Dominic Recchia is a special teams standout for Yorkville. And he’s definitely a breed apart.
The second-year varsity kicker and punter also will start at cornerback as a senior for the Foxes.
Recchia played a key role in all three of those spots last season, helping Yorkville win its first conference title since 1989 and advance to the playoffs for a sixth straight time.
“Honestly, it’s not that I don’t feel the pressure,” Recchia said. “I kind of learned over the years it is what it is. If you make a bad play, move on and go to the next play.
“Miss a field goal? Have a guy get past me? Go battle back and make another play.”
That’s what Recchia wants to bring to the table again this fall for the Foxes, who come in at No. 7 in The Beacon-News/Courier-News preseason rankings.
It was especially true last season for Yorkville (6-4), with six of its games decided by one score — including wins of 17-13 over Minooka, 13-8 over Oswego East and 13-10 over Plainfield North and losses of 20-17 to Joliet West, 17-14 to West Aurora and 21-13 to Willowbrook in the playoffs.
“Expectations are high again this year,” Recchia said. “Definitely win another conference championship and go farther in the playoffs.
“I feel like last year our mistakes led to us beating ourselves. If we lock in on those plays, games are completely different. We’re blowing some teams out instead of giving up what we gave up.”
There were plenty of highlights on defense for the 5-foot-8, 155-pound Recchia, who produced 28 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He averaged 35.3 yards for 45 punts, placing 17 out of bounds inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Recchia made 19 of 20 extra-point kicks and converted 7 of 10 field goals.
Even so, Recchia can’t decide which role he likes better, loving both the kicking and cornerback duties, but he feels he may have a better chance taking a step to the next level as a kicker.
It’s a role he started in grade school while playing youth tackle football in Yorkville.
“Actually, it was in my friend’s front yard,” Recchia said. “He was outside kicking one day and I said, ‘Hey, let me try.’ The next day at practice, he tells the coach, ‘Hey, Dom can kick.’
“Honestly, that’s how it started, I was probably 8 or 9.”
Recchia credited Yorkville volunteer assistant David Bucciferro with his development. Since May, Reechia has worked with Chris Nendick, the former Naperville Central and Northern Illinois kicker.
Recchia’s career highlight came in last year’s final regular-season game when he kicked a 23-yard field goal in the closing seconds to clinch the league title after nailing a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter to force a 10-10 tie and rally the Foxes from a 10-0 deficit.
“I’ve dreamed about that every since I started kicking,” Recchia said of the game-winner, which actually took three tries. “I had no nerves going out there. I was ready to go. Once it happened, it was all excitement.”
His first attempt on third-and-goal was blocked, but Recchia managed to scoop it up and run out of bounds, allowing a second attempt on fourth down. He made the kick, but the Tigers drew an illegal substitution penalty, making it a dead ball and forcing a third attempt, which was true.
Yorkville coach Dan McGuire called the sequence a real eye-opener for him.
“We were lucky to have somebody who is just a football player doing that job,” McGuire said. “Dom had good instincts after the block, and that helped us a ton there.
“It’s why I’m a huge believer in playing multiple sports. Dom is a wrestler who qualified for sectional. You’re on the mat by yourself, and it’s similar to a cornerback or kicker. There’s no place to hide. You can’t replicate those pressure situations in the weight room in the winter.”
Team: Yorkville.
2023 record: 6-4.
Offensive leaders: Dyllan Malone, senior, wide receiver; Caden Steg, junior, offensive lineman; Dillon Jaskowski, senior, wide receiver; Ryan Wulff, senior, running back.
Defensive leaders: Bryce Griffin, senior, defensive end; Luke Zook, senior, safety; Jamarion Kenniel, senior, defensive lineman; Lincoln Reuterskiold, senior, linebacker.
X-factor: Dominic Recchia, senior, cornerback/kicker/punter.
