Morton pops into third-straight title match
Gains PepsiCo Showdown final
with win over Wheaton Academy
By Kevin McGavin
LA GRANGE -- Morton is returning to familiar territory.
All-state candidate Edgar Garcia scored goals in each half to propel the Mustangs to a 2-0 victory over previously unbeaten Wheaton Academy in the second semifinal of the PepsiCo Showdown on Saturday afternoon at the Lyons soccer complex.
Morton will face Lyons in its third-consecutive trip the PepsiCo Showdown. The Lions defeated New Trier in its semifinal. The championship is Sunday, Sept. 28 at DePaul University.
“Every year we just come together and try our best and somehow it all connects,” said Garcia, Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match. He broke a scoreless draw with four minutes remaining in the opening half after a brilliant feed from Leo Delgado.
“We play hard, and we play with skill. We’re going back (to the finals) once again, and hopefully we’ll get the win.”
Morton (11-0-2) has suffered losses in its last two title game appearances.
Wheaton Academy (9-1) not only had its nine-match winning streak halted but the Warriors found themselves in foreign territory after Delgado dribbled past two defenders late in the first half to give Garcia a perfect cross.
“It was the first time we have trailed the whole year,” said Warriors star Ty Seager, who entered the match with 16 goals on the season.
Wheaton keeper Drew Sezonov was powerless to contest the point-blank shot.
“I tried to beat the double team—and I did,” Delgado said of the first goal in approximately the 36th minute (the scoreboard was inoperable). “I saw Edgar making a good run. He finished just like he always does.”
In the second half, Wheaton Academy discovered that its best scoring opportunities materialized off set plays.
The Warriors had several corner-kick chances in seeking an equalizer.
But Morton found a defensive answer for every Wheaton Academy thrust.
Morton keeper Ian Chacon was particularly adept at punching the Warriors’ corners out of danger.
Class 2A Wheaton Academy had yet to encounter a defense this season as disciplined and skilled as the Mustangs’ unit.
“I thought that their two center-backs and their two center midfielders — those four all stood out in my mind,” Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said. “All four of them are absolutely brilliant players.”
Morton was equally inexorable on offense.
Forcing the action repeatedly on the Warriors’ end, Morton had several quality chances to double its advantage.
Diminutive junior Jorge Mercado had his left-footed blast from 16 yards out sail innocuously over the crossbar on one of the opportunities.
Garcia and Daniel Navar had a potential collaboration miss equally close to the left post.
The Mustangs were particularly concerned with neutralizing Seager, the Warriors’ standout forward.
“I thought our defense held up really well, and No. 20 (Seager) is a horse,” Morton coach Mike Caruso said. “He got through a couple of times, but Hector (Luna), our center-back, did as good a job as you can do on a player like that.”
Seager had have his best chance to score 26 minutes into the second half.
The junior, with Luna all over him, forced Chacon to make a signature save with his low rocket from 12 yards out.
“I had a pretty open field,” Seager said. “It was contested, and the keeper dove to make a nice save.”
Moments later, Garcia applied the dagger to the Warriors.
Awarded a corner kick, Mercade rifled a flawless cross that Garcia headed into the net.
“We have been working on that since the first game,” Mercado said. “In the second game we scored (on a similar play). It was pretty exciting.”
With less than 15 minutes to play, the Wheaton Academy’s task was too great to overcome.
“They overwhelmed us with numbers on different sides of the field,” Brooke said. “They have crafty players. I thought we competed well. I thought we put them under pressure. They got that second goal on a set-piece, and it stopped the momentum.”
Morton's Caruso returned the admiration for his opponent.
“They’re a quality side over there, and they know how to play the game the right way,” Caruso said of Wheaton Academy. “I thought we played a solid game from the first minute to the last minute. We want to finish (the tournament) off -- another classic matchup (in the finals against Lyons Township).”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Academy
GK: Drew Sezonov
D: Parker Setran
D: Hunter Finnegan
D: Michael Carver
D: Andrew VanNispen
MF: Grant Rougas
MF: Jha’Lon Johnson
MF: Jacob Kapitaniuk
MF: Lucas Hoepner
F: Ty Seager
F: Reid Culberson
Morton
GK: Ian Chacon
D: Diego Aguilar
D: Edgar Olaguez (sweeper)
D: Rafael Herrera
D: Hector Luna
MF: Rigo Lozaro
MF: Leo Delgado
MF: Edgar Garcia
MF: Mario Romero
F: Jorge Mercado
F: Steven Tovar
Man of the Match: Edgar Garcia, Morton
Officials: Esteban Hernandez (center); Angel Herrera; and Peter Cwikowski.
Gains PepsiCo Showdown final
with win over Wheaton Academy
By Kevin McGavin
LA GRANGE -- Morton is returning to familiar territory.
All-state candidate Edgar Garcia scored goals in each half to propel the Mustangs to a 2-0 victory over previously unbeaten Wheaton Academy in the second semifinal of the PepsiCo Showdown on Saturday afternoon at the Lyons soccer complex.
Morton will face Lyons in its third-consecutive trip the PepsiCo Showdown. The Lions defeated New Trier in its semifinal. The championship is Sunday, Sept. 28 at DePaul University.
“Every year we just come together and try our best and somehow it all connects,” said Garcia, Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match. He broke a scoreless draw with four minutes remaining in the opening half after a brilliant feed from Leo Delgado.
“We play hard, and we play with skill. We’re going back (to the finals) once again, and hopefully we’ll get the win.”
Morton (11-0-2) has suffered losses in its last two title game appearances.
Wheaton Academy (9-1) not only had its nine-match winning streak halted but the Warriors found themselves in foreign territory after Delgado dribbled past two defenders late in the first half to give Garcia a perfect cross.
“It was the first time we have trailed the whole year,” said Warriors star Ty Seager, who entered the match with 16 goals on the season.
Wheaton keeper Drew Sezonov was powerless to contest the point-blank shot.
“I tried to beat the double team—and I did,” Delgado said of the first goal in approximately the 36th minute (the scoreboard was inoperable). “I saw Edgar making a good run. He finished just like he always does.”
In the second half, Wheaton Academy discovered that its best scoring opportunities materialized off set plays.
The Warriors had several corner-kick chances in seeking an equalizer.
But Morton found a defensive answer for every Wheaton Academy thrust.
Morton keeper Ian Chacon was particularly adept at punching the Warriors’ corners out of danger.
Class 2A Wheaton Academy had yet to encounter a defense this season as disciplined and skilled as the Mustangs’ unit.
“I thought that their two center-backs and their two center midfielders — those four all stood out in my mind,” Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said. “All four of them are absolutely brilliant players.”
Morton was equally inexorable on offense.
Forcing the action repeatedly on the Warriors’ end, Morton had several quality chances to double its advantage.
Diminutive junior Jorge Mercado had his left-footed blast from 16 yards out sail innocuously over the crossbar on one of the opportunities.
Garcia and Daniel Navar had a potential collaboration miss equally close to the left post.
The Mustangs were particularly concerned with neutralizing Seager, the Warriors’ standout forward.
“I thought our defense held up really well, and No. 20 (Seager) is a horse,” Morton coach Mike Caruso said. “He got through a couple of times, but Hector (Luna), our center-back, did as good a job as you can do on a player like that.”
Seager had have his best chance to score 26 minutes into the second half.
The junior, with Luna all over him, forced Chacon to make a signature save with his low rocket from 12 yards out.
“I had a pretty open field,” Seager said. “It was contested, and the keeper dove to make a nice save.”
Moments later, Garcia applied the dagger to the Warriors.
Awarded a corner kick, Mercade rifled a flawless cross that Garcia headed into the net.
“We have been working on that since the first game,” Mercado said. “In the second game we scored (on a similar play). It was pretty exciting.”
With less than 15 minutes to play, the Wheaton Academy’s task was too great to overcome.
“They overwhelmed us with numbers on different sides of the field,” Brooke said. “They have crafty players. I thought we competed well. I thought we put them under pressure. They got that second goal on a set-piece, and it stopped the momentum.”
Morton's Caruso returned the admiration for his opponent.
“They’re a quality side over there, and they know how to play the game the right way,” Caruso said of Wheaton Academy. “I thought we played a solid game from the first minute to the last minute. We want to finish (the tournament) off -- another classic matchup (in the finals against Lyons Township).”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Academy
GK: Drew Sezonov
D: Parker Setran
D: Hunter Finnegan
D: Michael Carver
D: Andrew VanNispen
MF: Grant Rougas
MF: Jha’Lon Johnson
MF: Jacob Kapitaniuk
MF: Lucas Hoepner
F: Ty Seager
F: Reid Culberson
Morton
GK: Ian Chacon
D: Diego Aguilar
D: Edgar Olaguez (sweeper)
D: Rafael Herrera
D: Hector Luna
MF: Rigo Lozaro
MF: Leo Delgado
MF: Edgar Garcia
MF: Mario Romero
F: Jorge Mercado
F: Steven Tovar
Man of the Match: Edgar Garcia, Morton
Officials: Esteban Hernandez (center); Angel Herrera; and Peter Cwikowski.