Odd couple Rose and Raftery lead DGS
By Bill Stone
Downers Grove South seniors Jordan Rose and Maddie Raftery probably couldn’t put a price on the value of their friendship that began as club soccer players in second grade.
Their sister-like relationship, however, could prove costly this spring.
As a joke, they approached Downers South coach Chris Hernandez about using a jar to which they donate a dollar each time they have a “friendly argument” during games or practices. The accumulated amount will go towards a team event after the season.
“We’re yelling at each other, but we’re trying to help each other. There are never any hard feelings after or during the game but to some of our teammates it does seem like we’re just yelling at each other,” Raftery said.
“We care about each other, and soccer is very important to us; and we’re very intense about it. We’re just being able to hold each other accountable on the field and off as well. We’re just trying to work hard and make each other the best that we can.”
Personality-wise, they may be the ultimate odd couple – the outgoing Rose and the quieter, more detail-oriented Raftery.
Add a soccer ball, and there’s no argument the pair make a potent offensive combination for the Mustangs.
In their first high school season together in 2019, Rose (19 goals, 8 assists) and Raftery (16 goals, 11 assists) combined for 35 of the 60 goals by Downers South (12-8-1), which won its second-consecutive Class 3A regional title. Oft times, the duo assisted each other.
Rose was a Chicagoland Soccer All-Stater; Raftery held a spot on the All-State Watch List.
“You walk down the hallway (in school), they’re side by side -- peanut butter and jelly. They have that deep connection as teammates, but you know they’re best friends as well,” Hernandez said.
“If you’re stuck and need support, you know you can look for them. Individually, they know each other, their body language, when they need a pep talk and when to be a little bit harder.”
Away from soccer, they’re even tighter. They often have sleepovers, even on Sundays before Monday school days. During this preseason, Rose first stopped by Raftery’s house daily for pre-practice snacks.
As the Mustangs train by themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rose and Raftery are active through Facetime and texts but this is the longest period they haven’t seen each other since they entered Downers Grove South from different schools.
“I’m a very big extrovert, so it’s very hard for me not to be around people, especially your best friends,” Rose said. “If you knew us, initially you’d be like, ‘Oh, you wouldn’t be friends,’ but together we’re best friends.”
They had been looking forward to their first spring break trip together to Cozumel, Mexico. Part of the pre-planning was to stay apart as much as possible to minimize disagreements during the vacation.
“After the game, teammates are like, ‘Are you two good? Are you mad at Maddie?’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Rose said. “We go at it like sisters. We expect a lot out of each other. That’s part of it and part of it is that we are like sisters so we argue a lot on the field, but it’s also motivation.”
What makes the soccer layoff even more challenging is that their days together are numbered. NCAA Division I soccer awaits both. Rose will play for Indiana State and Raftery is headed for Ohio University. They still were together for college signing day at school with family, Hernandez and teammates.
Both were recruited while playing club soccer with Eclipse. One of the first schools to recruit Rose actually was Ohio University.
“We’re always like dang it, we missed it,” Rose said laughing.
“Honestly, I’m thinking the soccer part will be the least hard part of it. It’s more of just off the field,” Raftery said. “We’ll be able to figure it out on the field.
“We’ve had at least one year on a team not together. We’ve done camps without each other. It’s more the part that we’re not going to be going to the same school anymore, the social aspect, hanging out. Even when our team gets together, me and Jordan are always next to each other.”
For a recent assignment in psychology class, Raftery analyzed Rose among three personalities and contrasted them to her own. Rose thought her analysis by Raftery was spot-on.
“I’ve never read anything more true explaining me. And everyone else who read it said the same thing,” Rose said.
“Maddie, I would say, is somewhere between extroverted and introverted, and I’m on the end of extroverted. We spend lots and lots of time together, and I bring out a lot of extrovert in her. She is kind of a worry wart, and I’m kind of not, at least with the things she worries about. It’s a lot of (disagreeing) from her overreacting and me underreacting.”
Thanks in part to these opposite personalities, their friendship made a quick and strong bond during second grade.
Rose already was playing for the Downers Grove Roadrunners club team when Raftery arrived for a tryout.
One of the first things Raftery said she noticed was Rose as the “one talking to everyone else.”
“I remember I was very new and very nervous,” Raftery said. “Jordan is one of those people that can always make you kind of laugh. She’s always someone I can count on to put me in a better mood. She is very spontaneous.
“Our personalities are very different and I think we kind of balance each other out. She goes out of her way to talk to everyone, laugh. I don’t talk that much.”
At tryouts, Rose recalled that those nerves may have gotten the best of Raftery initially.
“She didn’t really know anyone. I had another friend, and we were being goofy,” Rose said. “(Raftery) thought we were laughing at her. I remember she cried the first day, because she thought we were being mean to her.”
By the time their team moved over to the newly-formed Joga Bonito soccer club, their friendship and soccer savvy strengthened, such as during numerous 1-v.-1 drills.
“Everyone kind of hated them, because they were hard. Me and her, for some weird reason, had a super big competition,” Rose said. “Every day when we would come home, our parents would be like, ‘Who won?’”
They then switched clubs to Naperville Soccer Association and finally Eclipse and weren’t apart for more than a season.
Rose changed to NSA first with Raftery soon to follow. Both joined Eclipse at the same time, although they were on different teams at first before eventually becoming teammates. They insist their decisions to switch clubs came independently.
“She went (to NSA) a year before me. We were still friends, but it ended up being the best thing for me,” Raftery said.
“(Later Eclipse) ended up being the best thing for both of us. We had both been looking at several different clubs and both kind of saw an opportunity about Eclipse.”
As a sophomore, Rose verbally committed to Indiana State and began playing for the Mustangs in 2018.
Raftery remained a club-only player as a sophomore but made her high-school debut last season after committing to Ohio more than six months after Rose.
“Amazing (having Raftery) and it felt really good because I spent a year and a half telling her she didn’t have a choice,” Rose said. “I respected her decision (sophomore year) because she would have missed out on a lot of recruiting.”
“At the time, (club only) was the best decision for me but definitely things can be said about the high school sports environment and the team,” Raftery said. “Jordan and a lot of friends, seeing all of them being together, didn’t want to miss out.”
“Last season was awesome. At first, it was a little bit of an adjustment and coming onto a team I never played with before, but the team was so nice and awesome and so were the coaches.”
For Eclipse, Raftery also is a forward, but Rose instead plays outside defender. Their years of playing together immediately paid off with the Mustangs.
“Maddie is very fast so that’s a big (strength). She’s probably one of the most tactical players I’ve ever met,” Rose said. “She reads the game very well offensive-wise. She’s really hard to defend. If you’re ever in a 1-v.-1 versus Maddie, you’re pretty much done.”
Rose credited Raftery with improving her high school transition to attacking center midfielder.
Once again, their sum is greater than their already talented individual parts.
“It’s one of those things where both of us know where the other person’s going to go and the runs they’re going to make,” Raftery said.
“It’s become a joke on our team that Maddie and Jordan can read each other’s minds because we’ve been playing together for so long. We’re always there for each other on and off the field.”
Rose said she was honored and somewhat surprised to receive all-state honors. Rose led the Mustangs in scoring and was third in assists but was aware of players on other teams with more goals and assists.
“She’s got a wide set of skills. She’s got a great shot. She’s able to score super far outside the box,” Raftery said. “She always has really good vision on the field and can find the passes. I’m more a player where I like to dribble more and be technical, and I run more and like the speed of it. Jordan puts the ball down and finds those passes.”
Raftery even provided an assist to Rose in finding a job this past offseason.
At Downers South as a junior, Raftery was a teen leader for an adaptive physical education class. That led to a job last summer with WDSRA (Western DuPage Special Recreation Association) and in the fall with SEASPAR (South East Association for Special Parks And Recreation).
When Rose began job hunting, Raftery recommended her for SEASPAR and Rose began in the fall with a different program. This spring, they were together training Special Olympics track and field athletes on weekends at Downers Grove North.
At their different colleges, both are planning to major in special education. Rose also will major in social studies.
“Every team I can pretty much remember being on she was on. It’ll be OK. We’ll still be best friends, but it’s sad the soccer part is coming to an end,” Rose said.
“I think our friendship will always be strong. It’ll be hard not having each other there as friends (at school) and soccer will also be hard. Soccer is soccer. You’re going to play either way. It’s not having each other as best friends. It’ll be exciting to come home and be able to hang out.”
By Bill Stone
Downers Grove South seniors Jordan Rose and Maddie Raftery probably couldn’t put a price on the value of their friendship that began as club soccer players in second grade.
Their sister-like relationship, however, could prove costly this spring.
As a joke, they approached Downers South coach Chris Hernandez about using a jar to which they donate a dollar each time they have a “friendly argument” during games or practices. The accumulated amount will go towards a team event after the season.
“We’re yelling at each other, but we’re trying to help each other. There are never any hard feelings after or during the game but to some of our teammates it does seem like we’re just yelling at each other,” Raftery said.
“We care about each other, and soccer is very important to us; and we’re very intense about it. We’re just being able to hold each other accountable on the field and off as well. We’re just trying to work hard and make each other the best that we can.”
Personality-wise, they may be the ultimate odd couple – the outgoing Rose and the quieter, more detail-oriented Raftery.
Add a soccer ball, and there’s no argument the pair make a potent offensive combination for the Mustangs.
In their first high school season together in 2019, Rose (19 goals, 8 assists) and Raftery (16 goals, 11 assists) combined for 35 of the 60 goals by Downers South (12-8-1), which won its second-consecutive Class 3A regional title. Oft times, the duo assisted each other.
Rose was a Chicagoland Soccer All-Stater; Raftery held a spot on the All-State Watch List.
“You walk down the hallway (in school), they’re side by side -- peanut butter and jelly. They have that deep connection as teammates, but you know they’re best friends as well,” Hernandez said.
“If you’re stuck and need support, you know you can look for them. Individually, they know each other, their body language, when they need a pep talk and when to be a little bit harder.”
Away from soccer, they’re even tighter. They often have sleepovers, even on Sundays before Monday school days. During this preseason, Rose first stopped by Raftery’s house daily for pre-practice snacks.
As the Mustangs train by themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rose and Raftery are active through Facetime and texts but this is the longest period they haven’t seen each other since they entered Downers Grove South from different schools.
“I’m a very big extrovert, so it’s very hard for me not to be around people, especially your best friends,” Rose said. “If you knew us, initially you’d be like, ‘Oh, you wouldn’t be friends,’ but together we’re best friends.”
They had been looking forward to their first spring break trip together to Cozumel, Mexico. Part of the pre-planning was to stay apart as much as possible to minimize disagreements during the vacation.
“After the game, teammates are like, ‘Are you two good? Are you mad at Maddie?’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Rose said. “We go at it like sisters. We expect a lot out of each other. That’s part of it and part of it is that we are like sisters so we argue a lot on the field, but it’s also motivation.”
What makes the soccer layoff even more challenging is that their days together are numbered. NCAA Division I soccer awaits both. Rose will play for Indiana State and Raftery is headed for Ohio University. They still were together for college signing day at school with family, Hernandez and teammates.
Both were recruited while playing club soccer with Eclipse. One of the first schools to recruit Rose actually was Ohio University.
“We’re always like dang it, we missed it,” Rose said laughing.
“Honestly, I’m thinking the soccer part will be the least hard part of it. It’s more of just off the field,” Raftery said. “We’ll be able to figure it out on the field.
“We’ve had at least one year on a team not together. We’ve done camps without each other. It’s more the part that we’re not going to be going to the same school anymore, the social aspect, hanging out. Even when our team gets together, me and Jordan are always next to each other.”
For a recent assignment in psychology class, Raftery analyzed Rose among three personalities and contrasted them to her own. Rose thought her analysis by Raftery was spot-on.
“I’ve never read anything more true explaining me. And everyone else who read it said the same thing,” Rose said.
“Maddie, I would say, is somewhere between extroverted and introverted, and I’m on the end of extroverted. We spend lots and lots of time together, and I bring out a lot of extrovert in her. She is kind of a worry wart, and I’m kind of not, at least with the things she worries about. It’s a lot of (disagreeing) from her overreacting and me underreacting.”
Thanks in part to these opposite personalities, their friendship made a quick and strong bond during second grade.
Rose already was playing for the Downers Grove Roadrunners club team when Raftery arrived for a tryout.
One of the first things Raftery said she noticed was Rose as the “one talking to everyone else.”
“I remember I was very new and very nervous,” Raftery said. “Jordan is one of those people that can always make you kind of laugh. She’s always someone I can count on to put me in a better mood. She is very spontaneous.
“Our personalities are very different and I think we kind of balance each other out. She goes out of her way to talk to everyone, laugh. I don’t talk that much.”
At tryouts, Rose recalled that those nerves may have gotten the best of Raftery initially.
“She didn’t really know anyone. I had another friend, and we were being goofy,” Rose said. “(Raftery) thought we were laughing at her. I remember she cried the first day, because she thought we were being mean to her.”
By the time their team moved over to the newly-formed Joga Bonito soccer club, their friendship and soccer savvy strengthened, such as during numerous 1-v.-1 drills.
“Everyone kind of hated them, because they were hard. Me and her, for some weird reason, had a super big competition,” Rose said. “Every day when we would come home, our parents would be like, ‘Who won?’”
They then switched clubs to Naperville Soccer Association and finally Eclipse and weren’t apart for more than a season.
Rose changed to NSA first with Raftery soon to follow. Both joined Eclipse at the same time, although they were on different teams at first before eventually becoming teammates. They insist their decisions to switch clubs came independently.
“She went (to NSA) a year before me. We were still friends, but it ended up being the best thing for me,” Raftery said.
“(Later Eclipse) ended up being the best thing for both of us. We had both been looking at several different clubs and both kind of saw an opportunity about Eclipse.”
As a sophomore, Rose verbally committed to Indiana State and began playing for the Mustangs in 2018.
Raftery remained a club-only player as a sophomore but made her high-school debut last season after committing to Ohio more than six months after Rose.
“Amazing (having Raftery) and it felt really good because I spent a year and a half telling her she didn’t have a choice,” Rose said. “I respected her decision (sophomore year) because she would have missed out on a lot of recruiting.”
“At the time, (club only) was the best decision for me but definitely things can be said about the high school sports environment and the team,” Raftery said. “Jordan and a lot of friends, seeing all of them being together, didn’t want to miss out.”
“Last season was awesome. At first, it was a little bit of an adjustment and coming onto a team I never played with before, but the team was so nice and awesome and so were the coaches.”
For Eclipse, Raftery also is a forward, but Rose instead plays outside defender. Their years of playing together immediately paid off with the Mustangs.
“Maddie is very fast so that’s a big (strength). She’s probably one of the most tactical players I’ve ever met,” Rose said. “She reads the game very well offensive-wise. She’s really hard to defend. If you’re ever in a 1-v.-1 versus Maddie, you’re pretty much done.”
Rose credited Raftery with improving her high school transition to attacking center midfielder.
Once again, their sum is greater than their already talented individual parts.
“It’s one of those things where both of us know where the other person’s going to go and the runs they’re going to make,” Raftery said.
“It’s become a joke on our team that Maddie and Jordan can read each other’s minds because we’ve been playing together for so long. We’re always there for each other on and off the field.”
Rose said she was honored and somewhat surprised to receive all-state honors. Rose led the Mustangs in scoring and was third in assists but was aware of players on other teams with more goals and assists.
“She’s got a wide set of skills. She’s got a great shot. She’s able to score super far outside the box,” Raftery said. “She always has really good vision on the field and can find the passes. I’m more a player where I like to dribble more and be technical, and I run more and like the speed of it. Jordan puts the ball down and finds those passes.”
Raftery even provided an assist to Rose in finding a job this past offseason.
At Downers South as a junior, Raftery was a teen leader for an adaptive physical education class. That led to a job last summer with WDSRA (Western DuPage Special Recreation Association) and in the fall with SEASPAR (South East Association for Special Parks And Recreation).
When Rose began job hunting, Raftery recommended her for SEASPAR and Rose began in the fall with a different program. This spring, they were together training Special Olympics track and field athletes on weekends at Downers Grove North.
At their different colleges, both are planning to major in special education. Rose also will major in social studies.
“Every team I can pretty much remember being on she was on. It’ll be OK. We’ll still be best friends, but it’s sad the soccer part is coming to an end,” Rose said.
“I think our friendship will always be strong. It’ll be hard not having each other there as friends (at school) and soccer will also be hard. Soccer is soccer. You’re going to play either way. It’s not having each other as best friends. It’ll be exciting to come home and be able to hang out.”