FND Team of the Week MVP: York linebacker Evan Grazzini

Evan Grazzini said he felt like he was running in slow motion in one of York’s biggest plays last Saturday at Marist.

His tackle has continued the Dukes’ fast rise.

Grazzini, a senior linebacker, made a game-saving tackle along the sidelines to turn away a Marist fake field goal attempt in double overtime. York went on to beat Marist 27-21 in double overtime, improving to 11-0 and advancing to the program’s first quarterfinals since 2006. Grazzini has recorded 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks over two playoff games.

As a result of his efforts, Grazzini was voted the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week MVP.

Grazzini earned 213 votes to claim the Team of the Week MVP belt. The Team of the Week is sponsored by SGKR Injury Attorneys.

Grazzini answered a few questions from Friday Night Drive’s Joshua Welge about his big night.

Welge: What’s it like to still be practicing right now?

Grazzini: It’s amazing. I love football. Love getting more opportunities to play. It’s awesome.

Welge: That play, on the fake field goal. How did you guys sense that something was up?

Grazzini: They had an opportunity to score and the way our offense was playing we had full confidence that they were going to score no matter what. We just thought that for [Marist] to have any shot to win a game that they’d have to score a touchdown.

Welge: You said that you switched defenses or switched things up. How did you?

Grazzini: Initially we had a different blitz on because we thought they were going to come out in an offensive play. And then they didn’t so we called the blitz off and played football.

Welge: And then it was a footrace to the sideline. What was that like?

Grazzini: It felt like I was running in slow motion – and I got there. And I was so happy that I got there.

Welge: So much tension in a game like that. How do you handle that?

Grazzini: You just have to take it one game at a time and just focus on your job every play. It makes the game slow down. It makes every moment feel a little bit slower.

Welge: The way the program is now, the growth of it, you’re a senior, can you explain the excitement level now compared to when you started?

Grazzini: It’s been amazing. What coach Fitz [Mike Fitzgerald] and the rest of the program has been able to build, it’s unbelievable. We went from a 4-5 team every year to conference champs and playing in late November. It’s amazing.

Welge: You had 7,000 fans here for the Glenbard West game. What’s Saturday’s quarterfinal going to be like here?

Grazzini: I’m hoping this place is sold out, hoping they have to bring extra bleachers and everybody in the town here.