Fast and furious Warren outruns LFA
Mobile goal, assist lead Blue Devils’ win over Lake Forest A.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LAKE FOREST -- Warren has the appropriate mascot. Of late, fluke and random actions have prevented the necessary scoring and somewhat bedeviled the team.
The Blue Devils were due for a breakout. They picked the right time to find their scoring rhythm.
Junior forward Clayton Mobile recorded a goal and assist and junior two-way standout Luke Schoenbrunn help kickstart the attack with two crucial first half assists in Warren’s 6-1 road victory over Lake Forest Academy on Thursday.
In its last game of the regular season, Warren (6-6-5) recorded a season best for goals in a game. The Blue Devils punched home four goals in a 26-minute burst in the first half for the commanding lead.
“Whenever you are able to score this many goals against any team, it naturally gives you a boost of confidence,” Warren coach Jason Ahonen said. “We have really been working hard on getting the ball wide and serving it into the box.
“A lot of good things happened in a variety of ways for us today.”
In the 11th minute, sophomore forward Sebastian Rodriguez scored his fifth goal of the year after taking a beautiful ball from Schoenbrunn and drilling it home inside the near post.
“We needed goals this game,” Rodriguez said. “We needed them this whole season. We came out with the idea of getting momentum for our next couple of games. We have been working a lot on getting crosses into the box and finishing.”
Edward Luna, a quick and explosive sophomore, provided the early burst of excitement as Warren established a quick and electric tempo. A recent call up to the varsity, Luna has been an excellent high-energy and change-of-pace player.
His pressure helped produce the second score, though he paid the price. In the 18th minute, he cut inside the top of the box and took a massive hit. A foul was called, and Warren was awarded the penalty kick. Luna was attended to by the trainers and was held out the balance of the game as a precaution.
Defender Jovan Selakovic drilled the penalty kick inside the far post to double the Blue Devils’ lead.
A small private school, Lake Forest Academy is an associate member of the Illinois High School Athletic Association and is not eligible for state tournament competition.
Coach Paul Makovec has built a solid program. The Caxys don't a program to back down from elite competition. They played Libertyville, ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, on Tuesday night and have longstanding series with large school programs like Warren and Evanston.
“We are not in a league, and we don’t play for anything,” Makovec said. “These games are just friendlies. Scores don’t really matter to me, and I rarely know what our record is. I know when we play good soccer, and at times we played good soccer tonight, keeping the ball on the ground and doing it the right way.
“[The penalty kick] was absolutely deflating. We came into the game with confidence, but we have lost a few in a row to big schools. We are getting smoked, and the boys are getting frustrated, and they are too young to bounce back. Once we got down two [goals], you knew it was going to be ugly.”
Lake Forest Academy (6-7-2) absorbed the early goals and responded reasonably well. Defender Tyler Medvec created some decent chances off free kicks into the box. Midfielder Rich Park also showed a quick and darting style in creating forays toward the Blue Devils’ box.
But Warren did a good job of going for the jugular. Not satisfied with the early goals, Warren maintained the high pressure and reaped the benefits.
Schoenbrunn again proved the ideal instigator. He pushed the ball down the right flank and served a sharp cross that Mobile finished with a left-footed short volley in the 26th minute.
“We have been playing good soccer the last couple of games,” Mobile said. We just haven’t been able to create enough dangerous chances to score. Once we got the first goal, we had the confidence, and it just started flowing and flowing.
“Because we have not been able to score a lot in our recent games, the early goals just helped us relax and get into the flow of the game.”
Mobile helped punctuate the dominant first half with another fantastic scoring sequence. Working the left flank, he pushed the ball to the end line and played a terrific cross that midfielder Eddie Aguilar smashed home with the header in the 37th minute.
For his play, Mobile earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
“We create chances in many different ways,” Mobile said. “We can cross the ball in, we can shoot, and we have every player that we need. We just have to work on putting the ball in the back of the net, and we are really going to be good.”
The game served notice that in those moments when it is able to fully unlock its offense, Warren is a formidable team. The Blue Devils scored in innovative and exciting ways in the field of play, off set pieces and through a constant build-up of pressure.
The versatility was on display in the second half. On a corner kick from the left edge Cris Medina bent his service with a wicked sidespin that handcuffed keeper Henry Jacobson for the fifth Warren goal four minutes into the second half.
Forward Josh Segura put the exclamation point on the victory in the 57th minute after a ball was deflected out to him at the top of the box. He calmly settled the ball and drilled a liner inside the near post for the final score.
Lake Forest Academy midfielder Scott Skinner averted the shutout in the 48th minute in finishing a deflection off the break from about 14 yards from the right wing.
“We were outmatched,” Makovec said. “The game should not have been this way. Had we played this game a month ago, it’d have been a different game. We’ve been slipping a bit lately. That team is good, and Jason knows what he is doing. We were able to possess the ball for a while, but then it broke down in the final third.
“Our defending all over the field has been pretty awful, and against a team like that they are going to punish you.”
As a state tournament tune up, Ahonen could not have dreamed up a better finish.
“I never doubted this group,” he said. “Even though we had some lows, we had some highs -- tonight being one of them. They have never lost their confidence. They understand what they are in control of -- their attitude, their effort and their drive.
“Regardless of the wins and losses this year, they have focused on those things which they are in control of. This has been a great group of boys to coach, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Starting lineups
Warren
GK: Tristan Rozwadowski
D: Max Floriani
D: Jovan Selakovic
D: Bradley Strauss
D: Luke Schoenbrunn
MF: Clayton Mobile
MF Nolan Ehlers
MF: Edward Luna
MF: Ishaan Shah
F: Josh Segura
F: Sebastian Rodriguez
Lake Forest Academy
GK: Henry Jacobson
D: Tyler Medvec
D: Sergio Estrelles
D: Alex Jackson
D: David Oluwole
MF: Rich Park
MF: Stefan Momcilovic
MF: Scott Skinner
MF: Brooks Osborne
F: Jason Woo
F: Giuseppe Maida
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Clayton Mobile, jr., MF, Warren
Scoring summary
First half
Warren—Sebastian Rodriguez (Luke Schoenbrunn), 11th minute
Warren—Jovan Selakovic (penalty kick), 18th minute
Warren—Clayton Mobile (Schoenbrunn), 26th minute
Warren—Eddie Aguilar (Mobile), 37th minute
Second half
Warren—Cris Medina (unassisted), 44th minute
Lake Forest Academy—Scott Skinner (unassisted), 48th minute
Warren—Josh Segura (unassisted), 57th minute
Mobile goal, assist lead Blue Devils’ win over Lake Forest A.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LAKE FOREST -- Warren has the appropriate mascot. Of late, fluke and random actions have prevented the necessary scoring and somewhat bedeviled the team.
The Blue Devils were due for a breakout. They picked the right time to find their scoring rhythm.
Junior forward Clayton Mobile recorded a goal and assist and junior two-way standout Luke Schoenbrunn help kickstart the attack with two crucial first half assists in Warren’s 6-1 road victory over Lake Forest Academy on Thursday.
In its last game of the regular season, Warren (6-6-5) recorded a season best for goals in a game. The Blue Devils punched home four goals in a 26-minute burst in the first half for the commanding lead.
“Whenever you are able to score this many goals against any team, it naturally gives you a boost of confidence,” Warren coach Jason Ahonen said. “We have really been working hard on getting the ball wide and serving it into the box.
“A lot of good things happened in a variety of ways for us today.”
In the 11th minute, sophomore forward Sebastian Rodriguez scored his fifth goal of the year after taking a beautiful ball from Schoenbrunn and drilling it home inside the near post.
“We needed goals this game,” Rodriguez said. “We needed them this whole season. We came out with the idea of getting momentum for our next couple of games. We have been working a lot on getting crosses into the box and finishing.”
Edward Luna, a quick and explosive sophomore, provided the early burst of excitement as Warren established a quick and electric tempo. A recent call up to the varsity, Luna has been an excellent high-energy and change-of-pace player.
His pressure helped produce the second score, though he paid the price. In the 18th minute, he cut inside the top of the box and took a massive hit. A foul was called, and Warren was awarded the penalty kick. Luna was attended to by the trainers and was held out the balance of the game as a precaution.
Defender Jovan Selakovic drilled the penalty kick inside the far post to double the Blue Devils’ lead.
A small private school, Lake Forest Academy is an associate member of the Illinois High School Athletic Association and is not eligible for state tournament competition.
Coach Paul Makovec has built a solid program. The Caxys don't a program to back down from elite competition. They played Libertyville, ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, on Tuesday night and have longstanding series with large school programs like Warren and Evanston.
“We are not in a league, and we don’t play for anything,” Makovec said. “These games are just friendlies. Scores don’t really matter to me, and I rarely know what our record is. I know when we play good soccer, and at times we played good soccer tonight, keeping the ball on the ground and doing it the right way.
“[The penalty kick] was absolutely deflating. We came into the game with confidence, but we have lost a few in a row to big schools. We are getting smoked, and the boys are getting frustrated, and they are too young to bounce back. Once we got down two [goals], you knew it was going to be ugly.”
Lake Forest Academy (6-7-2) absorbed the early goals and responded reasonably well. Defender Tyler Medvec created some decent chances off free kicks into the box. Midfielder Rich Park also showed a quick and darting style in creating forays toward the Blue Devils’ box.
But Warren did a good job of going for the jugular. Not satisfied with the early goals, Warren maintained the high pressure and reaped the benefits.
Schoenbrunn again proved the ideal instigator. He pushed the ball down the right flank and served a sharp cross that Mobile finished with a left-footed short volley in the 26th minute.
“We have been playing good soccer the last couple of games,” Mobile said. We just haven’t been able to create enough dangerous chances to score. Once we got the first goal, we had the confidence, and it just started flowing and flowing.
“Because we have not been able to score a lot in our recent games, the early goals just helped us relax and get into the flow of the game.”
Mobile helped punctuate the dominant first half with another fantastic scoring sequence. Working the left flank, he pushed the ball to the end line and played a terrific cross that midfielder Eddie Aguilar smashed home with the header in the 37th minute.
For his play, Mobile earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
“We create chances in many different ways,” Mobile said. “We can cross the ball in, we can shoot, and we have every player that we need. We just have to work on putting the ball in the back of the net, and we are really going to be good.”
The game served notice that in those moments when it is able to fully unlock its offense, Warren is a formidable team. The Blue Devils scored in innovative and exciting ways in the field of play, off set pieces and through a constant build-up of pressure.
The versatility was on display in the second half. On a corner kick from the left edge Cris Medina bent his service with a wicked sidespin that handcuffed keeper Henry Jacobson for the fifth Warren goal four minutes into the second half.
Forward Josh Segura put the exclamation point on the victory in the 57th minute after a ball was deflected out to him at the top of the box. He calmly settled the ball and drilled a liner inside the near post for the final score.
Lake Forest Academy midfielder Scott Skinner averted the shutout in the 48th minute in finishing a deflection off the break from about 14 yards from the right wing.
“We were outmatched,” Makovec said. “The game should not have been this way. Had we played this game a month ago, it’d have been a different game. We’ve been slipping a bit lately. That team is good, and Jason knows what he is doing. We were able to possess the ball for a while, but then it broke down in the final third.
“Our defending all over the field has been pretty awful, and against a team like that they are going to punish you.”
As a state tournament tune up, Ahonen could not have dreamed up a better finish.
“I never doubted this group,” he said. “Even though we had some lows, we had some highs -- tonight being one of them. They have never lost their confidence. They understand what they are in control of -- their attitude, their effort and their drive.
“Regardless of the wins and losses this year, they have focused on those things which they are in control of. This has been a great group of boys to coach, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Starting lineups
Warren
GK: Tristan Rozwadowski
D: Max Floriani
D: Jovan Selakovic
D: Bradley Strauss
D: Luke Schoenbrunn
MF: Clayton Mobile
MF Nolan Ehlers
MF: Edward Luna
MF: Ishaan Shah
F: Josh Segura
F: Sebastian Rodriguez
Lake Forest Academy
GK: Henry Jacobson
D: Tyler Medvec
D: Sergio Estrelles
D: Alex Jackson
D: David Oluwole
MF: Rich Park
MF: Stefan Momcilovic
MF: Scott Skinner
MF: Brooks Osborne
F: Jason Woo
F: Giuseppe Maida
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Clayton Mobile, jr., MF, Warren
Scoring summary
First half
Warren—Sebastian Rodriguez (Luke Schoenbrunn), 11th minute
Warren—Jovan Selakovic (penalty kick), 18th minute
Warren—Clayton Mobile (Schoenbrunn), 26th minute
Warren—Eddie Aguilar (Mobile), 37th minute
Second half
Warren—Cris Medina (unassisted), 44th minute
Lake Forest Academy—Scott Skinner (unassisted), 48th minute
Warren—Josh Segura (unassisted), 57th minute