John Hoerster’s return to his high school alma mater as a head football coach didn’t go so well for his team. OPRF endured a 35-7 loss to York in Elmhurst on Friday night, ending a brief win-streak at two games.
The Dukes (3-1, 1-0) struck quick when quarterback Joe Lucca hit Jordan Preuss for an 11-yard touchdown pass with still nine minutes left in the opening quarter.
After OPRF quarterback Dain Mrozek was intercepted on the ensuing possession, Lucca found David Byerley for a 35-yard touchdown strike to put York up 14-0.
Lucca was sacked early in the second quarter and had to be carted off the field on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. He was reported to have suffered a neck stinger.
Byerley caught his second touchdown pass, this one from a few yards out, from Andrew Iwaskiewicz with just under eight minutes to go in the half. Iwaskiewicz also found Preuss for a 22-yard TD pass with 5:12 left on the clock.
Mrozek put the Huskies on the board with a 21-yard touchdown scamper in the final two minutes of the half. But at the break, OPRF trailed 28-7.
A 1-yard touchdown plunge by York running back Ken Boesenberg early in the third put the game out of reach for the Huskies (2-2, 1-1).
“Dain had been battling a nasty cold all week so he wasn’t at his best,” said Hoerster of his junior QB who took over the starting role when senior John Phelan went down with a season-ending foot injury during Week 2. “But we ran into some rough spots and York played really good football. We need to become a little more two-dimensional going forward.”
OPRF sophomore quarterback Jacob Lintvelt made an appearance in the second half, but the Huskies didn’t score for the remainder of the game. Hoerster said he’s likely to use both quarterbacks in the coming weeks.
“These guys bring different talents, different strengths to the field, so we need to take advantage of the skills they have.”
OPRF running back Jakari Cammon rushed for 160 yards on 23 carries, his fourth straight 100-plus game.
Things don’t get much easier for OPRF next week as the Huskies welcome highly-ranked Glenbard West on Saturday (12:30 p.m.) for their homecoming game.
