) outscored the Dukes (405) with Downers Grove North (360) third.

Shannon Sullivan won the 200-yard freestyle (1:57.76). Hannah Nolte (50 free in 25.94) and the 200 free relay (Sullivan, Nolte, Perri Brinkmeier, Cara LoPiano in 1:43.89) took second place, and Bella Reinhofer (100 butterfly in 1:03.30), Sullivan (100 free in 54.50), and 400 free relay (Sullivan, LoPiano, Brinkmeier, Nolte in 3:46.69) were third.

Mustang Invite

Team results: 1. St. Charles East 629, 2. York 405, 3. Downers Grove North 360, 4. Stagg 312, 5. Metea Valley 301, 6. Wheaton co-op 278, 7. Downers Grove South 38, 8. Bloomington 22
York individual highlights
200-yard medley relay: 5. Jessica Woolfe, Bella Reinhofer, Kelly Dunbar, Paige Jaeger 1:58.12
200 freestyle: 1. Shannon Sullivan 1:57.76, 4. Cara LoPiano 2:01.00
200 individual medley: 6. Michelle Cernauske 2:19.95
50 free: 2. Hannah Nolte 25.94, 10. Perri Brinkmeier 26.91
100 free: 3. Sullivan 54.50
100 butterfly: 3. Reinhofer 1:03.30
500 free: 4. LoPiano 5:21.48, 5. Cernauske 5:22.62
200 free relay: 2. Sullivan, Nolte, Brinkmeier, LoPiano 1:43.89
100 backstroke: 7. Woolfe 1:04.33
100 breaststroke: 9. Dunbar 1:15.35
400 free relay: 3. Sullivan, Cara LoPiano, Perri Brinkmeier, Nolte 3:46.69

In West Suburban Conference Silver Division dual action Sept. 29, the Dukes lost to Lyons Township 106-80.

Sullivan (100 free in 54.21), LoPiano (200 free in 1:59.93) and Woolfe (100 backstroke in 1:03.50) won events and contributed to the victorious 200 medley relay (Woolfe, Dunbar, Reinhofer, Sullivan in 1:56.67) and 400 free relay (Nolte, Sullivan, LoPiano, Brinkmeier in 3:43.74).

Taking second were LoPiano (500 free in 5:20.82), Woolfe (50 free in 26.08), Dunbar (100 breast in 1:14.65) and the 200 free relay (Sullivan, Hannah Nolte, LoPiano, Brinkmeier in 1:43.02).

York Girls Tennis

The York girls tennis team completed West Suburban Conference Silver Division dual action Oct. 3 with a 4-3 loss to Lyons Township. The Dukes (13-12, 3-3 in Silver) head into the Silver Meet this coming weekend.

Rain limited the Dukes to one day of action last week. The varsity competed at the Barrington Quad Oct. 1 and played close against three teams that finished among the top 10 at the 2010 state meet, losing to the host Fillies 3-2, Highland Park 4-1 and Glenbrook North 5-0. York’s freshmen/sophomore team placed fourth at the Downers Grove South Doubles Invite.

York’s dual match with Barrington was about as close as it could get, especially at No. 1 doubles. Gabby Riek was paired with Maria Avgerinos for the first time because usual partner Torrie Graham was taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

The No. 1 doubles match was decided in a third-set super tiebreaker, making it three straight times that the York-Barrington dual winner has been decided by a super tie-breaker in the deciding match. The Dukes have won once.

Riek and Avgerinos won the second set 7-6 (7-3 tiebreaker) after Barrington pulled out the first 7-6 (8-6). Momentum changed about 20 times in the match and Barrington was able to close out the match 10-7 in the super tie-breaker.