Coach Josef Schroeder made an important observation while on the bus ride back to Prairie Ridge from last year’s IHSA 2A state finals.

“I told our juniors and our sophomores, ‘Why don’t we expect this every year?’” Schroeder said. “I believed in them. I knew we were losing a lot and maybe some people thought I was crazy for thinking we could be competitive this year, but that’s the role of a coach.”

After finishing 20-5-1 and taking third in 2A last season, Prairie Ridge has opened Fox Valley Conference play with back-to-back victories. The Wolves, who are 7-2-1 over their first 10 matches this season, posted a 3-0 shutout against Cary-Grove on Tuesday before scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes of their 4-1 road victory over Jacobs on Thursday.

“We’ve had incredible leadership from the seniors,” Schroeder said. “They’re selfless players and they do whatever is necessary for the team. A lot of teams are coming for us and when you have a good year, everybody wants to beat you the next year. It’s tough knowing we’re a target, but I think the boys have answered that.”

The defending FVC champions, Prairie Ridge scored notable wins over Warren and Wheaton-Warrenville South in nonconference play earlier this season. Senior forward Trenton Pavoris (six goals, three assists) and goalkeeper Christopher Zinevich have been integral leaders, while defenders Carter Favia (two goals) and Anthony Rust, a freshman, are two varsity newcomers who’ve stepped up to anchor the back line.

“Our goal is to keep the ball out of the net,” Schroeder said. “I thought we let too many goals in last year, even with our championship run. We have to be more disciplined than last year’s team.. If the team can do that, then I think we’ll have a good shot against anybody.”

Huntley seeks FVC title: One team looking to push Prairie Ridge for the FVC championship this year is Huntley. The Red Raiders (5-0-2) are undefeated through seven games and 2-0 in FVC play after forward Tyler Murray’s game winner in overtime clinched a 3-2 victory against Crystal Lake Central.

Defense has been a major component of Huntley’s success this year. The Red Raiders, who kicked off FVC play with a 1-0 road win against Dundee-Crown, have allowed only five goals in six matches. Huntley, which has won nonconference games over Rockford East, Larkin and Hononegah, went 7-2 in FVC play last season, good for second place.

“We have kids who are willing to put their bodies on the line and keep themselves between the ball and the goal,” Huntley coach Matt Lewandowski said. “We have a tremendous level of talent and a lot of depth on our roster. A lot of our success has transferred over from last year. We had some guys who came in and played key roles as juniors who are honing those skills and leading younger guys as seniors.”

Thirteen seniors are on the Huntley roster this year. Midfielder Allen Williams (one goal) is one of those seniors and while his stats may not show it, Lewandowski credited his play as a reason for the team’s fast start. Midfielder Finley Williams (three assists, one goal) and forward Aiden Felz (four goals) have been catalysts for the Huntley offense.

“We’ve a senior-heavy team every year,” Lewandowski said. “Allen doesn’t have the stats, but when you watch the game, he’s one of the key sparks for our team right now. He’s fully bought in to what we’re trying to do and he’s taken younger guys under his shoulder when they’ve been frustrated. He’s been a tremendous boon to our team.”

Woodstock off to successful KRC start: The race for the Kishwaukee River Conference regular season title includes four teams, but Woodstock has a firm grip atop the conference standings. The Blue Streaks, who defeated Richmond-Burton 3-1 on the road earlier this season, are unbeaten through six KRC matches and could run the table with a win over Woodstock North this week.

Currently 7-5 overall, Woodstock has tested itself against larger nonconference programs including Glenbard North and Oswego. Those battles have prepared the Blue Streaks for conference play, where they have posted 26 goals and controlled games by possessing the ball.

“Our style of play is based on keeping possession and sending numbers up, which isn’t an easy thing to do,” Woodstock coach Santiago Rubio said. “A lot of high school teams play long balls, but that’s not our case. We want our boys to give the ball a nice touch and we want to keep the ball versus chasing it. That’s really important for us.”

With a heavy emphasis on unity and teamwork, Woodstock has held KRC opponents to just two goals in six matches. Senior goalkeeper Luis Camacho has played a big part in Woodstock’s strong defensive play in conference games. On the other end, the Blue Streaks turned in two of their strongest offensive outings of the season recently, scoring 8-0 wins over Sandwich and Johnsburg.

“As a team, we want to defend as far as we can from our own goal,” Rubio said. “We have a nice team where we have some juniors and seniors playing the same style. Some of them may miss games due to injuries or other reasons, but the boys who come out from the bench play the same soccer. As a whole, our team is a strong group.”

Richmond-Burton remains in KRC hunt: Richmond-Burton and Woodstock North are two other teams still in the hunt for a KRC regular season championship. During a tight battle that resulted in a penalty-kick shootout after regulation time, Richmond-Burton’s Easton Wold (nine shutouts this season) made a trio of clutch saves to help the Rockets defeat the Thunder.

It was a crucial win for R-B, which stands at 9-5-1 and 4-2 in the KRC after falling against Harvard on Friday and beating Marengo on Monday. A Class 1A regional champion and sectional runner-up last season, the Rockets conclude KRC play against Plano this week. R-B must beat the Reapers to stay in the KRC hunt.

“We’re learning from our mistakes,” Rockets head coach Casey DeCaluwe said. “Easton stepped up and made three fantastic saves to seal the deal. It was a great game for us momentum-wise. The postseason is always our goal and these matches get us ready for that. They carry a lot of weight in how we’re going to be seeded.”

Last season, the Rockets leaned on standout forward Nick Kyes, who scored 43 goals and dished out 16 assists. Kyes has moved into the midfield this season, which has allowed players like Will Gardner (five goals, one assist) and Dane Gardner (five goals, three assists) to emerge up front. Johann Boentges has also emerged in the midfield.

“Offensively, it hasn’t been a one-man show,” DeCaluwe said. “We’ve had other people step up and Nick’s having to play in a midfield role because we lost so many people in the midfield due to graduation. That has created opportunities for other people to step up. Dane and Will have done that and Johann has scored some big goals for us.”

Four-year center back Nate Larson continues to anchor the Rockets defense. Now sharing the back line with defender Trey Maziarz, who also kicks for the R-B football team, Larson and the Rockets have recorded eight shutout victories this season. Forest Wells and Chace Miller round out R-B’s defensive unit.

“Trey has stepped into that center back role and done a really nice job,” DeCaluwe said. “He’s a really controlled presence back there. Forest played outside back for me last year and he’s so solid. Those three have been our anchor, but Chace has stepped in after being on JV last year. He’s been fantastic and we’ve built trust in him.”