York senior offensive lineman Jack Wahr headed into this season aiming to keep the program moving in the right direction.

One of four returning starters on the offensive line, Wahr and his teammates wanted to make sure the program did not suffer a dropoff after three historic seasons, most notably placing second in Class 8A last year.

At 5-foot-11 and 240 pounds, Wahr started his offseason regime in January with the goal of getting stronger and in better condition.

Wahr, who also is a bowler and plays lacrosse at York, said he benefits from playing multiple sports, which has helped him in football.

“Bowling, as random as it may sound, is a nice switch-up from a team sport to an individual sport because it allows me to be solely reliant on my performance with nobody else to fall back on,” Wahr said. “Lacrosse, on the other hand, really allows me to stay in shape and improve my athleticism. There are a lot of good parallels between lacrosse and football, like footwork which is essential for the offensive line.”

Wahr, a left guard, said the O-line built on last season’s success by spending countless hours together in the weight room, along with doing sled work together. The O-line has been a big factor in York’s 2-1 start this season. Senior Costa Kampas, a Georgetown recruit, is the headline player on the O-line.

“What stands out about the offensive line this year is the cohesiveness and communication we have as a unit,” Wahr said. “It really helps us make adjustments on the fly, which are essential when playing a high-caliber team. Another crucial aspect this year is cleaning up all the little things. With multiple returning starters on the offensive line, the foundation has been laid but now it’s all about correcting the little things which we have done very well. It has turned our good front five into an elite offensive line.”

Left tackle Camden Sivewright, 6-6 and 260 pounds, is one of four seniors on the offensive line. He said the closeness of the unit goes back to the eighth grade.

“We’re a very close-knit group,” Sivewright said. “Over the summer, we had several bonding breakfasts as an O-line and continued to grow both as teammates and as friends. We’ve been working out since January to prepare for the season, and during that time, we’ve grown even closer.”

York coach Don Gelsomino said the experience of the offensive line is paying off this season and should continue to be a key factor as the season progresses.

“We have a lot of returnees on the offensive line and we’ve been running the ball very well in every single game,” Gelsomino said. “It’s awesome to see, controlling the line of scrimmage with the guys up there. The line has been playing excellent, allowing the running game to put up some good numbers and some nice wins. We’ve had some long runs this season, it all starts with the O-line.”

Gelsomino said the left side of Wahr and Sivewright are a solid group, helping give the offense some diversity in their playcalling.

“Jack is not the biggest guy in the world, but he works so hard and has so much energy,” Gelsomino said. “Camden is a bigger guy who has really come into his own this year. He’s more of a physical presence. Our left side is very good. We can run the ball either way in some of our schemes.”

St. Francis offense

On paper, Loyola dominated St. Francis last week.

The Ramblers moved the ball up and down the field at will to post a 43-21 victory in Wheaton.

But the Spartans’ offense had several memorable moments, led by quarterback Brock Phillip. The senior spent most of the game slinging passes all over the field, forcing the offense to become one-dimensional after the Ramblers seized an early lead.

Phillip passed for 303 yards and two touchdowns, but tossed a pair of interceptions. Unfortunately, the offense stalled several times due to a large number of dropped passes, including at least two by Michigan State-bound senior wide receiver Zach Washington.

“Our offense made some mistakes, but Brock fought hard and played well,” St. Francis coach Bob McMillen. “He had some tough moments, but he played tough and will get better.”

Extra points

Downers Grove North senior quarterback Owen Lansu did not suit up last week. The Minnesota recruit is slated to miss several weeks. Glenbard West junior quarterback AJ Rayford, a transfer from Providence, has missed the last two games.