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East Suburban Catholic Conference
Coach: Tom Cranmer (14th season)
Last season’s record: 4-13-1, 0-8 ESCC
Top returners: Miles Czerkies, sr., midfielder; Leo Marquez, jr., forward; Diego Rios, so., midfielder
Key newcomers: Aidan Medina, jr., goalkeeper; Lukas Klein, so., forward; Charlie Czerkies, so., midfielder
Worth noting: Graduated seniors accounted for 31 of the Hilltoppers’ 38 goals last season, so Marquez and Rios, who each scored three times in 2022, will be counted on to pick up the slack. Miles Czerkies is the only other player on the team with a varsity goal last year, having scored one. There are high expectations for Klein and Charlie Czerkies. “This group of players has a lot of potential, but it will be up to the coaching staff and them to be able to tap into that this year and in future seasons,” Cranmer said.
Southwest Prairie Conference
Coach: Ulises Ornelas (first season)
Last season’s record: 0-20-1, 0-11 SPC
Top returners: Ramon Zavala, sr., midfielder; Gilberto Rios, sr., midfielder
Key newcomers: Javier Contreras, sr., midfielder; Juan Franco, jr., forward; Samuel Lizarazo, jr., defender
Worth noting: Ornelas takes over a struggling program and looks to turn things around with an almost entirely new roster. Only four players return from last season, with Zavala and Rios set to lead the way. “We will be providing a well-rounded program to motivate students to do their best, on and off the field,” Ornelas said. “We want to provide many opportunities for students to get to the next level and be successful academically.”
Coach: Neil Lucchetti (first season)
Last season’s record: 17-6-3, 6-3-2
Top returners: Adrian Maldonado, sr., midfielder; Alex Garcia, sr., forward; Ozzy Ortiz, jr., midfielder; Marcos Hernandez, sr., defender; Tommy Polacek, jr., defender; Ethan Podmolik, sr., defender; Gio Alipio, sr., midfielder; Ivan Moreno, so., midfielder
Key newcomers: Alex Mendoza, so., midfielder; Danny Gomez, sr., forward; Josh Romo, sr., forward; Owen Merda, sr., goalkeeper; Jake Polacek, jr., midfielder
Worth noting: The Tigers won the program’s third regional championship in 2022 and advanced to a Class 3A sectional final before falling 2-1 to Edwardsville. The bulk of that team returns, including eight starters, looking to do even more damage. Maldonado is a four-year starter at defensive midfielder. The Tigers hope to get a midseason boost when Garcia, who ranked second on the team in goals last year, returns from a torn posterior cruciate ligament that will sideline him for the start of the season. Lucchetti takes over as the head coach after four years as an assistant. He previously was a boys volleyball coach for eight seasons. “This year’s group will rely on its senior leadership and have come in very motivated during offseason workouts and throughout camp,” Lucchetti said.
Coach: Nate Spriggs (seventh season)
Last season’s record: 11-12-1, 4-6-1
Top returners: Diego Escobedo, sr., forward; Eli Avalos, sr., midfielder; Ethan Koranda, so., midfielder; Andrew Calderon, so., midfielder
Key newcomers: Caleb Phillips, jr., defender; Noah Allen, jr., forward; Jamie Franson, so., forward
Worth noting: Escobedo scored 17 goals, earning all-sectional and all-conference honors last season. The pieces are in place for a strong offense with talented midfielders Avalos, Koranda and Calderon back to set the table. Phillips will be counted on to lead an inexperienced defense. “We will work to put pressure on our opponents on the offensive end by utilizing our team speed,” Spriggs said.
Coach: Kevin Fitzgerald (22nd season)
Last season’s record: 4-13-5, 1-7-3
Top returners: Peyton Johnson, sr., midfielder; Gordon Stanich, jr., forward; Marshal Degraff, so., goalkeeper; Caden Bargas, sr., defender; Abraham Contreras, jr., defender
Worth noting: Johnson was an all-sectional performer last season who leads seven returning players. Degraff has some experience in goal now and an experienced back line in front of him, led by Bargas and Contreras. “We have a number of guys back, so that has raised expectations for this season,” Fitzgerald said.
Coach: Jacob Lysik (first season)
Last season’s record: 9-5-4, 4-3-4
Top returners: Yandel Reyes, sr., midfielder; Braxton Francis, sr., goalkeeper; Ben Basta, sr., forward
Key newcomers: J.P Esocbar, jr., midfielder; Justin Fuernstahl, jr., midfielder
Worth noting: Lysik, who starred at Lincoln-Way Central and plays for the Joliet-based semipro team Steel City FC, takes over as Bengals coach. Plainfield East returns eight starters, with seniors Reyes and Basta set to lead the attack. Reyes, who earned all-sectional honors last season, had nine goals and three assists last year, while Basta finished with 11 goals and five assists. Francis gives the team an experienced, reliable goalkeeper who is always capable of coming up with a huge save. “Our expectations are to lay a foundation for a new brand of Bengal soccer,” Lysik said. “We want to be the most hardworking, fittest team on the field every time we play.”
Coach: Lukasz Majewski (fourth season)
Last season’s record: 18-5-1, 8-2-1
Top returners: Owen MacPhail, sr., forward/midfielder; Aidan Smith, sr., defender; Luke Radcliff, sr., defender; Jonathan Martinez, jr., midfielder
Key newcomers: Owen Taylor, sr., midfielder; Ben Fehring, sr., forward; Benjamin Feldman, jr., goalkeeper
Worth noting: The Tigers lost a decorated senior class that featured 17 players on last year’s roster. Only four players return from the 2022 team, with MacPhail and Martinez looking to step up more offensively and Smith and Radcliff set to lead the backline. Taylor and Fehring were leaders on the JV team last year who Majewski hopes can adjust to the varsity game quickly. Plainfield North was the No. 3 seed in the Class 3A Bolingbrook Sectional last season and was upset by No. 13 seed Oswego 4-2 in its playoff opener, so the Tigers would like to get some playoff redemption this year. “The exciting thing is that we don’t really know,” Majewski said. “It could be something very good, or it could be something different. We’re pretty much starting with a brand new team.”
Coach: Nick Skrip (third season)
Last season’s record: 7-12-2, 4-6-1
Top returners: Leo Gamino, jr., goalkeeper; Rafa Pineda, sr., midfielder; Amir Saba, sr., forward; Chris Verdin, sr., defender
Key newcomers: Ethan Lio, jr., midfielder; Xavier Martinez, so., forward; Luke Dietel, jr., defender
Worth noting: The Cougars will field a young team in 2023, but Skrip is confident the program is set up for a quick rebuild. Pineda, Saba and Verdin will be counted on for leadership, while Gamino is good enough in net to keep his team in games even when they are outplayed. “The saves Leo makes every single day are highlight-reel worthy,” Skrip said. “Last year, he faced far too many shots and was the reason we ended up staying in tight games or beating some quality opponents at times.”
Coach: Nick Cirrincione (14th season)
Last season’s record: 28-2-1, 10-0-1
Top returners: Josh Silvar, sr., defender; Imanol Casillas, sr., defender; Isaiah Pina, sr., defender; Gavin Carrasco, sr., defender; Julian Arreguin, sr., forward; Ruben Mesta, sr., forward; Daniel Espinoza, sr., defender; Juan Jiminez, sr., midfielder; Leo Renteria, sr., midfielder; Kameron McShaw, jr., midfielder
Key newcomers: Alex Duda, sr., goalkeeper
Worth noting: The Spartans made history in 2022, winning their first state trophy and getting all the way to the Class 3A state championship game before finishing as the runners-up with a 1-0 loss to Naperville Central, the only team to beat Romeoville last season. The Spartans graduated their top four goals scorers from that team but return plenty of experience. Casillas scored nine goals and dished out 23 assists last season, while Pina also scored nine times. Silvar leads an experienced defense. “We have a seasoned, veteran team looking to make a deep run in the state series,” Cirrincione said. “This team is excited and have trained all summer long to try and get back to the top.”
SouthWest Suburban Conference
Coach: Nick Trotter (fourth season)
Last season’s record: 13-7-2, 3-1 SWSC
Top returners: Connor Capp, jr., defender; Aaron Palacios Chaves, sr., midfielder; Diego Guzman, jr., goalkeeper
Key newcomers: Ignacio Escamilla, jr., midfielder; Daniel Balas, jr., forward
Worth noting: The Raiders return eight starters after putting together a strong regular season in 2022. Capp anchors the defense in front of an experienced goalkeeper in Guzman, while Chaves will look to lead the offense. Escamilla is playing high school soccer for the first time after playing exclusively club the past two years and should be a big addition, while Balas also should provide some punch to the offense. After falling one loss to Sandburg short of a conference championship last season, Bolingbrook lost its playoff opener to Plainfield South. Conference and regional titles are goals this year. “We are still a relatively young group who will need to carry last year’s experiences into this season,” Trotter said. “We feel we have a great group with high energy and the ability to play possession-based soccer, which will be one of our main keys this season.”
Coach: Dave Brown (fourth season)
Last season’s record: 13-8, 3-1
Top returners: Johnny Roussakis, sr., midfielder; Drew Schiller, sr., defender; Dylan Maksa, sr., midfielder/defender
Key newcomers: Connor Pate, so., midfielder/forward; Noah Anhalt, sr., forward; Theodore Utz, sr., goalkeeper
Worth noting: The Knights graduated many of their top goal scorers from last season and will need to find some new go-to players. ... Roussakis is a great distributor who had 10 assists in 2022 despite having his season cut short by an injury. He’ll be looked at to find the net on his own some more this year. ... Schiller and Maksa are senior leaders on defense. Schiller also kicks for the football team. ... “We have a good mix of returning players along with some young, hungry players looking to make their mark at the varsity level,” Brown said.
Coach: Matthew Ribbens (fourth season)
Last season’s record: 6-12-2, 1-4
Top returners: Caden Udani, sr., forward; Brian McCracken, jr., defender; Noah Brown, jr., goalkeeper; Michael Lee, sr., defender/midfielder
Key newcomers: Dennis Apraku, jr., midfielder; Josh Mensching, jr., forward/midfielder; Owen Bohren, fr., midfielder
Worth noting: The Griffins fielded a young team in 2022 and expect it to pay off this season as they return seven starters. ... Udani is a versatile senior capable of playing all over the field, and Lincoln-Way East will look for him to be a big scorer after he had five goals and five assists last season. ... Brown impressed in the net as a sophomore last season, and Ribbens expects the defense in front of him to be stronger this season with McCracken and Lee returning as starters. ... “I believe this will be a breakout year for the Griffins,” Ribbens said. “We have struggled for the past three seasons being a very small and young team. I believe we will be competing for a conference title and regional title.”
Coach: Matt Laude (seventh season)
Last season’s record: 9-10-3, 1-3
Top returners: Eli Bach, sr., midfielder; Adrian Ontiveros, so., defender; Josh Lehman, sr., midfielder; Reece Eggener, jr., midfielder
Key newcomers: Jackson Hirschboeck, so., midfielder
Worth noting: The Warriors had 11 players graduate from last season’s roster and expect to rely on several young players, including Ontiveros and Hirschboeck. ... Ontiveros gained experienced as a freshman on varsity last season. ... Bach and Lehman are the senior leaders in the middle. ... Laude expects his team to be fun to watch. “We are excited about being able to control the flow of the game more this year with our technical ability,” Laude said.
Coach: Chris Beal (14th season)
Last season’s record: 17-5, 2-2
Top returners: Nate Blazewski, sr., forward; Ismael Gomez, jr., midfielder; Tyler Malczewski, jr., midfielder; Luke Cibula, jr., goalkeeper
Key newcomers: Rafael Hernandez, jr., midfielder; Jacob Hareza, so., forward
Worth noting: After finishing third in Class 3A in 2021, the Porters had another solid season last year but were knocked out early in the playoffs, falling 3-2 to Bloom in a regional final. They hope to get back deep into the postseason behind Blazewski, Gomez and Malczewski, who were all on the state roster two years ago. ... Cibula is an inexperienced goalkeeper who can steal a game. “We are hoping to win conference and also push for a sectional championship,” Beal said.
Chicago Catholic League
Coach: Mike Taylor
Last season’s record: 0-16, 0-6 CCL
Top returners: Sean McGrath, sr., defender; Simon Janakiev, sr., forward; Ryan Wolniakowski, sr., defender; Luke McAllister, jr., goalkeeper; Jimmy Piko, jr., midfielder
Key newcomers: Dean Lavvas, jr., midfielder; Billy Savarino, fr., midfielder; Jovanny Gonzalez, fr., midfielder; Cameron Klene, fr., midfielder
Worth noting: The Celtics went winless last season and had just two victories in 2021, but new coach Taylor is looking to turn things around. Taylor is a hall of famer who has 473 wins on the boys side at Glenbard South, Fenton and St. Viator. He has won two state championships and 13 state trophies. ... Providence is hoping to rebuild behind a mix of talented freshmen and some key senior leaders, with McGrath, Wolniakowski and McAllister looking to form a team that’s tough to score on. ... “I am looking to restore the winning ways back in a program that used to be one of the best in the area,” Taylor said. “It will take some time, but I believe we will take a positive step in the right direction this year.”
South Suburban Conference
Coach: Rick Prangen (32nd season)
Last season’s record: 14-4-7, 6-2-3 SSC
Top returners: Tyler Chrisman, jr., midfielder; Aiden Ontiveros, jr., defender; Ali Nabulsi, jr., midfielder; Bret Tucker, so., forward
Key newcomers: Gabriel Zarycki, fr., midfielder/forward; Giovanni Ochoa, fr., forward/midfielder; Andrew Guzy, fr., defender; John Robbins, fr., forward
Worth noting: Lemont won a regional championship and advanced to a Class 2A sectional final before falling 1-0 to Marmion last season. ... Six starters are gone from that team, and this year’s squad is lacking seniors, but a strong junior class is set to lead the way. ... Chrisman dished out 11 assists and scored five goals last season, while Ontiveros helped the defense record 15 shutouts. Tucker scored six goals as a freshman in 2022 and should be even more dangerous this season. ... Zarycki, Ochoa and Robbins should add to the offense right away. ... “We will still be a very young team this year, but are looking to compete for a conference title,” Prangen said.
Illinois Central Eight Conference
Coach: Steven McCleary (eighth season)
Last season’s record: 4-14-1, 1-5 ICE
Top returners: Timi Shabani, sr., forward; Jared Counterman, sr., defender
Key newcomers: Dane Noffsinger, so., midfielder; Luke Munsterman, so., midfielder; Gavin Parks, so., forward; Colton Lemmons, so., defender
Worth noting: The Coalers are young, but McCleary is confident about their talent level. ... Shabani and Counterman will be counted on heavily for their leadership, while the sophomore class brings a new level of excitement. Noffsinger, Munsterman, Parks and Lemmons are expected to make big impacts. ... “We hope to surprise a lot of people this season and grow as the season progresses,” McCleary said. “These boys are talented, energetic and ready to take on any task that is in front of them.”
Coach: Andy Gleixner (18th season)
Last season’s record: 8-14, 2-4
Top returners: Wyatt Crater, jr., defender; Jack Krall, jr., defender; Carter Jones, jr., defender; Brady Shultz, jr., forward; Jareck Hirsh, jr., forward; Jayden Bustos, so., forward
Key newcomers: Johnny McLean, sr., midfielder; Mason Vasil, fr., midfielder; Lucas Walsh, fr., midfielder; Damian Andrade, fr., defender
Worth noting: The defensive core is intact from last season, with Crater, Krall and Jones returning after a year of experience starting together. Shultz is the only other returning starter, as the Coalers will look to senior newcomer McLean and freshmen Vasil and Walsh to step up in the midfield. ... “We are in a rebuild year but have a lot of pieces to make quite a statement,” Gleixner said.
Interstate 8 Conference
Coach: David Valdivia
Last season’s record: 7-15-1, 2-5 I-8
Top returners: Riker Anderson, sr.; Aidan Mondragon, jr.; Ivan Escatel, sr.; Kalen Carver, sr.; Connor Ahearn, jr.
Key newcomers: Nick Black, sr.; August Valdivia, fr.; Zander Braun, sr.; Noah Trejo, fr.; James Stefanski, fr.
Worth noting: Morris returns five seniors, including four-year starter and co-captain Anderson. Escatel returns in goal. ... The four freshmen playing varsity are part of a giant class of 19 ninth-graders in the program this season. ... Integrating young soccer players is, Valdivia feels, a key to the success of Morris soccer. “We want to get the kids interested when they are young,” he said. “In our home opener on Aug. 21 against Manteno, the Saratoga and Morris grade school teams are going to play before us, and then stay to watch us.”
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