Downers Grove South adds to its legacy
'Amazing year' for a proud program
By Dave Owen
Downers Grove South is a team with a rich history. But even by their previous lofty standards, the 2014 Mustangs left a lasting mark.
Mustang soccer 2014, 10 years removed from the school's state championship team, featured an accomplishment the 2004 champs couldn’t boast. The 12-game unbeaten streak (9-0-3) to open the season tied the 1983 Downers South squad’s mark for the school best.
And while postseason hopes were thwarted in a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Oak Park and River Forest in the regional finals, it was a season and a team to remember for Mustangs coach Jon Stapleton.
“I’m not ready for it to end, and it’s because of the kids in particular,” Stapleton said after the loss to Oak Park. “We invest so much and the families invest so much that it’s hard. Even though you have guys returning (next year), it’s the combination of what you have that makes it special. We won’t all be together again.
“It was an outstanding year, with the 12-game unbeaten (streak) to start the season that tied a 31-year old school record. We had a little blip there toward the end of the season (an 0-2-2 stretch), but the way they responded to that (with five straight wins) was impressive.”
The Mustangs (14-3-4) suffered a wave of injuries early in the year that would have limited most high school teams. But as the streak and final record showed, Downers South focused on wins instead of excuses.
Standout senior defender Andrew Dobosenski summed up the Mustangs’ ability to endure.
“It’s so competitive for a starting spot on this team,” Dobosenski said. “We’ve been so good and we have so much depth and so many players who can step up and play positions that if the starters get hurt, we know we have someone who can come in.
“And (the replacement) wants that starting spot as much as the other person, so they’ll try as hard as they can. The competition only makes everybody’s effort level go up.”
To summarize just part of the Downers South medical chart, junior defender Ryan Strelau missed a month with a separated shoulder. During September, high-scoring forwards Eric Diaz and Nick Rohl each missed matches due to injuries, as did midfielder Peter Fish (back). And starting outside back Matt Buczko played the last half of the season with heavy padding on his hand because of a broken finger.
The talented, deep Downers Grove South senior class was essential to riding out adversity.
Diaz, an offensive star for the Mustangs since his sophomore season, led the way this fall with 14 goals. Hunter Thoren and Jason Galik excelled as midfielders (with Galik often handling corner kick and free kick duties), and Alex Escamilla was a scoring threat as a top reserve.
The senior influence was also evident at the defensive end, where Buczko was a starter and Dobosenski and Kyle Harty (both 6-foot-1) were solid at center back spots.
“This group of seniors was a special group,” Stapleton said. “Their leadership both on and off the field is going to be missed and serves as a great example for future classes. This year’s group will leave the program with a 25-10-5 overall varsity record, a nice record against some tough competition the past two years.
“They played the game with an intensity and spirit that really helped shape our success this season. I am proud to have them as Mustang soccer alumni.”
Senior Joe Caldarazzo began the year as a top reserve before taking over a starting midfield spot late in the year. Seniors John Parilla, Rob Batten, Jared Sombeck and Brenin Bales were also two-year varsity players.
While the seniors contributed greatly, it was the influx of difference-making underclassmen that lifted Mustangs from a solid 11-win season last fall to even better things in 2014.
Sophomore forward Rohl led the team in assists and put on one of the individual shows of the year in a 3-0 win at Leyden on Oct. 7. Rohl scored two goals that night and drew a foul in the box to create a penalty kick that produced the other score.
“No. 14 (Rohl) – I’ll say right now he’s the best player we’ve faced all year,” Leyden coach Mark Valintis said after that performance. “The game he had tonight, we had no answer. He beat us with speed, strength, right foot, left foot, finesse – you name it, he did it.”
While the Mustangs have in recent years relied mainly on juniors and seniors, Rohl and starting midfielder Peter Becht were two sophomores who figure to be essential players for the next two seasons.
At the defensive end, junior goalkeeper Sam Dumford stepped in as a first-year varsity starter to earn 11 shutouts. Junior Griffin Overbeck was a starting defender.
“I think we developed so much from last year,” Diaz said. “A lot of JV kids from last year came up big this year and got spots in the starting lineup.
“We developed great, and our team chemistry was great. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better team.”
The cohesiveness was immediately evident. The season-opening 12-game unbeaten streak included a 0-0 tie with West Suburban Conference Silver champion Hinsdale Central, and progressed the following week when the Mustangs earned the championship of the Great Midwest Classic tournament in Indianapolis.
Downers Grove South eventually finished second in the WSC Gold with a 5-1 record, and four of the conference victories came on shutouts by Dumford and the defense. The lone league loss was by a 2-0 score at Morton (now ranked No. 1 in the state).
That setback was part of a four-game winless streak in late September and early October, but the Mustangs were back on track with five-straight wins (outscoring opponents 19-1 in that span) before the regional final setback.
The return of many key juniors isn’t the lone cause for optimism in the future.
“Our sophomore team finished with a 12-4 record this year,” Stapleton said, “and that’s with three sophomores up on varsity this season. Certainly Nick Rohl and Peter Becht had big seasons this year with our varsity team, and (sophomore midfielder) Garrett Burns had a nice year ,considering he was coming off a broken ankle back in June.
“We expect big things from those three next year, as well as (junior) returners Sam Dumford, Griffin Overbeck, Ryan Strelau, Peter Fish and Andrew Pierropoulos. (Juniors) Luis Marquez and Anthony Masello will be counted on as well.”
That core group will have even more help coming from the Class of 2017.
“Dylan Mobley, Ian Wisniewski, and Kai Peterson are three sophomores who we expect to make an impact on next year’s varsity team,” Stapleton said. “Each of them had a nice sophomore season and should transition well to the next level.”
The 2014 squad has a permanent special place in the school record book, and in the memories of its seniors.
“I was glad we could leave a legacy,” Harty said. “I hope next year’s team can do the same thing. It’s great being a part of Downers Grove South soccer.”
Added Diaz: “It was an amazing year. Amazing people, amazing coaches, the program is amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
'Amazing year' for a proud program
By Dave Owen
Downers Grove South is a team with a rich history. But even by their previous lofty standards, the 2014 Mustangs left a lasting mark.
Mustang soccer 2014, 10 years removed from the school's state championship team, featured an accomplishment the 2004 champs couldn’t boast. The 12-game unbeaten streak (9-0-3) to open the season tied the 1983 Downers South squad’s mark for the school best.
And while postseason hopes were thwarted in a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Oak Park and River Forest in the regional finals, it was a season and a team to remember for Mustangs coach Jon Stapleton.
“I’m not ready for it to end, and it’s because of the kids in particular,” Stapleton said after the loss to Oak Park. “We invest so much and the families invest so much that it’s hard. Even though you have guys returning (next year), it’s the combination of what you have that makes it special. We won’t all be together again.
“It was an outstanding year, with the 12-game unbeaten (streak) to start the season that tied a 31-year old school record. We had a little blip there toward the end of the season (an 0-2-2 stretch), but the way they responded to that (with five straight wins) was impressive.”
The Mustangs (14-3-4) suffered a wave of injuries early in the year that would have limited most high school teams. But as the streak and final record showed, Downers South focused on wins instead of excuses.
Standout senior defender Andrew Dobosenski summed up the Mustangs’ ability to endure.
“It’s so competitive for a starting spot on this team,” Dobosenski said. “We’ve been so good and we have so much depth and so many players who can step up and play positions that if the starters get hurt, we know we have someone who can come in.
“And (the replacement) wants that starting spot as much as the other person, so they’ll try as hard as they can. The competition only makes everybody’s effort level go up.”
To summarize just part of the Downers South medical chart, junior defender Ryan Strelau missed a month with a separated shoulder. During September, high-scoring forwards Eric Diaz and Nick Rohl each missed matches due to injuries, as did midfielder Peter Fish (back). And starting outside back Matt Buczko played the last half of the season with heavy padding on his hand because of a broken finger.
The talented, deep Downers Grove South senior class was essential to riding out adversity.
Diaz, an offensive star for the Mustangs since his sophomore season, led the way this fall with 14 goals. Hunter Thoren and Jason Galik excelled as midfielders (with Galik often handling corner kick and free kick duties), and Alex Escamilla was a scoring threat as a top reserve.
The senior influence was also evident at the defensive end, where Buczko was a starter and Dobosenski and Kyle Harty (both 6-foot-1) were solid at center back spots.
“This group of seniors was a special group,” Stapleton said. “Their leadership both on and off the field is going to be missed and serves as a great example for future classes. This year’s group will leave the program with a 25-10-5 overall varsity record, a nice record against some tough competition the past two years.
“They played the game with an intensity and spirit that really helped shape our success this season. I am proud to have them as Mustang soccer alumni.”
Senior Joe Caldarazzo began the year as a top reserve before taking over a starting midfield spot late in the year. Seniors John Parilla, Rob Batten, Jared Sombeck and Brenin Bales were also two-year varsity players.
While the seniors contributed greatly, it was the influx of difference-making underclassmen that lifted Mustangs from a solid 11-win season last fall to even better things in 2014.
Sophomore forward Rohl led the team in assists and put on one of the individual shows of the year in a 3-0 win at Leyden on Oct. 7. Rohl scored two goals that night and drew a foul in the box to create a penalty kick that produced the other score.
“No. 14 (Rohl) – I’ll say right now he’s the best player we’ve faced all year,” Leyden coach Mark Valintis said after that performance. “The game he had tonight, we had no answer. He beat us with speed, strength, right foot, left foot, finesse – you name it, he did it.”
While the Mustangs have in recent years relied mainly on juniors and seniors, Rohl and starting midfielder Peter Becht were two sophomores who figure to be essential players for the next two seasons.
At the defensive end, junior goalkeeper Sam Dumford stepped in as a first-year varsity starter to earn 11 shutouts. Junior Griffin Overbeck was a starting defender.
“I think we developed so much from last year,” Diaz said. “A lot of JV kids from last year came up big this year and got spots in the starting lineup.
“We developed great, and our team chemistry was great. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better team.”
The cohesiveness was immediately evident. The season-opening 12-game unbeaten streak included a 0-0 tie with West Suburban Conference Silver champion Hinsdale Central, and progressed the following week when the Mustangs earned the championship of the Great Midwest Classic tournament in Indianapolis.
Downers Grove South eventually finished second in the WSC Gold with a 5-1 record, and four of the conference victories came on shutouts by Dumford and the defense. The lone league loss was by a 2-0 score at Morton (now ranked No. 1 in the state).
That setback was part of a four-game winless streak in late September and early October, but the Mustangs were back on track with five-straight wins (outscoring opponents 19-1 in that span) before the regional final setback.
The return of many key juniors isn’t the lone cause for optimism in the future.
“Our sophomore team finished with a 12-4 record this year,” Stapleton said, “and that’s with three sophomores up on varsity this season. Certainly Nick Rohl and Peter Becht had big seasons this year with our varsity team, and (sophomore midfielder) Garrett Burns had a nice year ,considering he was coming off a broken ankle back in June.
“We expect big things from those three next year, as well as (junior) returners Sam Dumford, Griffin Overbeck, Ryan Strelau, Peter Fish and Andrew Pierropoulos. (Juniors) Luis Marquez and Anthony Masello will be counted on as well.”
That core group will have even more help coming from the Class of 2017.
“Dylan Mobley, Ian Wisniewski, and Kai Peterson are three sophomores who we expect to make an impact on next year’s varsity team,” Stapleton said. “Each of them had a nice sophomore season and should transition well to the next level.”
The 2014 squad has a permanent special place in the school record book, and in the memories of its seniors.
“I was glad we could leave a legacy,” Harty said. “I hope next year’s team can do the same thing. It’s great being a part of Downers Grove South soccer.”
Added Diaz: “It was an amazing year. Amazing people, amazing coaches, the program is amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”