It did not take New Trier running back Brian Sitzer very long to recover from a cramp in the third quarter Friday night against York, and that turned out to be very fortunate for the Trevians.
New Trier defeated York 21-13 in Elmhurst, and the Trevians needed every bit of Sitzer’s strong effort.
Shortly after the Dukes had cut the lead to 14-13, Sitzer grabbed his right calf after a 7-yard gain in the third quarter. He returned three plays later and broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run. He showed no signs of being limited by the cramp, though he said he could still feel his ailment.
“I went down on that play, my right calf tightened up a lot,” said Sitzer, a senior who lives in Wilmette. “I needed to get it streched out a little bit.
“I was right back in and when I was running down (on the touchdown run), I felt my calves tighten up a bit, but I had enough speed to get in.”
On his next carry after the score, Sitzer busted loose again for a 46-yard run that took the Trevians deep into York territory. He finished with 189 yards on 18 carries, including a 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that gave the Trevians a 7-0 lead.
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“With our linemen, they are really good guys and really good blockers,” Sitzer said. “They are all experienced, they always open up huge holes for me. I expect to score on every play.”
New Trier needed to run the clock down in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and put the ball in Sitzer’s hands to pound it inside and keep the clock moving. He carried the ball seven times on New Trier’s final series.
“I feel like I am a pretty versatile running back,” Sitzer said. “I can go out wide and I can run through tackles. I think I can do it all.”
Sitzer rushed for 40 yards on five carries in the first half, but Trevians coach Brian Doll knew he was capable of more when the game was tied at 7-7.
“We kind of thought we made a good adjustment at half with the way he was running, and he popped the two big ones,” Doll said. “The offensive line did a great job.
“You saw what he was capable of in those two plays. We expect that of him.”