Morton notebook
By Dave Owen
In what now seems a long, long time ago, Morton exited the field at the 2019 IHSA state championship game in Hoffman Estates with the Class 3A second place trophy.
Cristian Perez (12 goals, 18 assists that season), Jesus Perez (11 goals, 13 assists) and Giovanni Alvarez (eight goals, eight assists) were three of Morton’s top-four scorers on that squad.
And 16 months later, after a pandemic-delayed 2020 fall season, the trio joins standout defender Adrian Salto and midfielder Julian Vargas (who scored a goal in Morton’s 2019 state semifinal win over St. Patrick) as key veterans on the current Mustangs squad.
While Morton is off to a 3-1-1 start in the abbreviated spring season, the delay from the usual fall schedule was tough.
“It (the delayed season) was pretty hard for us,” Salto said, “especially on the defense because I started off as a center back, and I had to adjust to the left after a couple of games. We have a couple of new players, and they helped us rearrange the defense.”
The effects of the delay were evident on the Mustangs, who were ranked no. 1 in the state in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 preseason poll. Morton stated out 0-1-1 after a loss to Lyons and a tie with York. The rally from a 2-0 deficit to tie York 2-2 was a good omen, and Morton has followed with three-straight wins.
“It was kind of hard, especially with a lot of new players,” Jesus Perez said. “It’s good that we get our chemistry together pretty quickly. We adapt pretty quickly. Especially because we play together outside of school too.”
Getting better with age
Jesus Perez has been on the Morton varsity since freshman year, and each seaspn the high-scoring forward seems to up his level of play.
“I look for my teammates a lot more,” Perez said after his one-goal, two-assist night led the Mustangs to a key 4-1 West Suburban Conference Gold Division win at Addison Trail. “My freshman and sophomore year I was pretty much more of a (goal) scorer.
“Ever since I became a captain I’ve been looking more to talk, get my assists and give my teammates an opportunity to score.”
Whether as finisher or facilitator, Perez is a major asset.
“It’s a good thing to have a guy like Jesus who can run like the wind,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “Not many people can stay with him.
“He doesn’t care whether he scores or assists on the goal, as long as we win. He’s always been like that for all four years. He feels just as good distributing the ball for an assist.”
That approach has come in part thanks to Perez’s other sport at Morton.
“He’s the point guard in basketball,” Bageanis said, “so he doesn’t mind passing the ball and putting teammates in good spots.”
In the pandemic age, that basketball role actually kept Perez on the sideline during Morton’s slow start to soccer season.
“We didn’t have him for the first two weeks of the season, because basketball had a quarantine,” Bageanis said. “No one on our team had it (COVID-19), but they had played against someone on Oak Park that did.”
Impressive debut
On a perennially talent-loaded team, varsity newcomer Edgar Quintero has opened eyes with his skill and versatility.
“Edgar Quintero is a sophomore in the middle for us, and he’s our defensive mid when we change formations to our 4-5-1,” Bageanis said. “He holds us together in the middle.
“He talks well and keeps us organized and marked up behind him. He’s very seasoned for a sophomore. He’s been a good addition to the varsity; he was on the sophomore team last year.”
Balancing act
Giovanni Alvarez and Jesus Perez have been Morton’s top scorers early in the season, but that dynamic duo has had plenty of help.
The Mustangs had four different goal scorers in a 5-2 win over Hinsdale South (two by Jesus Perez and one each by Alvarez, Ismael Zepeda and Quintero), and six different finishers in a 7-0 win over Proviso East (two each for Zepeda and one apiece for Gio Gallegos, Salto, Vargas and Perez).
By Dave Owen
In what now seems a long, long time ago, Morton exited the field at the 2019 IHSA state championship game in Hoffman Estates with the Class 3A second place trophy.
Cristian Perez (12 goals, 18 assists that season), Jesus Perez (11 goals, 13 assists) and Giovanni Alvarez (eight goals, eight assists) were three of Morton’s top-four scorers on that squad.
And 16 months later, after a pandemic-delayed 2020 fall season, the trio joins standout defender Adrian Salto and midfielder Julian Vargas (who scored a goal in Morton’s 2019 state semifinal win over St. Patrick) as key veterans on the current Mustangs squad.
While Morton is off to a 3-1-1 start in the abbreviated spring season, the delay from the usual fall schedule was tough.
“It (the delayed season) was pretty hard for us,” Salto said, “especially on the defense because I started off as a center back, and I had to adjust to the left after a couple of games. We have a couple of new players, and they helped us rearrange the defense.”
The effects of the delay were evident on the Mustangs, who were ranked no. 1 in the state in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 preseason poll. Morton stated out 0-1-1 after a loss to Lyons and a tie with York. The rally from a 2-0 deficit to tie York 2-2 was a good omen, and Morton has followed with three-straight wins.
“It was kind of hard, especially with a lot of new players,” Jesus Perez said. “It’s good that we get our chemistry together pretty quickly. We adapt pretty quickly. Especially because we play together outside of school too.”
Getting better with age
Jesus Perez has been on the Morton varsity since freshman year, and each seaspn the high-scoring forward seems to up his level of play.
“I look for my teammates a lot more,” Perez said after his one-goal, two-assist night led the Mustangs to a key 4-1 West Suburban Conference Gold Division win at Addison Trail. “My freshman and sophomore year I was pretty much more of a (goal) scorer.
“Ever since I became a captain I’ve been looking more to talk, get my assists and give my teammates an opportunity to score.”
Whether as finisher or facilitator, Perez is a major asset.
“It’s a good thing to have a guy like Jesus who can run like the wind,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “Not many people can stay with him.
“He doesn’t care whether he scores or assists on the goal, as long as we win. He’s always been like that for all four years. He feels just as good distributing the ball for an assist.”
That approach has come in part thanks to Perez’s other sport at Morton.
“He’s the point guard in basketball,” Bageanis said, “so he doesn’t mind passing the ball and putting teammates in good spots.”
In the pandemic age, that basketball role actually kept Perez on the sideline during Morton’s slow start to soccer season.
“We didn’t have him for the first two weeks of the season, because basketball had a quarantine,” Bageanis said. “No one on our team had it (COVID-19), but they had played against someone on Oak Park that did.”
Impressive debut
On a perennially talent-loaded team, varsity newcomer Edgar Quintero has opened eyes with his skill and versatility.
“Edgar Quintero is a sophomore in the middle for us, and he’s our defensive mid when we change formations to our 4-5-1,” Bageanis said. “He holds us together in the middle.
“He talks well and keeps us organized and marked up behind him. He’s very seasoned for a sophomore. He’s been a good addition to the varsity; he was on the sophomore team last year.”
Balancing act
Giovanni Alvarez and Jesus Perez have been Morton’s top scorers early in the season, but that dynamic duo has had plenty of help.
The Mustangs had four different goal scorers in a 5-2 win over Hinsdale South (two by Jesus Perez and one each by Alvarez, Ismael Zepeda and Quintero), and six different finishers in a 7-0 win over Proviso East (two each for Zepeda and one apiece for Gio Gallegos, Salto, Vargas and Perez).