High school football: Four Downs, news and notes from Week 6
York’s Matt Vezza (9) steps forward in the pocket and throws a pass against Lyons.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
York has been one of the football season’s best stories. The Dukes are undefeated and have knocked off Lyons and Glenbard West in the past two weeks. The West Suburban Conference appears to be undergoing a change at the top.
Mike Fitzgerald’s squad was 8-2 last season and has defeated the Hilltoppers, the longtime kings of the conference, the past two years.
York quarterback Matt Vezza’s first career start was in the win against Glenbard West last season and Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet is an admirer.
“Vezza plays with no fear,” Hetlet said after the game on Friday. “He makes the plays he’s got to make. He takes care of the ball.”
Vezza had 10 carries for 38 yards against Glenbard West. He was 11-for-16 passing with one interception and a crucial 43-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Specht in the fourth quarter that provided the winning margin in the Dukes’ 17-13 win.
“Matt’s a special kid,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a winner. He wants the ball in those critical situations and everybody feeds off of him because he’s calm and composed and he’s not gonna get rattled.”
Fitzgerald says Vezza’s only scholarship offer is from Drake. But he’s picking up interest from several Ivy League schools, including Dartmouth.
“He’s a quarterback that happens to be a really good athlete,” Fitzgerald said. “Yeah, he’s 5-11 or 6-0 but he’s confident, brings all the intangibles, can make all the throws and brings that extra guy into the run game too.”
Comet sighting
The biggest result of Week 6 may have been Reed-Custer’s 50-5 thrashing of Wilmington. The Wildcats headed into the game with a 24-game winning streak and the top spot in the Associated Press Class 2A state rankings.
The Comets are expected to be a Class 3A team. They’ve demolished their opponents this season, winning by a combined score of 345-18
Reed-Custer’s standouts include quarterback Jace McPherson and receiver Lucas Foote. The Comets’ defense has been completely dominant, allowing fewer than 50 total yards all season.
Record breaker
Bishop McNamara’s Jaydon Wright had a Friday for the record books. He had 447 yards and eight touchdowns in the Fighting Irish’s 58-19 win against Aurora Central, both school records. ‘
Wright, a 5-10, 220-pound running back, has 11 college offers including Minnesota, Purdue, and Syracuse.
McNamara is (3-3) this season and faces a tough matchup at St. Francis in Week 7.
Player of the Year?
The halfway point of the season is nearly here and the Player of the Year race is wide open.
The best players I’ve covered so far this season are Simeon’s Malik Elzy, Mount Carmel’s Blainey Dowling, Kenwood’s Marquise Lightfoot, Brad Vierneisel of Prospect and Loyola’s Jake Stearney.
Prairie Ridge quarterback Tyler Vasy continues to put up big numbers. The senior had 317 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a win against Hampshire in Week 6.