Marmion, West Chicago
looking for momentum
It’s a special edition of Saturday Night Lights
By Chris Walker
While Friday nights are for football, Marmion and West Chicago have made it a tradition to play on one Saturday night early in the season.
The two teams will meet once again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in West Chicago.
“It’s a nice thing to have on a Saturday night for a weekend game,” Wildcats coach Jose Villa said. “We’ve been playing each other for so many years now, and even when I played (at West Chicago from 2002-06) it was usually one of the first games of the season.”
West Chicago (1-1-0) has had a busy week, losing their season opener 2-1 at West Aurora on Tuesday before coming back to edge Elgin 2-1 on Thursday at home.
The Wildcats were unable to convert two corner kicks in the final minute of the loss on Tuesday. On Thursday, they fell behind 1-0 before rallying on goals from Oswaldo Estrada and Misael Duran.
“We started out horrible (against Elgin),” Villa said. “We couldn’t connect passes or anything and I told them, 'no excuses.' They definitely stepped it up and, since it was out first conference game in our division, that was crucial.”
One area the Wildcats hope to improve on is with their play in the midfield and overall field communication.
“We need to work more in the midfield on looking for openings and for each other,” West Chicago senior Antonio Velazquez said. “There were times where we weren’t communicating well last year, and we’ve already been communicating better this year, so we need to keep working on it.”
Marmion defeated Plainfield East, 2-0, in its season opener on Thursday. Standout Gavin Sanchez had a heck of a start to his senior campaign, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Nick Grant also had an assist, while Landon Meyer scored.
“I think it was good to get one out of the way, and the first game is always rough,” Cadets coach Ricky Del Toro said. “We made a lot of mistakes and they were all over the field, but we made it through to half 0-0. Plainfield East didn’t allow us to play the soccer we wanted to play. But we played better as it wore on and had a little more possession and had it more in our attacking third.”
While Saturday’s contest doesn’t have any conference bearing, it’s regarded as a big game. Both programs certainly respect one another and are looking to win their second straight game. They also had a notable game over the summer that adds to the joint enthusiasm.
“We were able to beat them in the summer league 3-1, and they had been undefeated,” Del Toro said. “I think that gives us some confidence going into the game and I think the boys are pumped. I’m pumped for it. I think everyone is, so it should be good.”
Added Villa: “Marmion is always a great team. They’re well coached and are a great program so it’s neat to be able to play on a Saturday night against them. It should be a good game and a great atmosphere.”
looking for momentum
It’s a special edition of Saturday Night Lights
By Chris Walker
While Friday nights are for football, Marmion and West Chicago have made it a tradition to play on one Saturday night early in the season.
The two teams will meet once again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in West Chicago.
“It’s a nice thing to have on a Saturday night for a weekend game,” Wildcats coach Jose Villa said. “We’ve been playing each other for so many years now, and even when I played (at West Chicago from 2002-06) it was usually one of the first games of the season.”
West Chicago (1-1-0) has had a busy week, losing their season opener 2-1 at West Aurora on Tuesday before coming back to edge Elgin 2-1 on Thursday at home.
The Wildcats were unable to convert two corner kicks in the final minute of the loss on Tuesday. On Thursday, they fell behind 1-0 before rallying on goals from Oswaldo Estrada and Misael Duran.
“We started out horrible (against Elgin),” Villa said. “We couldn’t connect passes or anything and I told them, 'no excuses.' They definitely stepped it up and, since it was out first conference game in our division, that was crucial.”
One area the Wildcats hope to improve on is with their play in the midfield and overall field communication.
“We need to work more in the midfield on looking for openings and for each other,” West Chicago senior Antonio Velazquez said. “There were times where we weren’t communicating well last year, and we’ve already been communicating better this year, so we need to keep working on it.”
Marmion defeated Plainfield East, 2-0, in its season opener on Thursday. Standout Gavin Sanchez had a heck of a start to his senior campaign, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Nick Grant also had an assist, while Landon Meyer scored.
“I think it was good to get one out of the way, and the first game is always rough,” Cadets coach Ricky Del Toro said. “We made a lot of mistakes and they were all over the field, but we made it through to half 0-0. Plainfield East didn’t allow us to play the soccer we wanted to play. But we played better as it wore on and had a little more possession and had it more in our attacking third.”
While Saturday’s contest doesn’t have any conference bearing, it’s regarded as a big game. Both programs certainly respect one another and are looking to win their second straight game. They also had a notable game over the summer that adds to the joint enthusiasm.
“We were able to beat them in the summer league 3-1, and they had been undefeated,” Del Toro said. “I think that gives us some confidence going into the game and I think the boys are pumped. I’m pumped for it. I think everyone is, so it should be good.”
Added Villa: “Marmion is always a great team. They’re well coached and are a great program so it’s neat to be able to play on a Saturday night against them. It should be a good game and a great atmosphere.”