Which 'R' will apply to Class 3A champion?
By Steve Nemeth
Which word starting with the letter “R” will resonate with the future 2017 IHSA Class 3A champion?
"Reigning" champion if Naperville North holds tight to its position as king of the mountain and repeats as state titleist?
"Resurrection" if Libertyville unseats the Huskies and ascends to the position it held in 2015.
"Revenge" if Bradley-Bourbonnais proves its belief that it was more than a third place team last year.
"Rebellion" if St. Charles North’s outbattles the recently proven state tourney teams to become a first-time champion.
Should Naperville North or Libertyville win out, it’ll mark the first time since the IHSA's 2008 split to three classes that a school gains a second Class 3A title.
Only Notre Dame (Peoria) has been a two-time winner (Class 2A in 2008 and 2012) under the tri-level state tournament system.
All four Class 3A teams finished among the top 13 in the final regular season Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 and all four boast returnees from the 2016 Chicagoland Soccer All-State crew. Of course talent, like desire, is never missing among the last four standing.
Hoffman Estates High School again provides the setting for this year’s tournament: Friday’s 5 p.m. semifinal has top-ranked Libertyville facing no. 13 Bradley-Bourbonnais. Chicagoland Soccer no. 2 Naperville North meets no. 8 St. Charles North in the final semifinal at 7 p.m.
Libertyville
The Wildcats have yet to be defeated in 21 matches in 2017, though they have played to two draws. For trivia buffs, who is the last unbeaten champion? The honor goes to Benet, which finished 22-0 in Class A in 2000.
So does a no. 1 ranking serve as motivation or a target?
“We spent all year not concerned with polls. There were times we felt targeted, but after the playoffs began, some polls moved us down, so that we’ll use as motivation,” chuckled Kevin Thunholm, Libertyville’s first-year head coach who got elevated to the top job after five seasons as Wildcats assistant. “It may sound cliché, but these guys are brothers on and off the field.
“Fortunately for me, I’ve been around 98 percent of these guys since they were freshmen and the chemistry is unreal. They trust each other, know and accept their roles,” Thunholm added. “They’re organized and passionate, and their soccer skills are exceeded by smarts. Their GPAs are off the chart. They’ve given to their community, sand-bagged during a flood, helped feed the homeless, raised funds for pediatrics; just a group of classy young men.”
Indiana-bound Ryan Wittenbrink tops the team with a school single-season record of 38 goals to go with a team-high 17 assists. He and junior teammate Evan Rasmussen (17 goals/12 assists) both earned Chicagoland Soccer All-State status last season. Both have already received 2017 Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State acclaim, while junior goalie Thomas Pearson was an coaches All-Sectional pick. Don’t overlook senior Riley Hoff’s set-up artistry based on 14 assists (to go with five goals), and keep an eye out for junior Tanner Kelly (8/11).
The season’s fourth match -- a 0-0 tie with Glenbrook North at the Northside College Showcase which they went on to win -- was the only time the Wildcats failed to score this season. They boast clean sheets for four of their five playoff matches and have 13 for the season. Overall Libertyville has outscored its opposition 87-11. In the postseason, the Wildcats have a 23-1 advantage in the playoffs -- a majority of the goals came in a triple-check-the-score 8-1 drubbing of no. 15 Barrington in the Fremd Sectional final.
Bradley-Bourbonnais
The Boilermakers nearly made the earlier trivia question moot. Last year, Bradley-Bourbonnais entered the finals with a 24-0-0 record and held a 1-0 semifinal lead over Naperville North for 57 minutes. However, a Huskies penalty kick conversion and goal with 7:15 left in regulation meant no championship berth. A 2-0 third place victory for a school record 25-1-0 mark wasn’t quite soothing enough.
Perhaps this year’s 19-3-1 mark isn’t as flashy, but it includes a hard-fought 1-0 sectional win over Sandburg, a 5-2 Reavis Sectional final victory over 2016 Class AA runnerup Mt. Carmel, and a truly come-from-behind supersectional shootout victory. Facing Normal on its home field, Bradley-Bourbonnais standout senior defender Benjamin Kuxmann was red-carded midway through the second half.
Then senior captain Brandon Wray left with a soft red card with 2:57 left in the second overtime. Two players short-handed and trailing 2-1, Nicholas Markanich scored with 1:29 remaining, and Bradley-Bourbonnais earned its golden ticket with a 3-1 shootout advantage. Normal skied one, converted one, and were stonealled twice by Boilermakers senior goalie Andrew Seyden.
In being named to last year’s Chicagoland Soccer All-State unit, Efrain Davila III was described as “crafty, fluid and very poised” while orchestrating “a devastating” attack based on 40 assists plus 15 goals on “restarts from seemingly any distance.” He was joined by the aforementioned Markanich and his twin brother Anthony Markanich, who have both committed to Northern Illinois. All three are on the 2017 IHSSCA All-State group and have eye-popping numbers again: Nicholas (47 goals/9 assists), Anthony (40/14), and Davila III (6/52).
“We lost some key players (from 2017), but others have stepped up and we’re ready to make a run,” coach Rohan Robinson said. “We played (currently no 2. nationally ranked) Whitefish Bay (Wis.) earlier, and they made us feel like boys among men. We learned a lot from facing the best. Libertyville is no. 1 (in CS poll, no. 4 nationally) so they have more to prove. They lose, people wonder what happened; if we win, it’ll be considered a surprise.
“Yes we’ve got a tremendous three-person nucleus, but I promise you we’re more than a three-man team. We’re a team,” Robinson said. “We can change our attack to reflect that.”
The Boilermakers are appealing the second yellow card issued to Wray to the IHSA and hope to have him available Friday.
St. Charles North
The North Stars have seen their fortunes rise and fall throughout the year as evidenced by their weekly standing in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
At no. 8 for the last two ratings, some might make a case to discount their chances. But there’s such a thing as quiet efficiency. That’s why North – 16-2-4 -- owns big trophies from the Barrington Classic and PepsiCo Showdown.
The two losses? One came in the fourth game of the year to Jacobs (3-2), the second came Sept. 26 against rival St. Charles East (3-0); each was negated during the postseason. Yes, the Saints were expectedly difficult, but St. Charles North's 3-2 regional championship victory included the only two goals the North Stars have given up in their last six matches. The 18-2 edge against those foes includes a 2-0 shutout over Jacobs in the St. Charles North Supersectional.
Peter Willis is the only one of three returnees for North from last year’s Chicagoland Soccer All-State squad. A boulder-solid defender, Willis and fellow senior forward Jake Persenico are IHSSCA All-Sectional choices while senior forward Bernard Elegbede and senior keeper Piercarlo Ricossa are Honorable Mention.
Perhaps less notoriety but still in the picture, sound familiar?
Persenico topped the offense (16 goals/8 assists), followed by Elegbede (12/5). Of course there are 10 others with goals and seven more boasting assists. Not surprisingly, the North Stars top offensive duo made All-Upstate Eight Conference River Division as did Willis and fellow senior defender Kyle Kolodziej.
Only once in his 14 seasons have Eric Willson’s North Stars not achieved double-digit victories. This year’s squad will bring home some state hardware, one step further than what his 2006 Elite Eight team achieved. From the “to be the best you have to beat the best” school of scheduling, Willson recognizes the challenge that awaits.
“They are the defending state champions and have 25 wins for a reason,” Willson noted of Naperville North. “Excellent size in back and good pace up-top, quality technical players in the middle, they are simply very good top to bottom. They are dangerous on set pieces as well, so we have our work cut out for us for sure.
“Unity has been the strength of our team,” Willson said. “Continuing to do what we do best, namely play for each other is our key. Our approach is to continue to play organized, composed soccer, and make plays when we need to.”
Naperville North
Coach Jim Konrad’s preseason prospectus acknowledged “the Huskies are coming off a dream season in 2016, winning the DVC and state championship ... . The big question this year will be if they can generate goals outside of restarts?”
That answer is open to debate, but what isn’t is North’s ability to score off set pieces and to keep opponents from scoring. The single-season school record for wins part of the 25-1-1 record also includes 19 shutouts.
The Huskies have yet to be scored upon in the postseason. Overall, foes have been outscored 80-10 and a most impressive 37 of the goals were produced from free kicks, corners or Jack Barry throws.
Junior goalie Tommy Welch and senior defenders Colin Iverson and Ethan Harvey earned Chicagoland Soccer 2016 All-State recognition. Welch and Iverson are IHSSCA 2017 All-State honorees while Harvey was joined by sophomore forward Ty Konrad as All-Sectional.
Offensive balance is in abundance from: Ian Guppy (15 goals/2 assists), Iverson (14/8), Barry (11/21), Konrad (9/10), Harvey (8/9), Will Ritzman (6/4), and Patrick Koenig (6/2).
“Our boys have been diligent in the task at hand, so our only concern right now is St. Charles North,” coach Konrad said. “They look very much like us. Their kids believe in the system, play hard for each other, are organized and dangerous in transition, plus they have two big, strong center backs. We are going to have to be sharp in transition and aware of their forwards’ runs. All three up-top are dangerous.
“I’m very fortunate to have an exceptional group of seniors (Jack Barry, Guppy, Harvey, Ritzmann, Mitch Konrad, George Ladas, and Matt Bilardello). Many of them have been playing together since they were little kids. Obviously these life-long friendships impact our team’s camaraderie and resilience,” Konrad added. “It’s no secret that are strengths are being organized defensively and our offensive restarts. The boys take great pride in being dialed in on restarts because they know often times that makes the difference in big games. Goals are so hard to come by, especially as you advance in the tourney, so you have to give yourself a chance to get them any way you can.”
By Steve Nemeth
Which word starting with the letter “R” will resonate with the future 2017 IHSA Class 3A champion?
"Reigning" champion if Naperville North holds tight to its position as king of the mountain and repeats as state titleist?
"Resurrection" if Libertyville unseats the Huskies and ascends to the position it held in 2015.
"Revenge" if Bradley-Bourbonnais proves its belief that it was more than a third place team last year.
"Rebellion" if St. Charles North’s outbattles the recently proven state tourney teams to become a first-time champion.
Should Naperville North or Libertyville win out, it’ll mark the first time since the IHSA's 2008 split to three classes that a school gains a second Class 3A title.
Only Notre Dame (Peoria) has been a two-time winner (Class 2A in 2008 and 2012) under the tri-level state tournament system.
All four Class 3A teams finished among the top 13 in the final regular season Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 and all four boast returnees from the 2016 Chicagoland Soccer All-State crew. Of course talent, like desire, is never missing among the last four standing.
Hoffman Estates High School again provides the setting for this year’s tournament: Friday’s 5 p.m. semifinal has top-ranked Libertyville facing no. 13 Bradley-Bourbonnais. Chicagoland Soccer no. 2 Naperville North meets no. 8 St. Charles North in the final semifinal at 7 p.m.
Libertyville
The Wildcats have yet to be defeated in 21 matches in 2017, though they have played to two draws. For trivia buffs, who is the last unbeaten champion? The honor goes to Benet, which finished 22-0 in Class A in 2000.
So does a no. 1 ranking serve as motivation or a target?
“We spent all year not concerned with polls. There were times we felt targeted, but after the playoffs began, some polls moved us down, so that we’ll use as motivation,” chuckled Kevin Thunholm, Libertyville’s first-year head coach who got elevated to the top job after five seasons as Wildcats assistant. “It may sound cliché, but these guys are brothers on and off the field.
“Fortunately for me, I’ve been around 98 percent of these guys since they were freshmen and the chemistry is unreal. They trust each other, know and accept their roles,” Thunholm added. “They’re organized and passionate, and their soccer skills are exceeded by smarts. Their GPAs are off the chart. They’ve given to their community, sand-bagged during a flood, helped feed the homeless, raised funds for pediatrics; just a group of classy young men.”
Indiana-bound Ryan Wittenbrink tops the team with a school single-season record of 38 goals to go with a team-high 17 assists. He and junior teammate Evan Rasmussen (17 goals/12 assists) both earned Chicagoland Soccer All-State status last season. Both have already received 2017 Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State acclaim, while junior goalie Thomas Pearson was an coaches All-Sectional pick. Don’t overlook senior Riley Hoff’s set-up artistry based on 14 assists (to go with five goals), and keep an eye out for junior Tanner Kelly (8/11).
The season’s fourth match -- a 0-0 tie with Glenbrook North at the Northside College Showcase which they went on to win -- was the only time the Wildcats failed to score this season. They boast clean sheets for four of their five playoff matches and have 13 for the season. Overall Libertyville has outscored its opposition 87-11. In the postseason, the Wildcats have a 23-1 advantage in the playoffs -- a majority of the goals came in a triple-check-the-score 8-1 drubbing of no. 15 Barrington in the Fremd Sectional final.
Bradley-Bourbonnais
The Boilermakers nearly made the earlier trivia question moot. Last year, Bradley-Bourbonnais entered the finals with a 24-0-0 record and held a 1-0 semifinal lead over Naperville North for 57 minutes. However, a Huskies penalty kick conversion and goal with 7:15 left in regulation meant no championship berth. A 2-0 third place victory for a school record 25-1-0 mark wasn’t quite soothing enough.
Perhaps this year’s 19-3-1 mark isn’t as flashy, but it includes a hard-fought 1-0 sectional win over Sandburg, a 5-2 Reavis Sectional final victory over 2016 Class AA runnerup Mt. Carmel, and a truly come-from-behind supersectional shootout victory. Facing Normal on its home field, Bradley-Bourbonnais standout senior defender Benjamin Kuxmann was red-carded midway through the second half.
Then senior captain Brandon Wray left with a soft red card with 2:57 left in the second overtime. Two players short-handed and trailing 2-1, Nicholas Markanich scored with 1:29 remaining, and Bradley-Bourbonnais earned its golden ticket with a 3-1 shootout advantage. Normal skied one, converted one, and were stonealled twice by Boilermakers senior goalie Andrew Seyden.
In being named to last year’s Chicagoland Soccer All-State unit, Efrain Davila III was described as “crafty, fluid and very poised” while orchestrating “a devastating” attack based on 40 assists plus 15 goals on “restarts from seemingly any distance.” He was joined by the aforementioned Markanich and his twin brother Anthony Markanich, who have both committed to Northern Illinois. All three are on the 2017 IHSSCA All-State group and have eye-popping numbers again: Nicholas (47 goals/9 assists), Anthony (40/14), and Davila III (6/52).
“We lost some key players (from 2017), but others have stepped up and we’re ready to make a run,” coach Rohan Robinson said. “We played (currently no 2. nationally ranked) Whitefish Bay (Wis.) earlier, and they made us feel like boys among men. We learned a lot from facing the best. Libertyville is no. 1 (in CS poll, no. 4 nationally) so they have more to prove. They lose, people wonder what happened; if we win, it’ll be considered a surprise.
“Yes we’ve got a tremendous three-person nucleus, but I promise you we’re more than a three-man team. We’re a team,” Robinson said. “We can change our attack to reflect that.”
The Boilermakers are appealing the second yellow card issued to Wray to the IHSA and hope to have him available Friday.
St. Charles North
The North Stars have seen their fortunes rise and fall throughout the year as evidenced by their weekly standing in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
At no. 8 for the last two ratings, some might make a case to discount their chances. But there’s such a thing as quiet efficiency. That’s why North – 16-2-4 -- owns big trophies from the Barrington Classic and PepsiCo Showdown.
The two losses? One came in the fourth game of the year to Jacobs (3-2), the second came Sept. 26 against rival St. Charles East (3-0); each was negated during the postseason. Yes, the Saints were expectedly difficult, but St. Charles North's 3-2 regional championship victory included the only two goals the North Stars have given up in their last six matches. The 18-2 edge against those foes includes a 2-0 shutout over Jacobs in the St. Charles North Supersectional.
Peter Willis is the only one of three returnees for North from last year’s Chicagoland Soccer All-State squad. A boulder-solid defender, Willis and fellow senior forward Jake Persenico are IHSSCA All-Sectional choices while senior forward Bernard Elegbede and senior keeper Piercarlo Ricossa are Honorable Mention.
Perhaps less notoriety but still in the picture, sound familiar?
Persenico topped the offense (16 goals/8 assists), followed by Elegbede (12/5). Of course there are 10 others with goals and seven more boasting assists. Not surprisingly, the North Stars top offensive duo made All-Upstate Eight Conference River Division as did Willis and fellow senior defender Kyle Kolodziej.
Only once in his 14 seasons have Eric Willson’s North Stars not achieved double-digit victories. This year’s squad will bring home some state hardware, one step further than what his 2006 Elite Eight team achieved. From the “to be the best you have to beat the best” school of scheduling, Willson recognizes the challenge that awaits.
“They are the defending state champions and have 25 wins for a reason,” Willson noted of Naperville North. “Excellent size in back and good pace up-top, quality technical players in the middle, they are simply very good top to bottom. They are dangerous on set pieces as well, so we have our work cut out for us for sure.
“Unity has been the strength of our team,” Willson said. “Continuing to do what we do best, namely play for each other is our key. Our approach is to continue to play organized, composed soccer, and make plays when we need to.”
Naperville North
Coach Jim Konrad’s preseason prospectus acknowledged “the Huskies are coming off a dream season in 2016, winning the DVC and state championship ... . The big question this year will be if they can generate goals outside of restarts?”
That answer is open to debate, but what isn’t is North’s ability to score off set pieces and to keep opponents from scoring. The single-season school record for wins part of the 25-1-1 record also includes 19 shutouts.
The Huskies have yet to be scored upon in the postseason. Overall, foes have been outscored 80-10 and a most impressive 37 of the goals were produced from free kicks, corners or Jack Barry throws.
Junior goalie Tommy Welch and senior defenders Colin Iverson and Ethan Harvey earned Chicagoland Soccer 2016 All-State recognition. Welch and Iverson are IHSSCA 2017 All-State honorees while Harvey was joined by sophomore forward Ty Konrad as All-Sectional.
Offensive balance is in abundance from: Ian Guppy (15 goals/2 assists), Iverson (14/8), Barry (11/21), Konrad (9/10), Harvey (8/9), Will Ritzman (6/4), and Patrick Koenig (6/2).
“Our boys have been diligent in the task at hand, so our only concern right now is St. Charles North,” coach Konrad said. “They look very much like us. Their kids believe in the system, play hard for each other, are organized and dangerous in transition, plus they have two big, strong center backs. We are going to have to be sharp in transition and aware of their forwards’ runs. All three up-top are dangerous.
“I’m very fortunate to have an exceptional group of seniors (Jack Barry, Guppy, Harvey, Ritzmann, Mitch Konrad, George Ladas, and Matt Bilardello). Many of them have been playing together since they were little kids. Obviously these life-long friendships impact our team’s camaraderie and resilience,” Konrad added. “It’s no secret that are strengths are being organized defensively and our offensive restarts. The boys take great pride in being dialed in on restarts because they know often times that makes the difference in big games. Goals are so hard to come by, especially as you advance in the tourney, so you have to give yourself a chance to get them any way you can.”