Morton keeps rolling, tops Hinsdale Central
Mustangs take down Red Devils 4-0 on Senior Night
By Gary Larsen
BERWYN — Morton began the season without a few key players for assorted reasons but one-by-one those players returned and slowly started to find the on-field chemistry that the Mustangs’ attack has always relied upon.
Lately Morton has been a steamroller flattening everything in its path. The Mustangs have outscored their last five opponents 25-2 and earned three shutouts.
Morton (7-1-2), ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, extended its unbeaten streak to eight games with a 4-0 win over visiting Hinsdale Central in a West Suburban Conference crossover game Tuesday.
“Now that we’ve got a few games under our belt, everyone is wishing they had more,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “They’re all fired up, and it’s too bad it’s coming to an end. But at least we got to have a season for the kids, and that’s the most important thing.”
Teams in the West Suburban Conference have stayed inside the conference for competition in a season shortened by the pandemic. Morton plays its 11th and final game of the year on Thursday at home against Gold Division rival Leyden.
But in a season devoid of state playoff soccer, Leyden-Morton is a quality way to end for both teams. The longtime foes are both 5-0-0 in Gold Division play, so Thursday’s game will decide the divisional champion.
“We know a lot of their players and it’s usually a good game,” Morton senior Jesus Perez said.
“Seeing the scores they've had against other teams, we’re pretty impressed. They're having a good year, and we won't take anything for granted or ever underestimate that team.”
Perez was one of four different players to score Tuesday against Hinsdale Central along with Julian Guzman, Pablo Guerrero and Giovanni Alvarez.
The Mustangs struck three times in the first half and once in the second, and have put a slow season’s start behind them.
“This is a pretty new team with a lot of young players, and we had to adapt to each other,” Perez said. “Our chemistry has come along pretty good after the first few games.”
The final score was a bit deceptive. If not for a few quality saves by Morton keeper Christopher Barajas, the tone of Tuesday’s game might have been much different.
Hinsdale Central found a quality chance just two minutes into play that forced Barajas to make a diving stop at the post. Barajas made another sprawling save on a shot from point-blank range by Central’s Ryan Kim at 24 minutes, and the Red Devils were clearly threatening throughout the first half of play.
One minute after Barajas’ diving stop, a Morton defender headed away another dangerous shot at the goal line. Central’s Dawson Steere sent a good look just high at eight minutes, and teammate Jack Finley hit the post with a shot at 15 minutes.
“We felt like there were three or four really strong opportunities in the first half,” Central coach Mike Wiggins said. “We talked about it at the half and said if we (convert) those chances in the second half maybe it's a different game.”
Morton had withstood a solid opening 15 minutes of attacking by Hinsdale Central (5-3-0), and Barajas was in the thick of it.
“I always feel like I play better under pressure, and it was our Senior Night so we just had to play with heart,” Barajas said. “We tried to leave everything on the field. It was a great effort from (Hinsdale Central) but we’ve been doing some great stuff in the back.”
The game’s first tally came at 17 minutes on a strike from Guzman that stood up as the finest goal of the game. Guzman received a pass from Edgar Quintero and teed off from 27 yards, blistering a shot that tore a path under the crossbar near the post where no goalkeeper could have reached it.
“We held our ground (early),” Perez said. “Barajas had some awesome saves so he came up in the clutch and then Julian with that first goal—I think that was only his third goal of the season so for him to come out like that on Senior Night was impressive.”
Bageanis was glad to see Guzman let that shot fly.
“He's got a dangerous shot, and we tell him to use it,” Bageanis said. “He's always around the net, and he doesn't miss too many chances.”
After Guzman’s strike, Morton’s Cristian Perez sent a one-hopper in on Central keeper Ryan Koschik at 19 minutes, and Central’s Ryan Martinath crossed a ball from the right side at 22 minutes that went just out of reach of a charging Finley at the far post.
Back-and-forth play continued until Jesus Perez pounced on a ball near the goalmouth and tapped it home for a 2-0 Morton lead at 37 minutes. Perez sent another good chance high of frame shortly thereafter, but Guerrero made it 3-0 when he poked a shot over the line in a crowded goalmouth at 38 minutes.
A gritty second half followed. It may have lacked the sheer number of bona fide scoring chances featured in the first half, but offered no shortage of physicality, skill, and quality defensive play.
Morton’s ability to possess and pass in tight spaces was also on display throughout the second 40 minutes. Morton’s Giovanni Alvarez capped the game at 74 minutes with a penalty kick goal after he was fouled in the box.
Jesus Perez drew a crowd of defenders wherever he roamed the field, “and we were lucky enough to have some other players step up,” Bageanis said.
“Julian Vargas at outside mid was total energy today. He was up and down the sideline, doubling balls, playing defensively, and getting into the attack.
“And Edgar Quintero at defensive mid breaks up so many offensive chances. He’s all over the place and he’s just a disruptor out there, and he’s also skilled enough to come up and get involved offensively.
“Cristian Perez in the midfield is our creator. He’s not flashy but he always knows where to be, he puts the ball where it needs to be, and he just finds people.”
Both Morton and Hinsdale Central will graduate a double-digit number of seniors from this year’s teams.
Morton honored its soon to be graduated Barajas, Vargas, Velasquez, Guzman, Adrian Salto, Yani Rendon, Pablo Guerrero, Julian Yanez, Cristian Perez, Jesus Perez and Erick Paulino.
Hinsdale Central finishes the season with a home game against Proviso East and will then bid farewell to seniors Koschik, Kim, Martinath, Carson Steere, Brandon James, Grant Fryzel, Nick Chung, Jake Marquez, Joey Morris, Tyler Lithgow, and Timmy Lynch.
“We’re just glad we’re playing and we’re real proud of the seniors because day in and day out, they’ve gone out and competed and played hard,” Wiggins said. “They’ve been great competitors. We talk about meeting and exceeding the level of intensity of our opponent and they've come out and really done a nice job of that. We’re proud of these guys.”
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match — Julian Vargas, sr., M, Morton
Starting lineups
Morton
GK Christopher Barajas
D Luis Gonzalez
D Julian Yanez
D Giovanni Velasquez
D Edgar Quintero
M Julian Guzman
M Julian Vargas
M Pablo Guerrero
M Cristian Perez
F Jesus Perez
F Yani Rendon
Hinsdale Central
GK Ryan Koschik
D Carson Steere
D Tyler Lithgow
D Joey Morris
D Kevin Gottschale
M Dawson Steere
M Brandon James
M Nick Chung
M Jake Marquez
F Jack Finley
F Ryan Martinath
Scoring summary
First half
Morton — Guzman (Quintero) 17 minutes
Morton — J. Perez (UA) 37 minutes
Morton — Guerrero (UA) 38 minutes
Second half
Morton — Alvarez (PK) 74 minutes
Mustangs take down Red Devils 4-0 on Senior Night
By Gary Larsen
BERWYN — Morton began the season without a few key players for assorted reasons but one-by-one those players returned and slowly started to find the on-field chemistry that the Mustangs’ attack has always relied upon.
Lately Morton has been a steamroller flattening everything in its path. The Mustangs have outscored their last five opponents 25-2 and earned three shutouts.
Morton (7-1-2), ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, extended its unbeaten streak to eight games with a 4-0 win over visiting Hinsdale Central in a West Suburban Conference crossover game Tuesday.
“Now that we’ve got a few games under our belt, everyone is wishing they had more,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “They’re all fired up, and it’s too bad it’s coming to an end. But at least we got to have a season for the kids, and that’s the most important thing.”
Teams in the West Suburban Conference have stayed inside the conference for competition in a season shortened by the pandemic. Morton plays its 11th and final game of the year on Thursday at home against Gold Division rival Leyden.
But in a season devoid of state playoff soccer, Leyden-Morton is a quality way to end for both teams. The longtime foes are both 5-0-0 in Gold Division play, so Thursday’s game will decide the divisional champion.
“We know a lot of their players and it’s usually a good game,” Morton senior Jesus Perez said.
“Seeing the scores they've had against other teams, we’re pretty impressed. They're having a good year, and we won't take anything for granted or ever underestimate that team.”
Perez was one of four different players to score Tuesday against Hinsdale Central along with Julian Guzman, Pablo Guerrero and Giovanni Alvarez.
The Mustangs struck three times in the first half and once in the second, and have put a slow season’s start behind them.
“This is a pretty new team with a lot of young players, and we had to adapt to each other,” Perez said. “Our chemistry has come along pretty good after the first few games.”
The final score was a bit deceptive. If not for a few quality saves by Morton keeper Christopher Barajas, the tone of Tuesday’s game might have been much different.
Hinsdale Central found a quality chance just two minutes into play that forced Barajas to make a diving stop at the post. Barajas made another sprawling save on a shot from point-blank range by Central’s Ryan Kim at 24 minutes, and the Red Devils were clearly threatening throughout the first half of play.
One minute after Barajas’ diving stop, a Morton defender headed away another dangerous shot at the goal line. Central’s Dawson Steere sent a good look just high at eight minutes, and teammate Jack Finley hit the post with a shot at 15 minutes.
“We felt like there were three or four really strong opportunities in the first half,” Central coach Mike Wiggins said. “We talked about it at the half and said if we (convert) those chances in the second half maybe it's a different game.”
Morton had withstood a solid opening 15 minutes of attacking by Hinsdale Central (5-3-0), and Barajas was in the thick of it.
“I always feel like I play better under pressure, and it was our Senior Night so we just had to play with heart,” Barajas said. “We tried to leave everything on the field. It was a great effort from (Hinsdale Central) but we’ve been doing some great stuff in the back.”
The game’s first tally came at 17 minutes on a strike from Guzman that stood up as the finest goal of the game. Guzman received a pass from Edgar Quintero and teed off from 27 yards, blistering a shot that tore a path under the crossbar near the post where no goalkeeper could have reached it.
“We held our ground (early),” Perez said. “Barajas had some awesome saves so he came up in the clutch and then Julian with that first goal—I think that was only his third goal of the season so for him to come out like that on Senior Night was impressive.”
Bageanis was glad to see Guzman let that shot fly.
“He's got a dangerous shot, and we tell him to use it,” Bageanis said. “He's always around the net, and he doesn't miss too many chances.”
After Guzman’s strike, Morton’s Cristian Perez sent a one-hopper in on Central keeper Ryan Koschik at 19 minutes, and Central’s Ryan Martinath crossed a ball from the right side at 22 minutes that went just out of reach of a charging Finley at the far post.
Back-and-forth play continued until Jesus Perez pounced on a ball near the goalmouth and tapped it home for a 2-0 Morton lead at 37 minutes. Perez sent another good chance high of frame shortly thereafter, but Guerrero made it 3-0 when he poked a shot over the line in a crowded goalmouth at 38 minutes.
A gritty second half followed. It may have lacked the sheer number of bona fide scoring chances featured in the first half, but offered no shortage of physicality, skill, and quality defensive play.
Morton’s ability to possess and pass in tight spaces was also on display throughout the second 40 minutes. Morton’s Giovanni Alvarez capped the game at 74 minutes with a penalty kick goal after he was fouled in the box.
Jesus Perez drew a crowd of defenders wherever he roamed the field, “and we were lucky enough to have some other players step up,” Bageanis said.
“Julian Vargas at outside mid was total energy today. He was up and down the sideline, doubling balls, playing defensively, and getting into the attack.
“And Edgar Quintero at defensive mid breaks up so many offensive chances. He’s all over the place and he’s just a disruptor out there, and he’s also skilled enough to come up and get involved offensively.
“Cristian Perez in the midfield is our creator. He’s not flashy but he always knows where to be, he puts the ball where it needs to be, and he just finds people.”
Both Morton and Hinsdale Central will graduate a double-digit number of seniors from this year’s teams.
Morton honored its soon to be graduated Barajas, Vargas, Velasquez, Guzman, Adrian Salto, Yani Rendon, Pablo Guerrero, Julian Yanez, Cristian Perez, Jesus Perez and Erick Paulino.
Hinsdale Central finishes the season with a home game against Proviso East and will then bid farewell to seniors Koschik, Kim, Martinath, Carson Steere, Brandon James, Grant Fryzel, Nick Chung, Jake Marquez, Joey Morris, Tyler Lithgow, and Timmy Lynch.
“We’re just glad we’re playing and we’re real proud of the seniors because day in and day out, they’ve gone out and competed and played hard,” Wiggins said. “They’ve been great competitors. We talk about meeting and exceeding the level of intensity of our opponent and they've come out and really done a nice job of that. We’re proud of these guys.”
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match — Julian Vargas, sr., M, Morton
Starting lineups
Morton
GK Christopher Barajas
D Luis Gonzalez
D Julian Yanez
D Giovanni Velasquez
D Edgar Quintero
M Julian Guzman
M Julian Vargas
M Pablo Guerrero
M Cristian Perez
F Jesus Perez
F Yani Rendon
Hinsdale Central
GK Ryan Koschik
D Carson Steere
D Tyler Lithgow
D Joey Morris
D Kevin Gottschale
M Dawson Steere
M Brandon James
M Nick Chung
M Jake Marquez
F Jack Finley
F Ryan Martinath
Scoring summary
First half
Morton — Guzman (Quintero) 17 minutes
Morton — J. Perez (UA) 37 minutes
Morton — Guerrero (UA) 38 minutes
Second half
Morton — Alvarez (PK) 74 minutes