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Hampshire’s boys soccer program has made remarkable progress in recent years.
In 2019, the IHSA’s last full fall season of soccer, the Whip-Purs were trying to win their third regional in four years when bad weather forced their game to be called with 27 minutes remaining, allowing Streamwood to win the Class 2A Hampshire Regional, 1-0.
This spring, the Whips lost to powerful Jacobs, 8-2, early in the season, but began knocking off all the other Fox Valley Conference teams. In the FVC Tournament, the Whips came back and shocked the conference with a 1-0 shootout victory over Jacobs for the championship.
The loss spoiled a perfect season for Jacobs. It also marked the 49th victory for the Whips since 2017.
Both teams lost some key players to graduation, most notably Jacobs’ Liam Armstrong and Hampshire’s Kobe Frenette, the area’s two scoring leaders, but they hope to be back in the thick of the FVC race.
Huntley and Crystal Lake South figure to be FVC contenders with the experience and talent they have returning.
Woodstock won its third Kishwaukee Conference title in four years in the spring season, finishing 11-0-2, 10-0 KRC.
Fox Valley Conference
Burlington Central
Coach: Dimitri Tsoukalas (first season)
Last season’s finish: 0-8-2 FVC (10th place)
Top returning players: Mason Freeman, sr., D-M; Frankie Mazziotta, sr., F; Luciano Metallo, sr., F
Top new players: Charlie Ames, so., M-D; Kaleb Boer, so., D; Daniel Nava, so., F
Worth noting: Tsoukalas has high expectations for the Rockets. “I expect midfielders Jack Petsche and Miguel Nava to dictate the game and work together with our attackers, Frankie Massiotta and Luciano Metallo,” Tsoukalas said. “I’m expecting us to compete immediately in the conference and make a statement in each game.”
Cary-Grove
Coach: Mark Olson (16th season)
Last season’s finish: 3-4-3 FVC (seventh place)
Top returning players: Sam Kedzior, sr., GK; Jake Motz, sr., D; Kam Fadden, sr., D; Brandon Burtschi, sr., D-M; Justin Freeman, sr., M-D; Tom Latawiec, sr., M; Jose Dimas, sr., M; Anthony Warfield, sr., M; Tyler Nordengren, sr., M; Jack Eggenberger, sr., F; Lukas Klipp, sr., F; James Serio, sr., F-M
Top new players: Brach Skoff, jr., D-M; John Miles, jr., GK; Ian Frangiamore, so., D; Cooper Motz, so., D-M; Kyle Nordengren, so., M; Sean Barnes, so., D; Caleb Ramirez, so., D
Worth noting: Olson said the coaches and players are excited about the opportunity for another season during the COVID-19 pandemic. “One thing I’m sure we all learned this past year is to not take things for granted,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to be able to play in the spring so that last year’s seniors got the chance to experience some sort of normalcy. This year’s seniors have done an exceptional job with bringing the new players on board.”
Crystal Lake Central
Coach: Jay Schwarzrock (14th season)
Last season’s finish: 1-8-1, 1-7-1 FVC (eight place)
Top returning players: Elijah Burleson, sr., F; Joseph Moore, sr., GK; Evin Perez, sr., M; Anthony Virruso, jr., D; Aiden Andrews, jr., D
Top new players: Javier Ramirez, jr., M; Owen Kaiser, so., M
Worth noting: Schwarzrock likes what the junior class brings to the Tigers. “This will be an improvement from the spring season,” he said. “We have a strong defense and an experienced striker with Elijah (Burleson), but our offense will be dependent upon the play of our relatively young midfield.”
Crystal Lake South
Coach: Brian Allen (15th season).
Last season’s finish: 6-4-2, 5-3-1 FVC (fourth place)
Top returning players: Tom Coughlin, sr., CM; Sam Bahnfleth, sr., F; Deven Tinajero, sr., M; Michal Dejworek, sr., M; Matt Horvath, sr., F; Tyler Aldridge, sr., D; Tomasz Slawek, sr., D; Josh Washington, jr., D; Dayton Murphy, so., D; Nolan Getzinger, so., M
Top new players: Chris Slawek, so., GK; Nico Velasco, so., M; Ali Ahmed, fr., F
Worth noting: Coughlin, Bahnfleth, Tinajero and Dejworek all played integral roles on the 2019 Gators’ Class 2A state runners-up. Fifteen players have varsity experience from the spring season. “We have a terrific core of seven senior leaders who are looking to add on to the legacy and culture that has been established before them,” Allen said. “They have established high standards for themselves and their teammates.”
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Rey Vargas (18th season)
Last season’s finish: 6-7-2, 6-5-0 FVC (sixth place)
Top returning players: Jefferson Leon, sr., D; Juan Pacheco, sr., M; Ashton Ajroja, sr., F-M; Israel Labrada, sr., M; Jason Martinez, sr., D; Fernando Ramirez, sr., D
Top new players: Alexis Contreras, so., F; Martin Leon, so., D; Alex Martinez, jr., M
Worth noting: Vargas wants the Chargers to build off of the spring season and improve. “We have many returning players with experience and talent, and look to get them to gel together,” he said. “We also have some young talent that looks to step up and fill some big shoes from last spring’s seniors.”
Hampshire
Coach: Chayanne Martinez (first season)
Last season’s finish: 10-2 (FVC tournament champion)
Top returning players: Gerardo Marquez, sr., M; Kyle Schultz, sr., GK; Jesse Brown, sr., D; Evan Korabik, sr., D; Juan Alva, sr., M; Adrian Mikiewicz, sr., D; Diego Colin, sr., M
Top new players: Juan Martinez, so., F; Samuel Beer, so., M; Aiden Rossow, jr., M; Chase Anderson, jr., M; Charlie Terriquez, fr., M
Worth noting: The Whip-Purs have won 49 games since the 2017 season and took the FVC championship in the spring with a 1-0 overtime shootout victory over previously unbeaten Jacobs. The Whips lost to Jacobs, 8-2, early in the season. … Martinez has been a big part of that progress as assistant coach for three seasons. Now, he takes over for Rick Schuster. … Marquez is the captain and will be a team leader as one of the top players from the FVC title team. Schultz is back in goal and also will be a big presence for the Whips. … Brown and Korabik are others who played key roles and Alva and Colin will be relied on to pick up some of the scoring, especially with Kobe Frenette (12 goals) graduated. “They are great finishers and have a great sense for where the goal is,” Martinez said. “They can put away goals from different ranges.”
Huntley
Coach: Matt Lewandowski (third season)
Last season’s finish: Third in FVC
Top returning players: Ethan Kornas, sr., GK; Austin Killen, sr., M; Thomas Rodriguez, sr., M; Jackson Bauer, sr., M; Hayes Porsche, sr., F; Bryan Kigongo, sr., F; Marco Perez, sr., D; Zach Heitkemper, jr., D
Top new players: Ishaan Thakar, sr.; Michae Overly, jr.; Gavin Eagan, so.; Hudson Nielsen, so.
Worth noting: Killen was one of the FVC’s top scorers until he suffered a torn ACL in the spring season. He has recovered and is ready to contribute for the Red Raiders. … Kornas was one of the best keepers in the FVC and Rodriguez had five goals and four assists for Huntley. … Five other starters return for the Raiders. “We’re looking to jump right in and continue on with our success and build even more,” Lewandowski said. “We look to improve upon our third-place FVC finish and compete for another (Class 3A) regional title. We’re adding some quality talent and depth in a few younger players that are ready to prove themselves.”
Jacobs
Coach: Colin Brice (third season)
Last season’s finish: 12-1-1 (second in FVC Tournament)
Top returning players: Ruben Zarate, sr., F; Shotaro Seto, sr., MF; Will Blaise, sr., M; Ben Phillips, sr., M; Karl Manlapid, sr., F; Manny Gonzalez, sr., GK
Top new players: Danylo Krylosahnskyy, so., GK; Peter Wolf, so., F; John Kraft, jr., D; Tristan Agabin, fr., M; Nevin Volarath, so., M; Owen Armstrong, so., D
Worth noting: The Golden Eagles graduated several key players who had played on teams that were 28-6-4 over the last two seasons and went 17-1 in FVC regular-season games. … Jacobs lost to Hampshire, 1-0, in an overtime shootout game for the FVC Tournament championship in the spring. … Northwest Herald Player of the Year Liam Armstrong, who led the area with 16 goals and 10 assists, is gone, as is Sam Rainer and PJ Hopkins, who also were All-Area first-team picks. … Brice thinks teams will have a tough time marking Zarate at forward. Blaise and Seto were two of their other top players who are back. … Brice likes what Wolf, a sophomore, brings to the offense and thinks he will make an impact.
McHenry
Coach: Tony Caruso (24th season).
Last season’s finish: 3-10, 1-8 FVC (ninth place)
Top returning player: Edwin Navas, sr., M-F
Top new players: Marko Stojich, fr., M-F
Worth noting: “We just want to compete and play ‘McHenry Style’ soccer,” Caruso said.
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Justin Brown (first season)
Last season’s finish: 5-5-2 FVC (fourth place)
Top returning players: Brogan Amherdt, jr., M-D; Cade Collins, jr., F; Mason Fowler, so., M; Daniel Llanqiman, sr., GK; Nathan O’Hanian, jr., M; Jake Pinkerton, jr., M; Brady Rogers, jr., D; Zion Smeja, sr., D
Top new players: Kaden Bredeson, jr., M-D; Henry Eriksen, sr., M-D; Brad Haisler, sr., D; Sam Kirk, fr., M-F; Henry Knoll, fr., F; SethMatson, fr., D; Ethan Ormsby, so., M; Gabe Porter, fr., F; Chase Santucci, fr., M; Chase Vrba, so., D
Worth noting: The Wolves will add several new players to those returning from a team that advanced to the FVC Tournament semifinals, where they lost to Jacobs. … Collins had eight goals, third among FVC players, in the spring season. … “We are happy to be back to a normal schedule and hope to be playing our best soccer come playoff time,” Brown said.
Kishwaukee River Conference
Harvard
Coach: Victor Gonzalez (seventh season)
Last season’s finish: 8-4 KRC (second place)
Top returning players: Oger Bernal, sr., M; Eric Aquino, sr., M; Jovani Escobar, sr., M; Alexis Gonzalez, sr., M; Juan Silva, sr., F; David Aquino, jr., F
Top new players: Brayan Mendoza, jr., D; GIo Mercado, jr., D; Andres Hernandez, jr., GK; Marco Herrera, so., M
Worth noting: Gonzalez likes that the Hornets have several of their top attacking players returning, led by Bernal, who scored five goals. Gonzalez hopes that offensive experience might help the Hornets to avoid penalty-kick shootouts (they were 3-4 those games in the spring). … “We lost our back line to graduation and have to work to find players to fill those roles,” Gonzalez said. “We have juniors that have looked solid filling those positions so far in training.”
Johnsburg
Coach: Adam Bronars (fifth season)
Last season’s finish: 2-12 overall, 0-10 KRC (sixth place)
Top returning players: Trevor Roos, sr., D; Nathan Huemann, sr., D; Peter Link, sr., D; Patrick Broderick, jr., M; Kyle Jesuit, so., M; Preston Michel, so., GK; Kyle Patterson, so., M; Payton Fiene, so., F
Top new players: Jake Calhoun, so., M; JT Schmidt, fr., D
Worth noting: The Skyhawks are young and are looking at the season to build and improve.
Marengo
Coach: Sergio Orozco.
Last season’s finish: Fifth place.
Top returning players: Evan Hartmann, sr., F; Evan Fashingbaur, sr., D; Matt Burley, jr., GK.
Top new players: Jakob McCarthy, fr., M; Chris Fernandez, fr., D.
Worth noting: “We have a young team who is very excited to get a chance to play and compete,” Orozco said.
Richmond-Burton
Coach: Casey DeCaluwe (11th season)
Last season’s finish: 6-7-2, 4-6 KRC (fourth place)
Top returning players: Ethan Demers, sr., F; Tristan Rockwell, sr., M; Sean Rockwell, so., M; Logan Knott, sr., GK; Jack Verdoni, sr., D; Maddox Meyer, so., F; Parker Sweeney, jr., D; Maxwell Folbrick, jr., M
Top new players: Mike Popp, jr., D; Josue Campos, jr., M; Joseph Keyes, fr., M; Dalton Youngs, fr., M; Jack Meyer, fr., M
Worth noting: The seniors played on a Class 1A sectional champion as sophomores and would like to make another deep postseason run. … Demers was one of the top scorers in the area with 11 goals last season. … “This is a young group mixed with some senior leadership,” DeCaluwe said. “We used last spring to get us prepared for this season, allowing some young players to develop. We want to be playing our best soccer during the IHSA playoffs.”
Woodstock
Coach: Matt Warmbier (fifth season)
Last season’s finish: 11-0-2, 10-0 (KRC champion)
Top returning players: Marco Alcazar, sr., CM: Hunter Lisowski, sr., D-M; Angel Meraz, sr., M
Top new players: Mateo Echeverry Acevedo, sr., F; Lucas Rubio, fr., D; Dominic Vogel, fr., M
Worth noting: The Blue Streaks lost seven starters, and four role players, to graduation. Warmbier likes what he has to work with. “We have lots of good pieces out thie year,” he said. “The biggest questions are can they all accept their role on the team and learn to work together. If they can do this, we should be able to compete for another conference championship and hopefully make some noise when playoff soccer returns.”
Woodstock North
Coach: John Sullivan (first season)
Last season’s finish: 6-4 KRC (third place)
Top returning players: David Marian, sr., D; Erik Hermansson, sr., GK; Nibret Freundl, so., M; Eloy Bernal, sr., M
Top new players: Sam Foster, fr., F; Enrique Castaneda, so., M; Guillermo Ramirez, so., CM
Worth noting: “This is a true team in every sense of the word,” Sullivan said. “There is a wealth of veteran leadership which will benefit the young players coming up.”
East Suburban Catholic Conference
Marian Central
Coach: Art Dixon (fifth season)
Last season’s finish: 6-6-1, 3-6-0 ESCC (seventh place)
Top returning players: Matt Garrelts, sr., M-D; Derek Emmert, sr., D; Brendan Stoll, sr., D; Michael Sbarounis, jr., M; Nathan Iafigliola, jr., M; Alex Trojanowski, jr., M; Dawson Yegge, jr., GK; Jacob Bonnet, jr., M-D; Peyton Thomas, jr., F-D; Ryan Simmons, jr., F-GK; Dominic Aragona, jr., M-F
Top new players: Jeremy Henkel, sr. F-M; Joseph Goder, jr., D; Sam Manaois, jr., M; Vance Conner, jr., D; Henry Bonnet, fr., M; Nicholas Giesinger, fr., D; Eddie Gilmore, fr., D; Michael Raimondo, fr., M
Worth noting: Emmert and Garrelts were All-ESCC picks and return to lead the defense. … The Hurricanes are on the young side with a lot of juniors and freshmen stepping into key roles.