The York football team found yet another way to come from behind and pull out a victory. For Lyons Township, it was another game ended with the thought of what could have been.

York quarterback Tom Judge hit Andrew Johnson on a middle screen for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 3:32 to play and Dan Johnston’s extra point proved to be in the difference in the Dukes’ 21-20 West Suburban Silver win on Friday in Western Springs.

LT (1-4 overall, 1-2 WSS) took its third lead of the game with 5:53 remaining on quarterback Ryan Mitchell’s 32-yard score. However, a low snap on the extra point resulted in a kick wide left.

The Dukes faced a third-and-13 on their ensuring possession, but Judge hit Joe Santiago (three catches, 75 yards) for a 45-yard pass. Two plays later Johnson (six catches, 103 yards) was in the end zone.

All four victories for the Dukes (4-1, 2-1) this season have been in the come-from-behind variety — three of them in the fourth quarter.

“Being able to come from behind shows the character of this team,” said Judge, who finished with 222 yards passing and 140 yards rushing. “Guys are making plays when we need to.”

In a back-and-forth third quarter, the Dukes ended a six quarter-plus scoring drought when Judge hit Zach Preuss for a 20-yard touchdown to tie it at 7-all on their first possession of the third.

LT answered when Nicholas Brown (10 carries, 57 yards) busted in from two yards out to make it 14-7 at the 4:52 mark. But the lead didn’t last long as Judge had an 85-yard touchdown run — on third-and-10 — to tie it at 14 just 35 seconds later.

Mitchell finished with 228 yards rushing and two touchdowns. His first score was a 42-yard run that put the Lions ahead 7-0 with 2:32 left in the first quarter. He added 64-yard scamper that set up Brown’s score in the third.

The Lions also sacked Judge five times. Jack Piecuch and Rafal Redlinski each had two sacks, while Patrick Thomas added another one.

After York scored to go-ahead touchdown, LT drove into Dukes’ territory. However, Romell Johnson recovered a fumble on the Dukes’ 34-yard line with 1:14 left to seal the outcome.

It was the third loss by less than a touchdown, including one in overtime, for the Lions.

“It’s just a collective thing,” LT coach Jack Derning said. “There were some dumb calls on my part and some dumb plays on the player’s part. It’s just a collective thing.
“We could just as easily be 4-1 and that’s the thing that hurts.”