Timothy, Wheaton Academy meet
with league title dreams on the line
By Curt Herron
A year ago, Wheaton Academy and Timothy met in the semifinals of the IHSA Class A state tournament at EastSide Centre in East Peoria. That marked just the second time that two teams from the same conference faced off in the state finals in an opening match since the IHSA went to three classes with four state finalists apiece in 2008.
Coach Cody Snouffer's Warriors captured a 6-1 victory over coach Joel Zielke's Trojans in a showdown of Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division schools. In the championship match, Wheaton Academy defeated Althoff 2-1 to win the program's second state championship, and its first since coach Jeff Brooke led the school to the Class AA title in 2014. Timothy finished fourth after falling to Bloomington Central in penalties (2-2, 3-2).
The only other time that scenario took place in Class A was in the previous finals, when Independent School League members University (Chicago) beat North Shore Country Day 3-0 in 2019. The Maroons took the title with a 2-1 win over Marquette (Alton) to take the title in its initial state trip. North Shore Country Day fell to Notre Dame (Quincy) 2-0 in the third place game.
With both Wheaton Academy and Timothy returning numerous players from last season, there's a good possibility that both schools could make return appearances in the finals, which will be played in East Peoria on October 28 and 29.
However, the first order of business for both squads is capturing the conference championship. Tonight's 7 p.m. clash at Performance Trust Field in West Chicago could decide whether the host Warriors (5-2-2, 2-0-x) or the Trojans (5-4-0, 3-0-x) take the prize.
But don’t forget Class 3A Riverside-Brookfield, which will have a say in the race after its 3-0-x start in league play. The Bulldogs face both Timothy and Wheaton Academy in matches next week.
Wheaton Academy would like to follow up on its 2021 championship and claim a seventh trophy for a top-four finish. That would add to the five others the Warriors have claimed since 2012.
Timothy hopes to make consecutive trips to the finals for the third time in their history, a feat that they last accomplished in 2014-15 when coach Joe Grit's squad took second in 2014 and coach Stephen Fernandes' team triumphed in 2015 for its second championship.
Timothy will play at a sectional tournament site to be announced in the Stagg Supersectional. Wheaton Academy takes part in its own sectional, which feeds into a supersectional at a to-be-announced site. The determination of where the supersectional winners advance in the state finals bracket will be announced in early October.
Last year's semifinal win by Wheaton Academy avenged a loss on penalties to Timothy when the squads squared off on September 16 in Elmhurst. The Trojans won the conference championship with a 6-0-x record while the Warriors took second after going 5-1-x.
With so many veterans back from both teams, the atmosphere at the field that's adjacent to the alumni white chapel on the Wheaton Academy campus should be electric.
"This is a game we have circled on our calendar and has turned into a good rivalry the last few seasons," Zielke said. "Our goal is a conference championship, and we know that to achieve that, this is a must-win game.
"Wheaton Academy is well-coached, well-organized, and we have respect for their program. We have seen glimpses of some high-level soccer with our group and are excited about what our team can accomplish this season.
“We feel like our strong nonconference schedule to start the season has prepared us for this match, and we are excited for the opportunity. It will be a great night to put everything together."
The top scorers for defending state champion Wheaton Academy are senior Joshua Mariotti (six goals, two assists), senior Caleb Mariotti (two goals, four assists), senior Josiah Pitts (three goals, one assist), junior Jakob Karlson (three goals), junior Ethan Head (three goals) and senior Troy Erickson (four assists).
Senior goalkeeper Declan Finnegan has recorded three shutouts and has a 1.14 GAA. Sophomore Connor Riddle recorded a shutout in his first varsity start Tuesday against Elmwood Park.
Leading scorers for Timothy are junior Hendrik DeVries (five goals, one assist), senior Cam Baker (two goals, three assists), junior Josh McMillan (two goals), junior Caleb Bode (two goals), sophomore Owen Wise (one goal, one assist), sophomore Tim Nulty (one goal, one assist) and freshman Marc Gamble, Jr. (three assists). Senior goalkeeper Kyle Steiner has recorded three shutouts and a 1.91 GAA. Sophomore Peter Buikema has one shutout and a 0.59 GAA.
Since getting off to a 1-2-1 start with a 2-0 win over South Elgin, a 0-0 draw with Batavia and losses to no. 22 St. Charles North and Maine South, Wheaton Academy has gone 3-0-2, beating Metea Valley 1-0, Leyden 0-0 on penalties and tying Marmion 3-3 before opening conference play with a 7-0 home win over St. Edward and a 5-0 victory at Elmwood Park.
Timothy started 1-3-0 after beating Lisle 3-0 in its opener before falling to no. 12 Hinsdale Central, previously ranked Barrington and Latin (third in the Class A Super 7 poll) in its next three matches. Since then, it won at St. Edward 2-1, and beaten St. Francis (0-0, 5-4) and Ridgewood (3-3, 5-4) in league play. The Trojans split 2-1 decisions with a win against Prairie Ridge and defeat to North Shore Country Day in a BodyArmor bracket.
The Trojans return 19 players from their 2021 fourth place team that finished 18-4-3. They are: seniors, Nate Canada, Carter Day, Jake Firnsin, Noah Laslo, Ethan Munk, Baker and Steiner; juniors, Caleb Hoekstra, Travis Lemkuil, Elliot Matthew, Ty VanLaten, Bode, DeVries and McMillan; and sophomores, Josiah Bhatia, Cooper Rainone, Buikema, Nulty and Wise.
The 12 members of the 2021 state champion Warriors that finished 19-4-1 who are back are: seniors, Logan Bates, Lucas Landstrom, Caleb Mariotti, Joshua Mariotti, Luke Poland, Erickson, Finnegan and Pitts; and juniors, Asher Barton, Scotty Murray, Head and Karlson.
In remaining divisional play for the two teams, Wheaton Academy travels to Ridgewood on Sept. 20, hosts Riverside-Brookfield on Sept. 22 in its Homecoming match and plays at St. Francis on September 27.
Timothy heads to Riverside-Brookfield on Sept. 20 and Elmwood Park on Sept. 24 to wrap up its league schedule.
with league title dreams on the line
By Curt Herron
A year ago, Wheaton Academy and Timothy met in the semifinals of the IHSA Class A state tournament at EastSide Centre in East Peoria. That marked just the second time that two teams from the same conference faced off in the state finals in an opening match since the IHSA went to three classes with four state finalists apiece in 2008.
Coach Cody Snouffer's Warriors captured a 6-1 victory over coach Joel Zielke's Trojans in a showdown of Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division schools. In the championship match, Wheaton Academy defeated Althoff 2-1 to win the program's second state championship, and its first since coach Jeff Brooke led the school to the Class AA title in 2014. Timothy finished fourth after falling to Bloomington Central in penalties (2-2, 3-2).
The only other time that scenario took place in Class A was in the previous finals, when Independent School League members University (Chicago) beat North Shore Country Day 3-0 in 2019. The Maroons took the title with a 2-1 win over Marquette (Alton) to take the title in its initial state trip. North Shore Country Day fell to Notre Dame (Quincy) 2-0 in the third place game.
With both Wheaton Academy and Timothy returning numerous players from last season, there's a good possibility that both schools could make return appearances in the finals, which will be played in East Peoria on October 28 and 29.
However, the first order of business for both squads is capturing the conference championship. Tonight's 7 p.m. clash at Performance Trust Field in West Chicago could decide whether the host Warriors (5-2-2, 2-0-x) or the Trojans (5-4-0, 3-0-x) take the prize.
But don’t forget Class 3A Riverside-Brookfield, which will have a say in the race after its 3-0-x start in league play. The Bulldogs face both Timothy and Wheaton Academy in matches next week.
Wheaton Academy would like to follow up on its 2021 championship and claim a seventh trophy for a top-four finish. That would add to the five others the Warriors have claimed since 2012.
Timothy hopes to make consecutive trips to the finals for the third time in their history, a feat that they last accomplished in 2014-15 when coach Joe Grit's squad took second in 2014 and coach Stephen Fernandes' team triumphed in 2015 for its second championship.
Timothy will play at a sectional tournament site to be announced in the Stagg Supersectional. Wheaton Academy takes part in its own sectional, which feeds into a supersectional at a to-be-announced site. The determination of where the supersectional winners advance in the state finals bracket will be announced in early October.
Last year's semifinal win by Wheaton Academy avenged a loss on penalties to Timothy when the squads squared off on September 16 in Elmhurst. The Trojans won the conference championship with a 6-0-x record while the Warriors took second after going 5-1-x.
With so many veterans back from both teams, the atmosphere at the field that's adjacent to the alumni white chapel on the Wheaton Academy campus should be electric.
"This is a game we have circled on our calendar and has turned into a good rivalry the last few seasons," Zielke said. "Our goal is a conference championship, and we know that to achieve that, this is a must-win game.
"Wheaton Academy is well-coached, well-organized, and we have respect for their program. We have seen glimpses of some high-level soccer with our group and are excited about what our team can accomplish this season.
“We feel like our strong nonconference schedule to start the season has prepared us for this match, and we are excited for the opportunity. It will be a great night to put everything together."
The top scorers for defending state champion Wheaton Academy are senior Joshua Mariotti (six goals, two assists), senior Caleb Mariotti (two goals, four assists), senior Josiah Pitts (three goals, one assist), junior Jakob Karlson (three goals), junior Ethan Head (three goals) and senior Troy Erickson (four assists).
Senior goalkeeper Declan Finnegan has recorded three shutouts and has a 1.14 GAA. Sophomore Connor Riddle recorded a shutout in his first varsity start Tuesday against Elmwood Park.
Leading scorers for Timothy are junior Hendrik DeVries (five goals, one assist), senior Cam Baker (two goals, three assists), junior Josh McMillan (two goals), junior Caleb Bode (two goals), sophomore Owen Wise (one goal, one assist), sophomore Tim Nulty (one goal, one assist) and freshman Marc Gamble, Jr. (three assists). Senior goalkeeper Kyle Steiner has recorded three shutouts and a 1.91 GAA. Sophomore Peter Buikema has one shutout and a 0.59 GAA.
Since getting off to a 1-2-1 start with a 2-0 win over South Elgin, a 0-0 draw with Batavia and losses to no. 22 St. Charles North and Maine South, Wheaton Academy has gone 3-0-2, beating Metea Valley 1-0, Leyden 0-0 on penalties and tying Marmion 3-3 before opening conference play with a 7-0 home win over St. Edward and a 5-0 victory at Elmwood Park.
Timothy started 1-3-0 after beating Lisle 3-0 in its opener before falling to no. 12 Hinsdale Central, previously ranked Barrington and Latin (third in the Class A Super 7 poll) in its next three matches. Since then, it won at St. Edward 2-1, and beaten St. Francis (0-0, 5-4) and Ridgewood (3-3, 5-4) in league play. The Trojans split 2-1 decisions with a win against Prairie Ridge and defeat to North Shore Country Day in a BodyArmor bracket.
The Trojans return 19 players from their 2021 fourth place team that finished 18-4-3. They are: seniors, Nate Canada, Carter Day, Jake Firnsin, Noah Laslo, Ethan Munk, Baker and Steiner; juniors, Caleb Hoekstra, Travis Lemkuil, Elliot Matthew, Ty VanLaten, Bode, DeVries and McMillan; and sophomores, Josiah Bhatia, Cooper Rainone, Buikema, Nulty and Wise.
The 12 members of the 2021 state champion Warriors that finished 19-4-1 who are back are: seniors, Logan Bates, Lucas Landstrom, Caleb Mariotti, Joshua Mariotti, Luke Poland, Erickson, Finnegan and Pitts; and juniors, Asher Barton, Scotty Murray, Head and Karlson.
In remaining divisional play for the two teams, Wheaton Academy travels to Ridgewood on Sept. 20, hosts Riverside-Brookfield on Sept. 22 in its Homecoming match and plays at St. Francis on September 27.
Timothy heads to Riverside-Brookfield on Sept. 20 and Elmwood Park on Sept. 24 to wrap up its league schedule.