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EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
Joliet Catholic Academy
Head coach: Tom Cranmer
2021 record: 9-13, Class 1A regional championship
Key returners: Ramon Rios (sr.), Aldo Estrada (sr.), Johnny Budz (sr.), Miles Czerkies (jr.)
Key newcomers: Robbie Funk (sr.), Aidan Medina (so.), Leonardo Marquez (so.)
Worth noting: JCA won the IMSA Tournament last season and was the Pepsi Showdown Series runner-up, in addition to winning its third straight Class 1A regional title. ... Rios and Estrada each scored 14 goals last season. ... Budz made 159 saves in goal and had three shutouts. ... “We will be a young team, but will have strong leadership from the seniors,” Cranmer said. “The incoming freshmen at our summer workouts have shown a lot of talent and will push our upperclassmen in practice to make everyone better. Our goals for the season are to be competitive in one of the toughest soccer conferences in the state [ESCC], repeat our tournament successes from last season and be in a position to win our regional so we can compete for a sectional title.”
Providence Catholic
Head coach: Bernie O’Donnell
2021 record: 4-15
Key returners: Joe Baumhardt (sr.), Sean McGrath (jr.), Jimmy Piko (so.), Isaac Sanchez (jr.)
Key newcomers: Lucas Garcia (fr.), James Lee (fr.), Logan Walker (fr.)
Worth noting: “I am very excited,” O’Donnell said. “We are a young team with a lot of potential, and I have high expectations for the season.”
ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT CONFERENCE
Coal City
Head coach: Steven McCleary
2021 record: 13-9, 5-2 in conference
Key returners: Luke Hawkins (sr.), Timi Shebani (jr.), Nate Elberts (sr.)
Key newcomers: Mateo Blessing (sr.), Gavin Togliatti (so.)
Worth noting: Hawkins had 24 goals and 13 assists last season, while Shebani had five goals and five assists. ... “Coal City has had a solid couple years in a row,” McCleary said. “We have lost nine starters from last year but have a lot of talent filling those positions. Once we get some experience together, I believe we can be competitive in our conference and our area.”
Reed-Custer
Head coach: Andy Gleixner
2021 record: 5-14-1
Key returners: Danny Kuban (sr.), Meni Alieu (sr.), Stephen Condreay (sr.), Josh Sprinkles (sr.), Jake Ozee (sr.)
Key newcomers: Ethan Hurtz (fr.)
Worth noting: Reed-Custer will be very senior-heavy, and Gleixner believes the Comets can have a special season. ... Kuban had 23 goals and five assists last season, while Condreay was a 2020 all-conference selection. ... “I feel like this is the most complete team we’ve had in quite a few years,” Gleixner said. “We have a lot of athletes and guys that understand their roles. We feel like it will be a great season for us.”
INTERSTATE EIGHT CONFERENCE
Morris
Head coach: David Valdivia
2021 record: 6-15-1
Key returners: Nick Webber (sr.), Ben Salzman (sr.), Levi Wilson (sr.), and Zachary Berman (sr.)
Key newcomers: Omar Serna (fr.)
Worth noting: Morris did not have any seniors last season, so all players have returned except Kaden Welch, who has committed himself to cross country. ... Valdivia looks for Webber to be a key component in the offense, along with Serna. ... “This is our year,” Valdivia said. “We were able to get a few players to commit to the Rush Soccer club. I feel very confident that we will have a winning season and some great soccer games.”
SOUTH SUBURBAN CONFERENCE
Lemont
Head coach: Rick Prangen
2021 record: 10-7-5
Key returners: Tyler Chrisman (so.), Marek Skotnicki (sr.), Lukas Rabianski (sr.), Lucas Urban (sr.), Ben Kittridge (sr.)
Key newcomer: Brett Tucker (fr.)
Worth noting: Lemont returns eight starters from last year’s South Suburban Blue and Class 2A Regional champions. ... “We will have a veteran backline with all of our starting defenders and goalkeeper returning from last year’s team,” Prangen said. “We hope to be able to compete again for a conference title and advance to a sectional title game.”
SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE CONFERENCE
Joliet Central
Head coach: Erick Estrada
2021 record: 4-12-1
Key returners: Jonathon Mendez (sr.), Christian Villagomez (sr.), Jonathon Martinez (sr.), Anastacio López (sr.)
Key newcomers: Koran Duncan (sr.), Hector Leon Zavala (sr.), Alonso Contreras (sr.), Ramon Zavala (jr.), Gilberto Rios (jr.)
Worth noting: Martinez had 15 goals and five assists last year for the Steelmen, while Mendes had six goals and five assists. ... Villagomez made 30 saves in goal and had three shutouts, with Zavala adding two goals and three assists. ... Joliet Central went 1-9-1 in SPC play. ... “This season we will be looking to improve our record and fight for a place in the top five of the conference,” Estrada said.
Joliet West
Head coach: Mike O’Shea
2021 record: 13-10-2
Key returners: Victor Antomez (sr.), Owen Merda (jr.), Richard Pacheco (sr.), Jesse Palacios (sr.), Gabrial Rivera (sr.), Adrian Maldonado (jr.)., Jake Polacek (so.), Tommy Polacek (so.)
Key newcomers: Ozzy Ortiz (so.)
Worth noting: The Tigers saw Herald-News All-Area first-team member Tony Kochev graduate after Kochev scored 11 goals and had six assists. ... Joliet West finished 5-6 in Southwest Prairie Conference play last season.
Minooka
Head coach: Nate Spriggs
2021 Record: 15-7-2
Key returners: Ben Wolcott (sr.), Kevyn Garcia (sr.), Ethan Kimbarovsky (sr.), Roger Valles (sr.), Julian Wolfer (sr.), Eli Avalos (jr.), Diego Escobedo (jr.)
Key newcomers: Andrew Calderon (fr.), Ethan Koranda (fr.)
Worth noting: The Indians, who won a regional championship last season, return several key starters. ... Wolcott scored seven goals last year, and Escobedo – who is a three-year varsity starter – added six goals. ... “We will add talented newcomers and hope to stay competitive against a challenging schedule,” Spriggs said. “A solid backline should solidify the defense, and they will work to put pressure on opponents on the offensive end by utilizing their team speed. Offensively, the key to our success will be our center-mids controlling the middle of the field. Team chemistry, senior leadership and our player’s work ethic will hopefully lead to a successful season.”
Plainfield Central
Head coach: Kevin Fitzgerald
2021 record: 6-15-1
Key returners: Cooper Bartz (sr.), Gordon Stanich (so.), Peyton Johnson (jr.), Caden Bargas (jr.), Neil Soans (sr.), Beckham Wesselhoff (sr.), Josiah Fornelli (sr.)
Key newcomers: Marshall McGraff (fr.)
Worth noting: Fitzgerald feels the Wildcats have a lot of potential, a good amount of experience and great kids. ... Stanich had three goals and three assists last season, while Bartz had two goals and two assists.
Plainfield East
Head coach: Cosimo Patano
2021 record: 15-4-2
Key returners: Braxton Francis (jr.), Yandel Reyes (jr.), Angel Casillas (sr.), Ben Basta (jr.), KJ McCray (sr.)
Key newcomers: Diego Elizondo, Trey Atkin
Worth noting: The Bengals went 9-2 in the Southwest Prairie Conference last season and were conference champions. ... Reyes had four goals and seven assists last season, while Basta had two goals and two assists.
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Plainfield North
Head coach: Lukas Majewski
2021 record: 14-5-4
Key returners: Cooper Allen (sr.), Timi Usikalu (sr.), Justin Williams (sr.), Sean Elster (sr.), Brady Harwood (sr.), Ryan Bechtel (sr.), Mathew Hipolito, (sr.)
Key newcomer: Paul McCormick (sr.)
Worth noting: Of the 21 players on the Tigers’ roster, 17 are seniors. ... Alen, Elster and Harwood are four-year starters, while Usikalu, Williams, Bechtel and Hipolito are three-year starters. ... McCormick is a transfer from Naperville North, but did not play high school soccer the past two years. ... “This group knows that it has unfinished business and very high goals and expectations for this season,” Majewski said. “As a coach of this very talented and veteran team, I am also looking forward to competing and contending at every level of play, from local tournaments and conference games to the state series in late October and hopefully into November.”
Plainfield South
Head coach: Nick Skrip
2021 record: 3-13-5
Key returners: David Sanchez (sr.), Abe Mensah (sr.), Adriel RIvas (sr.), Connor Pabon (sr.), Rene Saldivar (sr.)
Key newcomers: Amir Saba (jr.), Kyle Scaglione (jr.)
Worth noting: Sanchez will be counted on to be the team leader, with the other returning seniors expected to increase their roles. ... Saba and Scaglione were called up from the JV last year as sophomores and saw time in the second half of the season. ... Skrip has high expectations in his first season running the program. He expects the Cougars to build on their experience in close matches and take a leap forward.
Romeoville
Head coach: Nick Cirrincione
2021 record: 19-5-3
Key returners: Joseph Duarte (sr.), Lucas Ortiz (sr.)
Worth noting: The Spartans have 18 seniors trying to get on the team this year and lost only three starters from last year’s team that made it to the sectional finals. ... Duarte was the Spartans’ leading goal scorer last season. ... Ortiz was named honorable mention all-sectional. ... “We have a solid group that is ready to make a deep playoff run this year,” Cirrincione said.
SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN CONFERENCE
Lincoln-Way Central
Head coach: Dave Brown
2021 record: 17-2-2
Key returners: Nico Espinosa (sr.), Eddie Rafacz (sr.), Johnny Roussakis (sr.), Ryan Marszalek (sr.)
Key newcomers: Jamison Stockrahm (soph.), Drew Schiller (jr.)
Worth noting: Espinosa had 24 goals and five assists last season for the Knights and was named all-Southwest Suburban Red Conference as well as all-sectional. ... Marszalek also was all-conference and all-sectional after posting 17 wins in goal, including 11 shutouts. ... “As always, our team success will center around our ability to be organized and committed to working as a team,” Brown said. “We have a good mix of returning players with varsity experience paired with many who do not. I am excited to see who is up to the challenge of taking the next step for us this year.”
Lincoln-Way East
Head coach: Matthew Ribbens
2021 record: 4-16-2
Key returners: Nicholas Porada (sr.), Fahed Suleiman (sr.), Caden Udani (sr.)
Key newcomer: Raul Rincon (sr.)
Worth noting: Ribbens feels that the Griffins are a different team than the past two season’s. ... Porada had four goals and four assists last year, Suleiman had three goals and three assists and Udani had four goals and two assists, ... Although Rincon is a senior, because of injuries this will be his first year in the program, ... “We are going to be exciting to watch,” Ribbens said.
Lincoln-Way West
Head coach: Matthew Laude
2021 record: 7-8-1
Key returners: Rylan Decker (sr.), Jack Towner (sr.), Caleb Ludwig (sr.), Dane Hagen (sr.)
Key newcomers: Josh Lehman (jr.), Garry McDermott (jr.)
Worth noting: Decker had three shutouts in the Warriors’ seven wins last season. ... “The boys are putting in the extra work required to be successful this year,” Laude said. “They are hungry to make a statement this year by surprising some people and turning some heads.”
Lockport
Head coach: Chris Beal
2021 record: 20-2, 3rd place in Class 3A
Key returners: Dominic Williams (sr.), Ryan Pavelka (sr.), Danny Jiminez (sr.), Nate Blazewski (jr.)
Key newcomers: Ismael Gomez (so.), Daniel Szkodon (jr.), Luke Cibula (jr.)
Worth noting: Blazewski is the leading returning scorer for the Porters, having scored 10 goals last year to go with seven assists. Williams added nine goals and nine assists, while Jiminez had five goals and 10 assists. ... “I believe that we have an excellent team this season,” Beal said. “We have strength in all areas, and I think we have the potential to score a lot of goals. I hope that we can win the sectional again, and ultimately getting to the state series again would be great.”