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ELMHURST – York’s Jimmy Conners did it all Sept. 27 against Hinsdale Central.
The senior running back and linebacker ignited the offense, scoring three touchdowns.
Almost fittingly, Conners made the decisive defensive play of the game,
After ending the Red Devils’ late threat with an interception on the final play of the game, Conners lay on the turf at the 48-yard line for several seconds.
After all, he deserved the rest.
Conners ran for three touchdowns to lead York to a 21-13 victory over Hinsdale Central in a West Suburban Silver Division game in Elmhurst.
Conners, who achieved a 35 on his ACT, had TD runs of 3, 2 and 13 yards to account for all of York’s scores. Conners carried the ball 17 times for 76 yards.
“The touchdowns were a lot of fun,” Conners said, smiling. “I give all the props to the offensive line. They blocked and did a great job. It was a team effort. I just did whatever the team needed from me.”
The Dukes chewed up yards on the ground, compiling 272 yards rushing. York junior running back Henry Duda ran for 107 yards and quarterback Bruno Massel added 88 yards rushing and 72 yards passing.
The Dukes (5-0, 2-0) scored 14 points in the second half to earn the win and set up a colossal home showdown with Downers Grove North this week.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Conners, who scored four touchdowns last season, was the unlikely star of the game with his strong two-way play.
“It felt great out there,” Conners said. “The offense is a total unit. It feels great to accomplish this together.”
The Red Devils (2-3, 0-2) kept the momentum going after crushing Morton 56-0 the previous week. They battled the Dukes on their home field to a standstill in the first half.
Both teams scored a touchdown in the opening half. The Dukes struck first. Massel sparked the scoring drive with two long runs to set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Connors late in the first quarter.
The Red Devils struggled moving the ball on their first three possessions – two three-and-outs and an interception – but were aided by a penalty on their fourth drive that ended with Riley Contreras tossing a 4-yard TD pass to Kelan McInerney with 3:45 left until halftime. Contreras ended with 111 yards passing and two touchdowns.
The Dukes, who beat the Red Devils 38-10 last season, amassed 130 yards on the ground and 54 yards passing in the first two quarters.
Massel, who had an 86-yard touchdown dash called back because of a holding penalty in the third quarter, fueled the offense with his running. With a 21-mph wind hampering passing, York stuck to the ground mainly in the second half.
The simple formula worked to near perfection as the Dukes controlled the ball for most of the second half. Conners was a beast all game long, churning up yards in small chunks to keep Hinsdale Central’s offense off the field.
Conners’ final touchdown sealed the victory. On third down, Conners darted to his left but ran into two defenders. He shook off a defender on his ankle, pushed forward until finally breaking free and dashed the final nine yards for a 13-yard touchdown run to pad the lead to 21-7 with 4:21 left in the game.
“I just kept running and got free,” Conners said.
The Red Devils answered quickly, scoring a touchdown in 40 seconds via Contreras’ 30-yard pass to James Skokna to slice the deficit to 21-13. Skokna paced the Red Devils with six receptions for 77 yards and a TD.
“This group is a group of fighters,” Hinsdale Central coach Brian Griffin said. “We’ve played a tough schedule. We fought in every game and got better in every game. They have a lot of heart and fought. Kudos to York. Massel and Conners made plays for them in a close game like this.”