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Fox Valley Conference
Cary-Grove
Coach: Mark Olson (15th season)
Last season: 6-8-2, 3-4-2 FVC (eighth)
Top returners: Dario Gamboa, sr., M; Jesus Padilla, sr., M; Kameron Fadden, jr., D; Jake Motz, jr., D; Anthony Warfield, jr., M; Sam Kedzior, jr., GK; Tom Latawiec, jr., M
Key newcomers: Evan Grady, sr., F; Anthony Bahena, sr., D-F; Ryan Dreves, sr., M; Hayden Clark, sr., D; Sam Stehno, sr., M-F; Brandon Burtschi, jr., D; Tyler Nordengren, jr.; Justin Freeman, jr., D; Jose Dimas, jr.; Jack Eggenberger, jr., M-F; Christian Contreras, jr., GK; Ryan Doyle, jr., F; Lukas Klipp, jr., F; Alexis Lazaro, jr., D
Worth noting: The Trojans went 6-8-2 for the second straight season but had one more FVC loss, finishing the season with 24 goals and 23 goals against. … C-G lost to Streamwood, 2-1, in a Class 3A regional semifinal and last won a regional title in 2015. … The Trojans graduated eight, including Drew and Eric Szydlo, the team’s only Northwest Herald All-Area selections last season. … “Although there are many newcomers, the overall team chemistry has been very positive,” Olson said. “Going through these different times has given them a new perspective on being ‘in the moment.’ ... This season will have special meaning for us all.”
Crystal Lake Central
Coach: Jay Schwarzrock (13th season)
Last season: 10-6-2, 6-3 FVC (third)
Top returners: Elijah Burleson, jr.; Joey Moore, jr.
Key newcomers: Owen Dayon, so.; Danny Vega, so.; Jack Graham, fr.
Worth noting: The Tigers started last season 3-4-2 and won seven of their final nine games. They ended the season with a 2-1 loss to Belvidere North, 2-1, in the Class 2A regional semifinals. … Central graduated its top three scorers, including Billy Cummings, who was among the area leaders with 23 goals. Overall, Central lost 12 players to graduation. … “We will be young and tenacious this year,” Schwarzrock said.
Crystal Lake South
Coach: Brian Allen (14th season)
Last season: 20-5-4, 7-1-1 FVC (second), IHSA Class 2A state runners-up
Top returners: Tyler Getzinger, sr., CM; Brandon Osterberg, sr., CM; Pawel Dejworek, sr., D; Tom Coughlin, jr., CM; Tomasz Slawek, jr., D; Michal Dejworek, jr., F; Deven Tinajero, jr., MF-F; Sam Bahnfleth, jr., F
Key newcomers: Dom Timberlake, sr., GK; Jio Lopez, sr., D; William Garcia, sr., M; Adam Rainey, sr., M; Josh Washington, so., D; Nolan Getzinger, fr., M; Dayton Murphy, fr., D; Blake Marunde, fr., D
Worth noting: The Gators fell just short in their quest for back-to-back state titles with a 2-0 loss to Benet in the Class 2A championship game. South’s run the past two years is equaled in McHenry County only by the Prairie Ridge teams of the late 1990s, which was the Class A runner-up in 1998 and champion in 1999. … Alex Canfield, now at UIC, had 34 goals in 2019 and finished his career with 85 goals and 206 points, both program records. … Getzinger had two go-ahead goals in the postseason and is the team’s top returning scorer with nine goals, followed by Michal Dejworek (7) and Coughlin (4). … “The blend of veteran juniors and seniors that we have, combined with a healthy influx of young talent, should help us grow and get better each training and each game to hopefully be peaking and playing our best soccer for the first-ever FVC Tournament,” Allen said.
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Rey Vargas (17th season)
Last season: 14-10-1, 4-4-1 FVC (tied for fifth), Class 3A regional champions
Top returners: Isaac Arroyo, sr., M; Domingo Conejo, sr., M; Osvaldo Rodriguez, sr., M-F; Jefferson Leon, jr., D; Juan Pacheco, jr., M
Key newcomers: Jorge Rodriguez, sr., F; Nicolas Pena, sr., M; Miguel Angel Pena, so., F
Worth noting: The Chargers ended last season with a heartbreaking defeat to District 300 rival Jacobs, 1-0, in the Class 3A DeKalb Sectional final. D-C lost 5-4 in penalty kicks after a scoreless 100 minutes of play. … D-C has won 64 games over the past four seasons with three regional titles. … Julian Saldana, an All-Area first-team pick, was second on the Chargers with 13 goals and had a team-high 12 assists, but is not playing on the high school team this year. Roland Dearborn (16 goals), the team’s top scorer from last season, now is at NIU. … “I am just excited to have a season, especially for the seniors,” Vargas said. “We will be a competitive team, and I am excited to see the newcomers step up into the roles left by [last season’s] seniors. I think because of the short period of time that we will have, it will take some time for these boys to jell.”
Hampshire
Coach: Rick Schuster (fourth season)
Last season: 14-9-2, 4-4-1 FVC (tied for fifth)
Top returners: Kyle Schultz, jr., GK; Kobe Frenette, sr., F; Mark Schuster, sr., M; Nathan Ludwig, sr., F; Alex Rojas, sr., M; Gerardo Marquez, jr. D
Key newcomers: Matthew Estrada, sr., D; Carlos Segura, sr., D; Gustavo Perez, sr., D; Juan Alva, jr., M; Jesse Brown, jr., D
Worth noting: The Whip-Purs’ season ended in disappointing fashion with a rain-shortened loss to Streamwood, 1-0, in the Class 2A Hampshire Regional final. There was more than 27 minutes left when the game was called off. Hampshire, which has 39 wins since the start of 2017, was attempting for its third regional championship in four years. … Two of Hampshire’s FVC losses were by one goal (to FVC champion Jacobs and runner-up Crystal Lake South). … Frenette, an All-Area second-team pick, was among the FVC leaders in points with 17 goals and 11 assists. … “We are just happy to get on the pitch after the fall season got canceled,” Rick Schuster said. “We have a nice group of players who are looking forward to competing again.”
Huntley
Coach: Matt Lewandowski (second season)
Last season: 11-11-1, 4-5 (seventh), Class 3A regional champions
Top returners: Ethan Kornas, jr., GK; Austin Killen, jr., M; Thomas Rodriguez, jr., M; Skyler Briarton, sr., F; Bryce Dalton, sr., F; Luke Bauer, sr. D
Key newcomers: David Arellano, sr., D; Chris Czyz, sr., F; Bryan Kigongo, jr., M-F; Jackson Bauer, jr., M
Worth noting: The Red Raiders won their first regional championship in five years with a 1-0 overtime win against South Elgin at the Class 3A Huntley Regional. Huntley lost in the sectional semifinals to Dundee-Crown, 2-1. ... Kornas made 148 saves and recorded eight shutouts in goal as one of the area’s top goalkeepers. Killen had five goals and five assists and Rodriguez had four goals. ... “We return a solid core of starters and have a good bunch of newcomers to build around them,” Lewandowski said, “They’re excited to build upon last year’s success and get back into the swing of things, despite the shortened season.”
Jacobs
Coach: Colin Brice (third season)
Last season: 16-5-3, 8-1 FVC (first), FVC champions, Class 3A sectional champions
Top returners: Liam Armstrong, sr., F; Sam Rainer, sr., M; PJ Hopkins, sr., D; Ruben Zarate, jr., M; Tarek Shah, sr., M; Sam Colucci, sr., D
Key newcomers: Levi Case, sr.; Will Blaise, jr.; Ben Phillips, jr.; Eduardo Nava, fr.
Worth noting: The Golden Eagles fell one game short of their first state appearance in program history with a 2-0 loss to West Chicago in the Class 3A supersectionals. Jacobs has won three regional and sectional titles in the past four seasons as one of the area’s most recent successful programs. … A 1-0 overtime win over Crystal Lake South clinched the FVC championship for Jacobs, the program’s first since 2016. … Armstrong led the Eagles with 18 goals and was an All-Area first-team selection. … “We are excited to bring back another extremely talented and experienced team,” Brice said. “We return seven starters and have added solid additions to our attack and back line. We are looking forward to compete in a highly-competitive FVC.”
McHenry
Coach: Tony Caruso (23rd season)
Last season: 8-10-4, 1-7-1 FVC (ninth)
Top returners: Johann Mota, sr., D; Angel Anaya, sr., D; Manny Anaya, sr., M; Jack Waters, jr., M; JJ Tapia, so., M; Edwin Navas, jr., F; Kenneth Barranco, jr., M; Eric Lopez, sr., D; Ryan Gremo, so., D; Logan Freid, sr., GK
Key newcomers: Emerson Hernandez-Landa, so., M; Jake Adamson, jr., M; Hunter Kirk, jr., GK
Worth noting: The Hornets will be a young team again with several juniors and sophomores playing key roles. … Bernal was a Northwest Herald All-Area honorable mention pick. Mercado, the captain, is recovering from MCL surgery. … “We have a bunch of juniors and sophomores that want to prove themselves and show what they can contribute at the varsity level,” Gonzalez said. “I’m excited to see their growth even in this short season. Our soccer knowledge, as a whole, is there. We just have to find the right combination of players that can help us throughout the season.”
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Mark Lewis (third season)
Last season: 10-8, 5-4 FVC (fourth)
Top returners: Brogan Amherdt, so., F; Bennett Barr, sr., M; Keifer Besterfeldt, sr., M; Cade Collins, so., F; Dayton Gates, sr., M; Dane Justesen , sr., D; Daniel Khoury, jr., F; Luke Kim, sr., M; Daniel Llanquiman, jr., GK; Aiden O’Hanian, sr., D; Zion Smeja, jr., D; Tyus Whitfield, jr., F; Luke Wolf sr., D
Key newcomers: Nathan Favia, sr., F; Mason Fowler, fr., F; Jack Newport, sr., F; Jake Pinkerton, so., M; Brady Rogers, so., F; Connor Trznadel, sr. D
Worth noting: The Wolves lost a close battle to crosstown rival Crystal Lake South, 1-0, in the Class 2A Crystal Lake South Regional final, ending their season. ... Prairie Ridge handed Jacobs its lone FVC loss with a 3-0 win and finished with three more conference wins after going 2-6 in 2018. … Collins found the back of net 11 times as a freshman while Kim is the team’s “heart and soul,” Lewis said. … “[It’s] really great to be back with these amazing young men who have been amazing to be around,” Lewis said. “It’s been a year that has been almost surreal, and we are just so happy that the boys get to play, especially the seniors. We expect a lot of quality games where the kids will be able to compete.”
Kishwaukee River Conference
Harvard
2019 record: 8-13, 5-5 KRC (fourth)
Coach: Victor Gonzalez (sixth season)
Top returning players: Emanuel Mercado (sr., F), Aldo Popocoa (sr., GK), Santos Aquino (sr., M), Oger Bernal (jr., M), Jovani Escobar (jr., M) and Juan Silva (jr., F).
Top new players: Eric Aquino (jr., D), Alexis Gonzalez (jr., D) and David Aquino (so., F).
Worth noting: The Hornets will be a young team again with several juniors and sophomores playing key roles. … Bernal was a Northwest Herald All-Area honorable-mention. Mercado, the captain, is recovering from knee surgery. … “We have a bunch of juniors and sophomores that want to prove themselves and show what they can contribute at the varsity level,” Gonzalez said. “I’m excited to see their growth even in this short season. Our soccer knowledge, as a whole, is there. We just have to find the right combination of players that can help us throughout the season.”
Johnsburg
2019 record: 2-15, 0-10 KRC (sixth)
Coach: Adam Bronars (fourth season)
Top returning players: Nathan Huemann (jr., M), Peter Link (jr., F) and Trevor Roos (jr., M).
Worth noting: Like everyone, Bronars is thrilled to be back on the field. “Honestly, I am ecstatic we actually have a season, based on everything that has happened [with the pandemic],” Bronars said. “Our focus for this season will be to improve from one day to the next. With the schedule being so compact, it will be important to do our best and move forward each day.”
Richmond-Burton
2019 record: 19-7, 7-3 KRC (second), Class 1A sectional champions
Coach: Casey Decaluwe (10th season)
Top returning players: Ethan Demers (jr., F), Hugo Campos (sr., M), Tristan Rockwell (jr., M), Carson Webb (sr., D), Connor Lindsay (sr., D).
Worth noting: The Rockets won the Class 1A Oregon Sectional and set a school record for victories last season. … Five starters graduated from that team, including F Hayden Rudkin (25 goals, 11 assists) and GK Jacob Maldonado (nine shutouts, five in the postseason), who both were Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selections. Demers was an All-Area second-teamer. … Decaluwe wants to honor the seniors in this season shortened by COVID-19. … “We are giving chances for young players to step into big roles,” Decaluwe said. “The boys have worked hard during this quick preseason and are excited to get back on the pitch and play the game they love. Each day that we get to train and play is a day that we feel a bit more normal.”
Woodstock
2019 record: 18-6, 10-0 KRC (first), KRC champions
Coach: Matt Warmbier (fourth season)
Top returning players: Oscar Escorza (sr., M), Prithvi Patel (sr., D), Dylan Gonzalez (sr., M), Stephan Turskey (sr., GK).
Top new players: Hunter Lisowski (jr., M), Brian Vilchis (jr., M).
Worth noting: The Blue Streaks return seven of their top players off an unbeaten KRC champion team, led by Escorza, the Streaks’ center midfielder who scored 21 goals and had 15 assists). He was voted KRC Player of the Year and was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection. … Woodstock did not allow a goal in its unbeaten KRC season. … “We’re looking to continue good form in conference playing returning a good portion of the team in an unbeaten conference season,” Warmbier said. “We have lots of seniors looking to close out their high school career with three conference championships,” Warmbier said. The two KRC titles were the first two boys soccer conference titles in school history.
Woodstock North
2019 record: 9-11-1, 6-4 KRC.
Coach: John Liuzzi (fourth season).
Top returning players: Jaime Castaneda (sr., D), Jack Duenas (sr., F), Jesus Diaz, (jr., M), Jacob Hernandez (jr., M), Eloy Bernal (jr., M), Javier Perez (jr., D).
Top new players: Erik Sarabia (jr., M), Erik Hermansson (jr., M), Niret Freundl (fr., M).
Worth noting: “The boys are excited to take the field this spring,” Liuzzi said. “There are a lot of young guys on this team who want to prove themselves. We want to improve on our conference record from (2019) and be in a position to play for the conference title.”
East Suburban Catholic Conference
Marian Central
2019 record: 9-14-0, 1-8 ESCC (10th)
Coach: Art Dixon (fourth season)
Top returning players: Christopher Ghita (sr., F), Mateo Raso (sr., F), Aidan Robertson (sr., M), Derek Emmert (jr., D), Matt Garrelts (jr., M-D), Noah Peterson (sr., D), Michael Sbarounis (so., M), Nathan Iafiglioloa (so., M), Brendan Stoll (jr., D), Steven Sbarounis (sr., D-M), Mattew Gruebnau (sr., D).
Top new players: Phillip Paulson (sr., M), Alex Trojanowski (so., M), Dawson Yegge (GK, so.), Jacob Bonnet (so., M-D), Jeremy Kieberg (sr., D), Andrew Steffes (sr., D), Peyton Thomas (so., F-D), Dominic Aragona (so., M-D), Aiden Cazares (sr., M).
Worth noting: The Hurricanes fared much better outside the tough ESCC, including winning Johnsburg’s Rigby Shootout, and they advanced to Class 1A Johnsburg Regional championship, where they lost to Oregon. … “We have a great group of players this season,” Dixon said. “It should be fun to watch the players develop as the season goes on. We are all very happy to get back out to the field and start playing games as a team again.”