Nearly 200 York High School football players showed up for summer workouts in July, and third-year coach Don Gelsomino says the energy is different from a year ago.
"So far, the kids are kind of hungry," Gelsomino told DuPage Community News on July 20. "Last year, we had a decent season. We wanted a little more out of it. The players are hungry and they are working hard for it. They want to make a deep run and they are going for it."
The Dukes went 6-4 in the 2025 regular season and lost to Lyons 24-21 in the first round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs, according to Chicago Tribune playoff pairings. That early exit stung for a program that reached the Class 8A state championship game in 2024, according to DuPage Community News, and is chasing its sixth consecutive playoff berth in fall 2026.
The expanded IHSA playoff field for 2026 grows from 256 to 384 teams statewide, with 48 qualifiers per class instead of 32. That gives the Dukes additional margin to qualify, but Gelsomino made clear the goal is bigger than simply getting in.
Gelsomino reported approximately 190 players in the program as of mid-July, with 67 freshmen attending summer sessions. He expects the roster to approach 200 once the freshman class finalizes.
York reached the semifinals of the Naperville North 7-on-7 tournament before falling to Glenbard West by a single point. York's linemen also competed in the event's lineman challenge, which Gelsomino said went well.
The team then traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for a three-day overnight trip, a new destination this year. Gelsomino said coaches confiscated players' cellphones during the stay to force face-to-face interaction. Activities included a softball tournament and pool time alongside football work.
Four joint practices are scheduled over the two weeks following July 20, weather permitting. York will face Wheaton-Warrenville South, IC Catholic Prep, Naperville Central, and Chicago St. Patrick in those controlled 11-on-11 sessions. The IHSA allows teams four joint practices per season, and Gelsomino said he prefers to use all four rather than the Week Zero scrimmage option.
Senior quarterback Zack Assaad returns as the starter after making his varsity debut in Week 7 of the 2025 season, according to Shaw Local's Friday Night Drive.
Gelsomino is 17-7 overall at York. He said the pieces are there for a breakout fall, but nothing is guaranteed.
"If it all comes together, we have the potential to make a run," he said, "if everybody buys in and everybody goes all in."
York opens its 2026 season in late August.
