The crowd attending the West Suburban crossover football game on Friday, Sept. 4, at York let out a collective gasp just after York’s Charles Walsh flattened Leyden’s A.J. Jaffray on a Dukes running play near the end of the first half.
The action was like watching a Mini Cooper collide with a 100-year-old oak tree.
The 6-foot-7, 316-pound Walsh, York’s junior left tackle who transferred before the season from Montini, had little trouble taking out Jaffray, who is listed by a fiction writer at 5-9, 165 pounds. The Eagles’ outside linebacker buckled after Walsh lowered his shoulder into him.
Jaffray was taken out of the play when York’s leading rusher, Lucas Alexander, broke to the outside, but Jaffray’s teammates had his back. Leyden’s swarming defense took care of Alexander and tackled him for a 4-yard loss on the option pitch left.
Leyden’s defenders are small, so coach Tom Cerasani has built that unit around speed. The formula worked for most of the first 45 minutes Friday after York scored on the game’s opening possession.
“It’s aggressive defense that’s undersized,” Cerasani said. “It’s predicated on speed, but we might have worn down.”
The Dukes secured the 21-14 victory with two late scores to make for a successful home opener in Elmhurst.
York (1-1) ended its four-game losing streak as Alexander set up the game-tying touchdown with a 30-yard gain to the Leyden 1. Keith Freeman crashed in to pull the Dukes to within 14-12. York added the two-point conversion when Johnny DiCanio rolled out and located Santiago Vazquez breaking toward the end zone.
Less than three minutes later, Matt Wozny scored his second TD of the game, hauling in a 23-yard pass from DiCanio with 53 seconds remaining. That play was set up by DiCanio’s 32-yard desperation pass to Grant Melion from his own 18 on third-and-long.
“We need to keep working and not let up,” Jaffray said. “We had the momentum the whole game and we gave it up.”
Jaffray is a good representative of the type of defense Leyden (1-1) plans to play this season. None of Leyden’s linebackers weigh over 200 pounds and he is the outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment..
The Eagles’ biggest linebacker is 6-2, 180-pound Taylor Morioka.
Jaffray started last season at safety, but was moved to linebacker midway through the season.
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“I like linebacker. It’s way better. I like to hit people,” said Jaffray, who is a member of the wrestling team in the winter.
“A.J. is very good. He’s a tough kid; a hard-nosed kid,” Cerasani said. “He likes to be up in the action, so outside linebacker suits him.”
Jaffray dropped DiCanio for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter for Leyden’s only sack of the game. He also plays on the return team during kickoffs.
“I love it. I love everyone on the team,” Jaffray said. “They work hard every day.”
Lather it on
Starting wide receiver Jordan Bernal and reserve defensive lineman Joquil Meeks have created a one-word rallying cry for members of the Leyden football team: “Sauce.”
Describing the team’s preferred red-hot style of play, the slogan has been embraced by their teammates, who often end their Twitter posts with #Sauce.
“A bunch of guys on the football team use it,” Jaffray said. “We’re calling ourselves ‘Sauce.'”
Leading rusher David DeMarais (15 carries, 127 yards) ran like spicy barbecue on his 75-yard TD run in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 7-6 lead. He burst through the middle of the line and went untouched as he out-sprinted the Dukes’ secondary.
DeMarais had rushed for three TDs and 136 yards in the season-opening win over Fenton.
Quarterback Mike Wilms added his second TD of the season on a 21-yard pass to Joshua Cubon in the third quarter.
Twitter @geomwilcox