Boys soccer: With Griffin Cook back, Earlville tops Somonauk in regional semi

SERENA – Earlville’s Griffin Cook hadn’t played in almost a week after suffering discomfort in his lower back, missing the Red Raiders’ final two matches of the Little Ten Conference Tournament.

The junior was back on the pitch in Wednesday’s Class 1A Serena Regional semifinal against Somonauk and made an immediate impact.

Cook scored the match’s opening goal eight minutes in, then assisted on another midway through the first half before scoring again early in the second half to help No. 5-seeded Earlville to a 3-2 victory over rival and No. 3 Somonauk.

“I just wasn’t physically able to go the last 2 1/2 games ... It was frustrating,” said Cook, the team’s second-leading goal scorer on the season. “But I went to the chiropractor three times and just tried to get as much rest as I could to be ready for today. I really felt back to normal.”

Earlville (14-6) advances to play the host Huskers (20-3) at 4 p.m. Friday for the title.

Somonauk, which had won the past four meetings between the teams, including a 3-0 victory a month ago, finished the season 11-8-1.

“We talked and talked the last few days about how we had to limit the chances (Somonauk’s Lance) Grandgeorge had. He’s one of the best players in our conference and has really hurt us the past couple times we’ve played Somonauk,” Earlville coach Larry Heiden said. “We wanted to make him really earn what he got, and I thought we did a pretty good job with that for the most part.

“I told Griffin and [leading goal scorer] Diego [Vazquez] before the match; every time we play Somonauk their best players step up and hurt us. It was time for those two to do the same and they did for sure. Neither of those guys is physically at 100%, so to see the way they came out and played for us was super.”

The Red Raiders took the early lead when Cook headed in a corner kick from Vazquez past Bobcats keeper Coleton Eade (three saves).

“Diego kicked the ball right to me. I didn’t have to move and didn’t have anyone around me. ... I was wide open,” Cook said. “It was an awesome feeling to see that ball go in the net after missing the past couple matches.”

Somonauk tied the match in the 18th minute when, after a Grandgeorge 25-yard shot was saved by Red Raiders keeper Garett Cook (nine saves), the Earlville clearing attempt was inadvertently put into its own net.

Earlville took the lead for good with eight minutes remaining in the half. After a throw-in by Ryan Browder, Griffin Cook flicked the ball with his head near the goal mouth before Vaquez kicked it in.

Griffin Cook then made it 3-1 four minutes into the second half, scoring off a rebound of Vazquez’s initially saved shot from the right wing.

The Bobcats closed to within a goal with just under 16 minutes remaining on a goal from Benson Gudmunson off a crossing pass by Luke Rader. Somonauk had a handful of chances in the final minutes but couldn’t find the equalizing tally.

“It’s disappointing to not get the result we were looking for,” Somonauk coach Jonathan Liechty said. “This program is filled with competitors who want to win championships, and we just came up short not only here today, but in the Little Ten regular season and tournament. With that said, I’m so proud of the guys this season. If you would ask them, most of them would probably tell you this wasn’t one – and no disrespect to Earlville – of our better matches. But in the second half, they really battled, played hard and never quit.

“We were able to get to within one goal there with 16 minutes left then had a couple chances late, but just weren’t able to get that goal to tie it up.

“Hats off to Earlville. They are a well-coached team and played well today.”