New York girls flag football coach Aidan Fischer said his squad has an intangible going for it that will make a major difference this fall.
“One of the biggest strengths of this team is the culture and mindset we have emphasized since Day 1 of the season,” he said. “We are going to be balanced and patient, trust our process, and look to create advantages wherever we can find them. We have completely moved away from the ‘I’ mentality and embraced ‘we.’ When we step onto the field, the goal is for our team to work as one unit, identify mismatches and trust everyone involved from the players and coaches to the parents in the stand to do their part. That confidence will allow us to execute when it matters most, and I am confident that it will show as we play.”
York, which is off to a 2-1 start this fall, went 7-9 a year ago and went 3-3 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division action.
Junior Lena Marteneilli, York’s lead captain, is back, along with senior center Mil Folsom. Fischer said another key player, while not exactly new to the program, is starting quarterback Kaitlyn O’Rourke.
“Kaitlyn was a freshman last year and was called up to the team, but this season will be her true first year as our starting quarterback,” Fischer noted. “She is hungry, committed and willing to do whatever it takes to help us win.”
A few other York players to keep an eye on include Giannia Lanciloti on offense and Elle Conners and Claire Thompson on defense.
“We are very excited about this group,” Fischer said. “We have a very young core, so this is both the present and future of the program for years to come.”
Fischer said York’s offense is shaping up nicely. “We have different packages that we like, with both simple and complex plays ready to go,” he said. “We also scrapped the way we communicated and installed plays from last year and created a completely new system. I expect us to have it mastered by the second week of the season and to show just how effective it can be as we move through the year.”
Fischer added the coaching staff loves what it is seeing from the York players in terms of speed and strength.
“You can tell they have taken a big leap during the offseason, and the knowledge and experience they have brought into the program has been impressive,” he said. “I feel great energy within the team and around the program, and that energy is only going to continue to grow as we begin to show our strengths. We are moving away from a slower-paced offense and looking to play fast when we can. We also have a few tricks up our sleeves for when games get interesting.”
Fischer said there also is big potential on the defensive side of the ball.
“Defensively, we have a great group,” he said. “They have been coming to practice and making our offense’s lives difficult — and I mean difficult. That gets me excited because I believe this defense has the potential to dominate on that side of the ball. I want to give a big shout out to coach Stevan Dobric (also York’s girls soccer coach) who has really stepped up with that group. The players have responded extremely well to his coaching.”
Fischer noted York’s goal defensively is to play fast, create turnovers and make life difficult for opposing offenses by forcing them to make the right decisions quickly.
In terms of the WSC Silver, Fischer expects the Dukes to be very competitive this fall. “As a first-year head coach with this program, I cannot speak from experience with this specific group, but I can draw on the years of coaching experience I have had in the past,” he said. “This is a great group of athletes, and I believe we are capable of doing great things. In my opinion, nothing is off the table for this team.”
Fischer also lauded the work the York coaching staff has put in, both new coaches and returning staff members, “for everything they have done to build this program,” he said. “Most of all, I want to recognize Matt Bold, who was last year’s head coach. While Matt is no longer on the sidelines, he is still very much in the back of everyone’s mind within the program, and I want to make sure everyone knows how important his contributions have been.
“Matt and coach Dobric started this program from the ground up. What began as a two-coach club has grown into a program that had more than 95 girls show up for tryouts this year with six coaches now on staff. That kind of growth does not happen overnight. It is the result of hard work, time and dedication that Matt, coach Dobric and everyone who has been part of this program over the past several years has put in.”
Fischer added it would not be fair to talk about where York girls flag football is today without recognizing the coaches, past players, families “and everyone else who helped get us here,” he said. “The foundation they built is the reason we are in the position we are in today, and I am incredibly grateful for all of them. This program belongs to everyone who has played a part in building it, and we are excited to continue carrying that work forward.”
York opened the season with a 12-7 non-conference loss to Wheaton St. Francis and followed that up with WSC crossover wins against Proviso East (34-26) and Leyden (42-0).
The Dukes have games scheduled this week against Willowbrook, Downers Grove South and Addison Trail.
