For a few minutes on a freezing November night, York fans were in heaven.
The football team, making its first trip to the Illinois High School Association state championship game, had held two-time defending Class 8A champion Loyola to four plays on the opening possession, and the Ramblers had to punt.
On York’s third play of the game, senior running back Jimmy Conners came up with an electrifying 74-yard run, and Brennan Kennedy kicked the extra point. York had a 7-0 lead, and all was right in the world for the bundled fans wearing green on the West stands of Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.
But a few hours later, the final horn sounded. Loyola won 35-14, Conners was on crutches after suffering an ankle injury, and the fans were still cheering when the Dukes hoisted a second-place trophy. The players ran by the West stands and high-fived fans in the front row.
Disappointing result? Yes.
But the fans on this chilled night showed appreciation for the historic accomplishments of the 2024 Dukes team that went further than any other York football team.
“I’m so proud of what this program has become the last couple of years,” said Dukes coach Don Gelsomino, a former assistant who took over the program in 2024 after Michael Fitzgerald left to take the head coaching job at Marist.
“It was a fun ride, and these players were amazing. They really set a standard for York football. We were one of the top three teams in the last three years. A couple of years ago, if we told people we would do that, they probably would have laughed. But here we are.”
After a 5-0 start in the 2024 season, the Dukes lost two of their next three games and did not look good in either, dropping a 35-14 decision to Downers Grove North on Oct. 4 and a 24-7 game to Lyons two weeks later. Both were home losses.
But they put together a huge run that included a thrilling 20-15 win at Naperville Central in the semifinals. Senior quarterback Bruno Massel engineered an 85-yard scoring drive on the first possession and, on the last play of the game, ran back into the end zone to run the clock out and took a safety.
“The journey has been incredible.”
– BRUNO MASSEL,
YORK SENIOR QUARTERBACK
“The journey has been incredible,” Massel said. “We started the season 5-0 and then had two losses, and a lot of people doubted us. We went into the playoffs, flipped a different switch, and went into the next gear to get to the state title game. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t win it. But give props to these guys. I’ve been playing with these guys for a long time, and it’s been a great ride.”
In the state title game, Massel threw for 81 yards and ran for 141 more – including a 56-yard run – and a touchdown. Conners finished with 82 yards on four carries before his ankle injury. Simon Kodoski had three catches for 55 yards.
On defense, Evan Gaughan had 11 tackles, Aidan Link nine, and Noah Zmrhal eight. Riggins Kohl broke up two passes.
Gelsomino was amazed at his own journey when he was named as the Dukes coach in March 2024. Eight months later, the team was on the biggest stage in Class 8A.
“There were 154 kids in the weight room before the job was even posted,” Gelsomino said. “That’s the culture that was set for the last couple of years, and it’s paid off in the long run. That’s where we are as a program.”
Gelsomino pointed out that the Elmhurst community has played a role in the team’s success.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “Everywhere I go, it’s like you see people, and they say, ‘Hey coach, you guys are doing awesome.’ It almost feels kind of like the small-town football vibe, but you know it’s not that small of a suburb here. These people are invested in it, and they’re having fun, cheering, and screaming. It feels great just to know that you have that much support and you are putting a smile on their face.”
Photos by Jeff Vorva
