Dukes return a number of key players from a year ago.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
The York boys basketball team finished second at the recent Ed Molitor Thanksgiving tournament held at Palatine High School.
The Dukes lost to Stevenson 63-52 in the title game. York opened the tournament with a 55-45 win over Rolling Meadows and then downed Maine West 67-52 before upending Algonquin Jacobs 44-40.
As usual, York coach Vince Doran noted this year’s team will continue to embrace previous mantras of past Dukes teams.
“We’re very small and tough,” said Doran. “We will emphasize blocking out and keeping people off the glass. We’re going to be very competitive. I think we will be really good defensively. I like the way we play in practice. I think this is going to be a much-improved defensive team. It’s a faster group with a lot of good athletes.”
Doran also likes the team’s offensive prospects, particularly from the perimeter. “One of our strengths is going to be shooting the ball from three,” he said. “We have multiple guys capable of doing that. We’re going to give up some size because we are small, but the advantage to that is we’re going to be tough to guard.”
York’s roster includes returning players Erik Cohn (6-2, guard, junior), Nick Kosich (6-1, guard, junior), Sam Walsh (6-5, forward, junior), Mike Pedote (6-0, guard, junior), Angelo Martucci (6-1, guard, senior), John Milling (6-0, guard, junior), Danny Morrissey (6-0, guard, senior), Nate Lyons (6-3, guard, senior) and Collin Haus (6-1, guard, senior).
New to the squad this year are freshman Jeff Grace (5-11, guard), sophomore Nate Shockey (5-10, guard) and juniors Patrick Baer (5-11, guard) and Hassan Iqbal (6-3, guard).
Both Kosich and Pedote were felled with knee injuries last year and both are back and ready roll this season.
“We have to stay healthy,” said Doran. “We have a lot of returning experience. We’re still young on paper with only four seniors on the team. Our chemistry is important. A lot of guys returning always helps. We had a lot of sophomores last year who gained experience.”
Doran said Grace and Shockey, the two youngest players on the team, are not on the roster simply to fill spots.
“Jeff is really talented and definitely belongs,” said Doran. “He fits in really well. Nate Shockey is up with us as well not because it was a necessity to bring him up but because he’s good enough to be up here with us.”
Doran said optimism and enthusiasm are in abundance this season.
“We have a competitive group that is looking forward to the challenges this season will bring,” said Doran. “The guys are super-excited about the season and the coaching staff is as well. It’s a good group of kids with high character. We look forward to working with them this year.”
Doran said the West Suburban Conference Silver Division will once again be ultra-competitive. “I think the conference really is a toss-up,” he said. “Oak Park might have a little more talent but our league again is going to be real competitive. There is nobody that is bad and almost everyone has a Division I-type player. You play a good team every night in our league.”
York has a busy stretch forthcoming. The Dukes open WSC Silver play at home Friday against Glenbard West and then welcome East Aurora to town Saturday night before hosting Benet Academy in another non-conference game next Tuesday.
