Jones' playoff hopes must contend
with jump to Class 3A
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- In every inch of every game played this year, Jones has fought to prove it is a team of worth that is capable of playing high-level soccer whether city or suburban, public or private. It was willing to take on all comers.
Opened in 1938 and designated a city magnet school in 1998, the South Loop institution is without a significant athletic history to fall back on. But Jones girls soccer is a program on the rise. Derek Bylsma arrived at the school eight years ago intent in putting in the time to create a program of value and achievement.
The steps have been incremental, sometimes moving up or down, if not sideways, but the goal has always directly in view. In Chicago Public League soccer, only a handful of programs rate significant attention and the other more than 50 programs struggle to develop and build.
Bylsma brought a passion and intensity that transcended the substandard athletic facilities, a poor home field and an attrition in numbers. Bylsma had a strategic initiative and vision to carry out his plan.
Numbers at the lower levels expanded rapidly. With girls sports, access to material facilities is the critical factor. Like other magnet schools, Jones attracted an upwardly mobile student demographic that increasingly had avenues to private training and played year round in club programs.
Jones made the leap a year ago. The Eagles made their deepest state tournament advancement in school history with a berth in a Class 2A sectional final against Latin. But that was then. This is now.
A rapid rise in enrollment has pushed Jones into the large school tournament. A 16-win Jones team that reached the championship game of the Public League city tournament last Thursday against no. 12 Lane was given an ignominious 11th seed in the Downers North sectional.
Jones (16-3-2) faces Morton (15-5-0) -- the 7th seed -- in the second regional semifinal Tuesday night at Glenbard East.. A Jones victory would likely mean drawing Glenbard East -- last year’s third-place finisher in the Class 3A tournament -- in Friday’s regional title game.
“That is going to be a challenge,” Bylsma said. “I think we would have challenged for the 2A state title. I have seen the class of 2A. I think this was our year we could have potentially won 2A. We are an 11th seed, and my hope is that people might be undervaluing us a little bit.
“I hope people continue to do that.”
They do so at their own folly. The Eagles feature an elite and foundational talent in senior midfielder Zoe Wright. Despite dealing with injuries and constant double-teams, she surpassed her breakout total of 18 goals and 12 assists last season with 20 goals and 19 assists this year.
She is the centerpiece of a superb middle attack that also showcases electric senior Janai Cedeno, skilled server and free kick specialist Dani Schulgasser, the physical Kassie Cortez and technical Rachel Sohn in the Eagles’ 3-5-2 formation.
Avery Kaplan and Gillian Miller are the forwards. Gabriela Baxtrom, Charlotte Geissler and Izzy Kamba solidify the backline. Sophomore Devin Barry is one of the city’s top keepers, an athletic and physical player who shows no fear in bursting out of the box to take on offensive players.
The senior class has been ready for this moment.
“We just want to go out there and fight as hard as we can” Schulgasser said. Her goal off a free kick at the start of the second half of the CPL title game forged a 2-2 tie with Lane in the 45th minute. Lane broke the game open with three late goals for the 5-2 victory.
The Eagles are ready to build off the heightened intensity from reaching the city final as a positive springboard into the state tournament.
“It’s really an amazing feeling,” Schulgasser said. “I have been working for this my whole four years. It is just so exciting to be here.”
Jones’ had one glaring off-game in its results this season -- a 7-0 loss against West Aurora in a second round game of the PepsiCo Showdown. The Blackhawks, currently ranked no. 24 in the Chicagoland Soccer top 25, eventually won that bracket. The game fell at the start of the Chicago Public League’s late spring break, and Jones only had a shadow of its team against West Aurora. Ludicrously seeded last in the 16-team bracket, the Eagles beat top-seeded Kaneland in its opening bracket game.
Jones has big game experience now after playing in a sectional final and city championship in the last 12 months. They are a dangerous team. The general lack of knowledge about the program is a potential benefit.
“As I have said before, I love being the underdog,” Bylsma said. “Morton is a tough team, and that is going to be a difficult first game for us. They are physical and talented. They beat Young. Some of the teams in our sectional also played Young, and they are going to see the result of the city final (5-2) and not realize how close the game was.”
with jump to Class 3A
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- In every inch of every game played this year, Jones has fought to prove it is a team of worth that is capable of playing high-level soccer whether city or suburban, public or private. It was willing to take on all comers.
Opened in 1938 and designated a city magnet school in 1998, the South Loop institution is without a significant athletic history to fall back on. But Jones girls soccer is a program on the rise. Derek Bylsma arrived at the school eight years ago intent in putting in the time to create a program of value and achievement.
The steps have been incremental, sometimes moving up or down, if not sideways, but the goal has always directly in view. In Chicago Public League soccer, only a handful of programs rate significant attention and the other more than 50 programs struggle to develop and build.
Bylsma brought a passion and intensity that transcended the substandard athletic facilities, a poor home field and an attrition in numbers. Bylsma had a strategic initiative and vision to carry out his plan.
Numbers at the lower levels expanded rapidly. With girls sports, access to material facilities is the critical factor. Like other magnet schools, Jones attracted an upwardly mobile student demographic that increasingly had avenues to private training and played year round in club programs.
Jones made the leap a year ago. The Eagles made their deepest state tournament advancement in school history with a berth in a Class 2A sectional final against Latin. But that was then. This is now.
A rapid rise in enrollment has pushed Jones into the large school tournament. A 16-win Jones team that reached the championship game of the Public League city tournament last Thursday against no. 12 Lane was given an ignominious 11th seed in the Downers North sectional.
Jones (16-3-2) faces Morton (15-5-0) -- the 7th seed -- in the second regional semifinal Tuesday night at Glenbard East.. A Jones victory would likely mean drawing Glenbard East -- last year’s third-place finisher in the Class 3A tournament -- in Friday’s regional title game.
“That is going to be a challenge,” Bylsma said. “I think we would have challenged for the 2A state title. I have seen the class of 2A. I think this was our year we could have potentially won 2A. We are an 11th seed, and my hope is that people might be undervaluing us a little bit.
“I hope people continue to do that.”
They do so at their own folly. The Eagles feature an elite and foundational talent in senior midfielder Zoe Wright. Despite dealing with injuries and constant double-teams, she surpassed her breakout total of 18 goals and 12 assists last season with 20 goals and 19 assists this year.
She is the centerpiece of a superb middle attack that also showcases electric senior Janai Cedeno, skilled server and free kick specialist Dani Schulgasser, the physical Kassie Cortez and technical Rachel Sohn in the Eagles’ 3-5-2 formation.
Avery Kaplan and Gillian Miller are the forwards. Gabriela Baxtrom, Charlotte Geissler and Izzy Kamba solidify the backline. Sophomore Devin Barry is one of the city’s top keepers, an athletic and physical player who shows no fear in bursting out of the box to take on offensive players.
The senior class has been ready for this moment.
“We just want to go out there and fight as hard as we can” Schulgasser said. Her goal off a free kick at the start of the second half of the CPL title game forged a 2-2 tie with Lane in the 45th minute. Lane broke the game open with three late goals for the 5-2 victory.
The Eagles are ready to build off the heightened intensity from reaching the city final as a positive springboard into the state tournament.
“It’s really an amazing feeling,” Schulgasser said. “I have been working for this my whole four years. It is just so exciting to be here.”
Jones’ had one glaring off-game in its results this season -- a 7-0 loss against West Aurora in a second round game of the PepsiCo Showdown. The Blackhawks, currently ranked no. 24 in the Chicagoland Soccer top 25, eventually won that bracket. The game fell at the start of the Chicago Public League’s late spring break, and Jones only had a shadow of its team against West Aurora. Ludicrously seeded last in the 16-team bracket, the Eagles beat top-seeded Kaneland in its opening bracket game.
Jones has big game experience now after playing in a sectional final and city championship in the last 12 months. They are a dangerous team. The general lack of knowledge about the program is a potential benefit.
“As I have said before, I love being the underdog,” Bylsma said. “Morton is a tough team, and that is going to be a difficult first game for us. They are physical and talented. They beat Young. Some of the teams in our sectional also played Young, and they are going to see the result of the city final (5-2) and not realize how close the game was.”