Suburban Life notes: York’s Henry Duda making quite the impact in first year as starting running back

York junior running back Henry Duda got a major surprise right before the season opener against Glenbrook South.

York entered the season looking for a new starting running back after the graduation of Jake Melion, who handled the bulk of the carries for the 11-2 Dukes on the way to the Class 8A state semifinals last year. Melion finished with 266 rushes for 1,786 yards and 18 touchdowns to earn West Suburban Silver Player of the Year honors.

Duda said he was shocked to learn he was the starting running back for the opener. He played only one varsity snap last season while slowly moving up the depth chart. He played his first two seasons on the lower levels.

“I realized the day before the first game that I was going to start,” Duda said. “I was all over the place and racing because that’s a big accomplishment to start. I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Duda’s combination of next-level speed and toughness between the tackles has helped pave the way for York’s 3-0 start. Led by Duda’s 235 yards rushing and TD runs of 61 and 55 yards to go with a 17-yard touchdown reception, the Dukes cruised to a 54-21 victory over Downers Grove South on Sept. 13. York travels to Oak Park-River Forest for a 7:30 p.m. game Friday.

Duda heaped praise on his offensive line for opening up big holes against Downers Grove South.

“It’s so easy with a great offensive line,” he said. “I’ve known a lot of those guys because a lot of them are juniors like me, so we’ve built up that chemistry and connection really helped me. In the offseason, I mainly focused on keeping my body healthy and getting stronger because it’s a big jump from sophomore to varsity. I had to make sure that I was prepared and ready to give it all I’ve got.”

Duda said he’s shocked by his strong start in the first three games. Duda exploded for 169 yards and two touchdowns against Plainfield North in Week 2. He flashed his speed with an 80-yard TD.

“The key for me is to play fast,” Duda said. “I’m a speed guy, so if I can get to the edge and use my speed, I can also bulldoze if I need to. But I didn’t expect to do this (well). Now my personal goal every week is to hold myself accountable to have a great game every week to help the team win.”

York first-year coach Don Gelsomino said Duda is a threat in the run and passing game, which helps make York’s offense tough to stop.

“He’s a special kid who runs physical inside,” he said. “He’s also fast and when he gets in the open field, he gets that extra burst. He plays really tough and physical. He’s playing really well right now for us.”

York senior quarterback Bruno Massel said Duda is a special back with a high upside.

“Having an O-line and running backs like Lucas (Luca Swan) and Jimmy Conners makes my life so much easier,” Massel said. “It opens up the play-action game and helps the team overall.”

Lansu hoping to open up

Downers Grove North junior quarterback Owen Lansu’s passing numbers are slightly skewed. Through three games, Lansu has completed 39 passes for 490 yards and seven touchdowns to go with a 73% completion rate.

The Trojans (3-0, 1-0) haven’t needed Lansu to showcase his immense passing skills. Downers Grove North, which finished in second place in the state in Class 7A last season, has scored 42 points in each of its first three games.

Lansu, even with limited snaps and passing attempts because of the three blowouts, is happy with the progress of the offense.

“I feel like our offense is really only scratching the surface,” Lansu said. “We’ve had great field position and a ton of explosive (plays) because of our scheme and great defense, so we haven’t had a ton of reps for playing three games but we feel like we’re in a good spot.”

Lansu is spreading the wealth to his receivers, finding three targets in last week’s romp over Glenbard West.

“Getting everyone the ball in different ways makes it easier to stress the defense and make them respect everyone on the field,” he said. “We feel good about our four or five (top) guys against pretty much everyone. We try to get everyone going early so we can build momentum and stretch the field.”

The Trojans play at Proviso West on Friday, then host Oak Park-River Forest, travel to York and welcome Lyons to their home Oct. 11.

Lansu, a second-year starter, said he’s become more efficient in the Trojans’ offense because of his experience and quality coaching around him.

“So far this year, I feel more comfortable and like the offense flows through me,” Lansu said. “My stats are better. My completion percentage and efficiency are way better and that’s with five less quarters than I played through the first three games last year. I think if I can improve every week on the small stuff, then I can have a really great year and help us win a lot of games.”

Extra points

IC Catholic Prep and Nazareth hook up for a key CCL/ESCC clash Friday. The Roadrunners (2-1) suffered a 56-33 defeat to Mount Carmel last week. … Don’t look now, but Benet (3-0) is among the area’s undefeated teams. The Redwings have defeated Hillcrest, Moline and De La Salle but have a tough test against St. Viator (3-0) on Friday.