When sophomore guards Mike Pedote and Nick Kosich were lost to injury early in the season, York junior point guard Angelo Martucci had to pick up the slack.
There was a lot of slack to pick up for Martucci, as the team’s lone primary ballhandler.
“I was pretty much out there most of the time, except when I told coach (Vince Doran) I needed a breather,” Martucci said. “Especially against teams that liked to press us the entire game, having to bring the ball up against those teams could get pretty tiring.”
Doran said he appreciated the way Martucci carried an increased load this season.
“He had to play almost every minute of every game, but he has a great motor and he handled it well,” Doran said. “He played great down the stretch for us. We couldn’t have done anything without him.”
After defeating Naperville Central in its playoff opener, 14th-seeded York (14-16) lost 54-34 to third-seeded Benet in a Class 4A regional semifinal in Elmhurst on Feb. 28. Benet also ended the Dukes’ season a year ago in the 2016 sectional finals.
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Martucci and Doran both said the team improved down the stretch, as the Dukes were able to avenge losses suffered earlier in the season to West Suburban Silver rivals Hinsdale Central and Lyons.
“We played our best basketball at the end of the year,” Doran said. “Unfortunately we ran into a buzzsaw in Benet, but I’m proud of the way the team played. Our kids kept battling.
“We played in tight games the whole year, and at the end we kind of figured out how to win.”
York’s two leading scorers this year were seniors Jordan Gray (13.9 points per game) and Nick Trapani (10.2), both of whom were named as all-conference players.
They’ll graduate along with senior Mark McGovern, leaving larger roles next year for players like Martucci, Kosich, Pedote and current sophomores Erik Cohn and Sam Walsh.
“I’ll have to step up a little bit more in terms of scoring the ball, and figure out how to get (Kosich) and (Pedote) involved,” Martucci said. “They’re both good shooters.”
Pedote is already eager for next season to arrive and believes this year’s core of sophomores will help take some of the pressure off of Martucci.
“We’ll be working hard in the summer on our game,” Pedote said. “I think we’ll bring a lot to the table next year.”
For the season, the Dukes shot 37 percent from behind the 3-point line, made 53 percent of their two-point shots, and shot 71 percent from the free throw line.
“Offense wasn’t really a problem this year, it was more of an inability to stop our opponent at times,” Doran said. “We weren’t as good defensively as we’ve been in the past, but it takes time to understand what’s expected (defensively).
“They went through some tough battles this year, and they’ll be better for it in the future. I feel like that’s what this season accomplished.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press