Class 1A: Lisle Senior High School
The varsity boys’ soccer team from Lisle Senior High School became the 1A state champs this fall as they defeated the team from Peoria Christian, 1-0, on the strength of an unassisted goal by Eric Osika at the beginning of the second half of play, the Illinois High School Association reports.
A state title is great—papers quoted Osika as saying, “It’s crazy … I can’t describe how good it is”—but the bigger story here is Lisle’s soccer team, founded only eight seasons ago by coach Paul Kohorn.
It was the team’s 100th victory at North Central College in Naperville on Nov. 5, and the very first state title for any boys’ varsity team at the school.
”Our guys never gave up, never quit. It was incredible. It means so much to me for them [to win]. I’m going to miss them, but what a way to go out,” writer Matt Le Chen quoted Kohorn as saying, in a Chicago Sun-Times article about the team’s final game this season.
Class 2A: Notre Dame (Peoria)
In definitive fashion—which in soccer terms is an 8-0 shutout—Notre Dame High School from Peoria defeated Ridgewood High School from Norridge to become the Class 2A state champs in boys’ soccer at North Central College Nov. 6.
There isn’t much to say about this final game, as Notre Dame scored two goals in the first half and then left no doubt that they were determined to bring the trophy back to Peoria, scoring six goals in the second half on a 42-degree day in Naperville.
It started, in typical Notre Dame style, with Vince Cicciarelli scoring off an assist from Johnny Frampton. In all, Cicciarelli fired eight shots, two of which were on goal, both of which got by Norridge’s keeper. He’s the leading scorer this season for Notre Dame, having 33 goals prior to this match and now 35.
Officials cut the game short, based on a rule that allows the remaining time to be cut in half once a large margin of victory is attained. With 22:38 left in the game, they just changed the clock to 11:19 remaining.
Class 3A: Boylan
The final boys’ soccer match for this school year was played Nov. 6 between Boylan High School from Rockford and Libertyville High School at North Central College in Naperville. Boylan defeated Libertyville in a close match, scoring a goal in the second extra time period to reach a 3-2 lead and become the state champs for Class 3A.
Anyone could have predicted this game would be a long one, since Libertyville defeated Naperville North in the semifinals in two extra time periods and Boylan had to take their semifinal match against Edwardsville all the way to penalty kicks.
The state title marks the first for the Boylan boys’ soccer team. Homero Jordan scored the game-winner 2:26 into the second extra time period.
”We all played like we were seniors this year, and that’s how we had to play facing older teams,” the Chicago Sun-Times quoted Jordan, one of four seniors on the team, as saying. ”Hopefully my teammates come back next year and repeat.”