Sports
York Football Team's Incredible Rally Falls Short at Stevenson
Trailing by 17 points entering the fourth quarter, the York football team scored twice in the last three minutes and reached midfield in the final minute before losing to Stevenson 31-28 in the opening round of the Class 8A football state playoffs.
York football team’s high-powered offense had scored at least 35 points in six regular-season games this season.
Down 17 points midway through the fourth quarter in Friday’s Class 8A state playoff opener at Stevenson, the Dukes nearly pulled it off again.
It would have been arguably the greatest playoff comeback in school history.
After two stunning touchdowns in the final three minutes, the Dukes’ final drive was stopped short on down for an agonizing 31-28 defeat in Lincolnshire.
“I just told them don’t quit. There ain’t no tomorrow. And our kids didn’t quit and I’m proud of them,” York coach and offensive coordinator Bill Lech said.
“It’s been a total change of philosophy (with a passing offense) and a lot of fun and we had a lot of weapons. Unfortunately, we didn’t make one extra play, turned it over one too many times.”
York (6-4) closed to 31-21 with 2:47 to play as quarterback Joe Lucca found David Beyerly in the corner of the end-zone for a 20-yard touchdown pass. The Dukes then recovered Sean McDaid’s onside kick at their 49-yard line just in front of their sidelines.
Three plays after a great 36-yard catch by Byerley at the 15 and a personal-foul penalty on the Patriots (8-2), Lucca found a wide-open Austin Wagner for an 8-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 31-28.
The second onside kick didn’t go the required 10 yards, giving Stevenson the ball at the York 46, and the Dukes had exhausted their final two timeouts the next two plays.
But Stevenson, trying to run out the clock, went for it on fourth-and-1 at 37 and York’s defense stuffed running back Kevin Foley to give the Dukes one last try with 44 seconds remaining.
York reached its 45 on a second-down, 8-yard pass from Lucca to Jordan Preuss. After another incomplete pass, York faced fourth-and-2.
Lucca, under heavy pressure from lineman Arthur Polk threw a sidelines pass that fell incomplete with 15 seconds to play.
York was the No. 10 seed in its half of the 32-team playoff bracket. No. 7 seed Stevenson most likely will play undefeated defending state champion Maine South in the second round.
“We lost to a good football team. We go back and do some things differently, I think we could win. We’ve obviously got to protect the ball and finish those (earlier) drives,” Lech said.
Lucca was indicative of the Dukes’ perseverance. As York trailed 24-7 at halftime, he had completed 5 of 16 passes in the first half for 38 yards with three interceptions, one of them returned 22 yards for a touchdown by John Way to put Stevenson ahead 14-0 less than three minutes into the game.
In the second half, Lucca was 19 for 36 for 228 yards, three TDs and no interceptions, finishing 24-for-52 for 261 yards overall.
“The adjustments we made were just coming out in more tight-end sets to get their safety away from the one-on-one coverage,” Lech said. “They (also) stopped bringing pressure. But that worked out for us.”
Lucca’s first TD pass was a 7-yarder to Preuss on the Dukes’ opening drive of the third quarter to close to 24-14. The drive began with Drew Mueller’s interception of Stevenson quarterback Matt Micucci at the York 32 and 21-yard return. A penalty during the play put the ball back on the York 43.
Lucca finishes the season with 1,592 passing yards and 20 of the team’s combined 30 TD passes this season with junior Andrew Iwasziewicz. Preuss and Byerley each finished with a team-high 12 touchdowns. Preuss had 11 catches for 111 yards Friday, followed by Wagner (7 catches, 63 yards) and Byerley (3 catches, 64 yards).
“I don’t know that if I’ve ever been more proud of (Lucca). He’s been beaten. He’s been knocked out. He’s had a concussion and he just keeps coming back,” Lech said. “Joe’s a tough kid. Joe’s got one of the nastiest coaches in the state of Illinois. I’m not nice to Joe, but Joe’s very thick skinned.”
Ken Boesenberg had 74 yards, including a 59-yard scamper in the first quarter. The drive ended with an interception in the end zone, but the Dukes then went 65 yards on their next drive with Lucca scoring on a 12-yard run with 57 seconds left in the first quarter.
After a three-and-out from the York’s defense, the next drive reached the Stevenson 45 but stalled on downs. The Patriots responded with a 41-yard pass play and a 15-yard TD pass from quarterback Matt Micucci to Troy Radtke 8:55 before halftime for a 21-7 lead.
“If you look at our season, that’s been our backbreaker, not getting that stop. We get a little momentum and then let them go (and score another TD),” Lech said.
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After a touchback and two penalties pinned York near its goal line, Stevenson got the ball back at the Dukes’ 36 and Micucci nailed a 36-yard field goal. A controversial pass interference penalty gave Stevenson a 46-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the first half, but Micucci’s attempt was unsuccessful.
Micucci was 12-for-19 passing for 191 yards and two TDs. Kevin Foley had 29 carries for 124 yards and a 20-yard TD run on the team’s opening drive.
Micucci’s second TD pass was to freshman Cameron Green for 18 yards and a 31-14 Stevenson lead in the third quarter. York muffed the ensuing kickoff and the Patriots got the ball back at the York 18, but the defense held and Micucci put a 29-yard field-goal attempt wide right.
York’s Jordan Peacock had an interception, and Kevin Szeluga and Jason Scally contributed to tackles for loss. Brewer Callahan made a big stop on third-and-1 just to get the Dukes the ball back just before halftime.
York played its third game in a row without four-year standout linebacker Nick Skuteris, who tore a tendon in his elbow. Senior standout special teams player and safety Jake Rzeszutko was lost for a game because of a hip pointer injury in the first quarter. Rzeszutko had three kickoff of punt returns for TDs this season.
Boesenberg and starting left tackle Nick Bacidore also suffered injuries during the game.
“It was a MASH unit (on our sidelines), but they all played through it, except for Jake. Jake couldn’t come back. (And) Jake’s our defensive leader,” Lech said.
