Boys soccer notes: Strange injury derails Crystal Lake South’s Sam Bahnfleth’s senior season

Sam Bahnfleth’s senior soccer season at Crystal Lake South was supposed to be memorable.

Bahnfleth would be part of a loaded lineup with Tommy Coughlin, Michael Dejworek and Deven Tinajero, who all were on South’s 2018 Class 2A state championship team and bigger parts on the Gators’ 2A runners-up the next season.

South figured to be a contender in the Fox Valley Conference, which it was. Huntley beat the Gators, 1-0, last week in what essentially was the title game.

The Gators have every capability of making a deep postseason run as they host a Class 2A regional this week, but Bahnfleth can only lend moral support. The forward has been sidelined most of the season by a mysterious injury that led to a hematoma forming behind his right knee.

Bahnfleth held off surgery because it certainly would have ended his season, but the hematoma has not dissipated enough to allow him to play.

Last Tuesday, on Senior Day against Huntley, Bahnfleth took the opening kickoff, tapped the ball to a teammate, who passed to a Huntley defender who kicked the ball out of bounds, allowing South to insert a substitute. Bahnfleth hobbled off the field and grabbed Gators coach Brian Allen for a long, emotional hug.

“That meant everything,” Bahnfleth said. “It was finally closure for me. It was nice to be back at The Swamp and be with my teammates one last time on the field.

“It (stinks), but I’ve come to terms with it, and I’m happy to help the team in any way I can. I’ll always be able to play whenever I want to. But it (stinks) when it’s taken from you and you’re not ready for it.”

Bahnfleth played the first few games and said doctors know what happened, but could not pinpoint a cause. Bahnfleth said he was running and something in his thigh area bled. As he continued running, the hematoma, a pool of blood, formed behind the knee.

“It was preventing me from bending my knee,” Bahnfleth said. “Basically it’s been a battle with letting it absorb itself. They don’t know what caused it, but it shouldn’t be there. They can do surgery and remove it or let your body absorb it. I was trying to let it absorb it and trying to get back faster. I’ll probably have to go through surgery.”

Allen called the moment a “mixed bag of emotions.”

“As a coach, injuries are something we all fear and dread for any player but especially our seniors,” Allen said. “Add in that it is someone like Sam, who I have had the honor and privilege of coaching on varsity for all four years now, and it is definitely gut-wrenching. We were both a bit teary-eyed for sure.

“I was glad he was able to put on the uniform one more time and get some closure. Even more impressive to me is that Sam has continued to be a leader and made our team so much better by becoming an extra set of eyes on the bench, like having another assistant coach on the sideline. I’m so proud of him, and it shows great character that he’s remained so engaged.”

Still alive: Neither Marian Central (12-10) or Marengo (8-14) experienced a lot of success in their respective conferences, but they still are playing postseason competition. Both will play Wednesday at the Class 1A Hinckley-Big Rock Sectional.

Marian faces Genoa-Kingston at 4:30 p.m.; Marengo meets Wheaton Academy in the second semifinal. The championship is set for 3 p.m. Saturday.

Marengo beat Stillman Valley, 1-0, in its first match, then beat Rockford Lutheran, 4-3, in a shootout for the Indians’ first regional boys soccer title in school history.

The championship match was suspended by darkness Friday and resumed Saturday. Regulation ended tied at 2. Both teams scored a goal in the second overtime period, sending the game to a shootout.

Marian allowed only one goal in its two regional games, beating Johnsburg, 3-1, then defeating Westminster Christian, 1-0, for the title.

“The biggest thing we did was keeping them to zero goals,” Hurricanes midfielder Matt Garrelts said of the win over Westminster Christian. “We haven’t been the highest-scoring team, but we played great defense. I’m thankful we have this opportunity, but I feel like we can go farther. We worked hard to get to this position.”

Marian benefited from playing in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, where it is the smallest school.

“I feel like playing bigger, better competition makes you better,” forward-midfielder Nate Iafigliola said. “I want to play harder competition and get better.

“It’s exciting. We’re looking forward to this. We don’t want to let our foot off the gas.”

Hurricanes coach Art Dixon feels there is more to come.

“At the beginning of the season we set our goals as a team,” Dixon said. “Winning the regional championship helped us complete another goal. This team still has several goals left to accomplish.”

Welcome back: Huntley midfielder Austin Killen returned to the lineup Thursday, six months after suffering a torn right ACL during the spring high school season.

Killen would have been one of the top returning players in the FVC. He made it back just in time to join the Red Raiders on senior night and play in the postseason, which starts this week.

Killen scored a goal in his first match back Thursday against Rockford East. He could be a nice addition to a team that won the FVC championship.