Facebook App
At the start of the girls season, all the focus will be on Waubonsie Valley -- the program looking to capture its third consecutive state title and join elite company. If the Warriors accomplish that feat, they will join only St. Charles, which won five consecutive state crowns from 1996-2000, as Illinois' only three-time winners.
While everyone around the area knows the story of Waubonsie Valley, not many know of Huntley. But come June, if all the pieces fall in place, the Red Raiders will be known to all.
Last spring, I told you York was the team to watch and it was. Last fall, I told you Larkin was the team to watch and it was.
Doubt me all you want, but Huntley is this spring's team to keep an eye on. Pictured left is Huntley's Alyse Williams.
The great thing about this job is that people read you whether they like you or not. When you're right, you're supposed to be right in this position. But man if you're wrong, coaches, parents, players and even friends of friends of the neighhood butcher make sure you know you were wrong.
Sometimes, it's actually interesting to be wrong and watch the natives come for the kill.
I remember taking a lot of heat for ranking the Larkin boys team in the preseason Top 10 and seeding them No. 2 in the Pepsi Showdown last fall. After seeing the Royals over the summer, talking to college coaches who saw them over the summer and knowing the talent they had coming back, it was pretty much common sense to rank them.
Larkin won 20-plus games and the Pepsi Showdown, was ranked as high as No. 2 in the Top 10. And hey, the other Chicago daily newspaper ranked them a couple weeks into the season.
One thing I've learned about this sport since I began covering it in 1995 is that it's really like a high school in many ways. You have your cliques throughout the Chicagoland area. I've watched the way people have voted on things year after year (people send me stuff all the time), the way they talk and the way they act.
If you aren't in the clique, people don't pay attention. You have the groupies in the Naperville area who don't cross over I-355 at times, while you have tournament groupies who stick with one another and are afraid to go out on their own.
History and statistics tell the same story year after year with the cliques and groupies.
So it never surprises me when someone is like York? Larkin?
And now it will be, "Trost, seriously, Huntley?"
Yes, Huntley.
Educate yourself a little about the Red Raiders:
- Joe Trost
Cell Phone Alerts
Hey Joe! Just a question for you. Can you tell me how Larkin did in the State Tourney?
One game doesn't make a season, and I think you know I don't put stock into the state tournament at all - as I don't put stock into anyone tournament. The IHSA tournament is general tournament to me.
Joe. I love the addition of pictures. I think there is a gem at York that we will be recruiting.
It's a test right now and as long as the photos work, we can add them throughout the story., too. Photos add a ton, as long as it's not a headshot of my ugly mug.
That's what Morton said too, until the collar got too tight for them during crunch time. I give extra credit to the teams that win when it counts. And no, the state tournament is not just a tournament. It's kind of like saying the World Cup is just another tournament. Ummm, not it's not. And unlike other "tournaments" where all the state's teams don't play (Pepsi?) the State tournament includes ALL the teams in the state. And I would argue the best team in the state (NT) won the state tournament, which shows to me at least, that the State tournament truly does determine which team is the best or close to the best. Larkin? yeah, a nice team and all, but you always pick some dark horse at the beginning of the year like you're some sooth-sayer, and they typically go down (ie choke?) early in the state tournament. That's my two cents. We'll see how you're Girl's Huntley dark horse does this Spring. My bet would be that they fade quickly when it counts.
The IHSA tournament is just another tournament, it's not a true state tournament. It's an area- or sectional-based tournament seeded a month before (when football is seeded a week before) and it does not include every single team in the state. Many programs don't pay the fee to play. Again, don't let the truth get in the way of the facts. Cases can be made, but the fact are the facts. When a team goes 21-2, that's a pretty good season sort of like the Hinsdale Central team that lost to Downers South in the super. Yes, the same Downers South team that began the season ranked No. 1 in the Sun-Times. Hinsdale Central still had a great year, but as expected and it wasn't a choke that they lost. Not many so-called sideline experts from Hinsdale knew of Larkin before the start of last year.
Joe - I agree with the seeding issue and also agree with your description of the IL tourney as "sectional based", but it is more than just a tournament. And I'd like to know the teams that don't pay the fee to play - really? That's a poor argument Joe for why the IL state tourney is "just a tournament". Can they not afford it? As far as your description of Hinsdale and Downers South, I guess you are talking about 2004? Kind of past history, but not really a good example either. I WOULD argue that Hinsdale choked. Undefeated going into that sctional final game and having beaten Downers south earlier in the season, they tightened up under pressure, and Downer's didn't. And, Downers went on to win state, while St. Charles North (that beat larkin) didn't - just another average team beating a choking Larkin team that couldn't bring it when it mattered. So go ahead, pick a dark horse Joe, but they will fade like all the dark horses you pick....
Joe,
You sure are a real betting man to have picked Huntley as a “team to watch”. If you look at their schedule they are guaranteed to win 17 games. This is from their own tournament where 4 teams (Marango, Elgin, Larin, and Burlington Central) are a completely subpar in their own conference and one team is respectable (Glenbard N). These 17 wins do not include 2 games versus a good Crystal Lake South, an average Libertyville team and most likely Hersey in the 2nd round of Pepsi. The other wins will come from playing their weak conference opponents Twice (Prairie Ridge, Crystal Lake Central, Johnsburg, Grayslake Central and Grayslake North). Most of those teams will finish at or below .500. Also they will be put in a sub regional for state meaning they will have a few guaranteed wins there. For you calling, a "team to watch" to be successful will be a 20+ win season. This is a given. If you really are going have a "team to watch" then find someone that had a 15 win season last year, plays in a tough conference and has a tough non-conference schedule. For someone who has built his reputation for going against grain I find this weak and lazy.
Wow, thank you for giving the background on how to pick a team to watch. You have too much time on your hands.
That's a lame response. I respect your writings and to tell your critics we have to much time on our hands is a copout. C'mon Joe, you can do better than this. Would you rather I just agree with everything you say. Challenge your readers!
Very nice PK! See, when Joe gets called on something, he retreats into the insult mode and saying things like "you've got too much time on your hands" - instead of answering your post. But he can't, that's why you got the response you got from Joe. I like Joe alot but he's kind of pompous and stubborn at times...... But as Joe would say, if you don't like it, go read the Tribune. Oh wait, the Tribune doesn't have a High school soccer reporter. Never mind.....
You know something, I'm not disrespecting you but I think you are disrespecting the kids. They can't control the schedule. And here's some common sense - Huntley is not right next door. It's tough to travel on school nights everywhere. Huntley wanted to get into Pepsi to up its schedule and have four or five good games. Don't disrespect the kids and rip on other teams. When you do that, as an adult, you have too much time on your hands. It's high school sports.
There is a fine line and you don't rip on kids.
Trost,
You are spot on with most of what you say (I don't know a lot about girls soccer), but your boys picks are really good for an outsider who doesn't personally know all of the players around the state. When it comes down to it, you other guys DO HAVE too much time on your hands, and it is inapproptiate to call teenage soccer teams subpar, regardless of how their seasons may end up.
To say that Larkin choked in the regionals is an entirely false statement. That would be saying that Geneva (2nd seed in sectional) and Wheaton North (4th seed) choked against St. Charles North as well. Either St. Charles North got very lucky and had three very good teams "choke" in succession, or they got hot at the right time to win the sectional title. I think you would be forced to agree with the latter. This shows how the State Tournament is not, and should not be, the sole indicator of a team's season success.
Huntley has lots of talent and a good coach, but they are right next door to the MSL teams that the Crystal Lake South's and Cary Grove's of the world go and play as part of their non-conference schedules because they know that it helps them with sectional seeding and that their own conference is weak. Lets face it, PK has valid points, Huntley last year was seeded low and went into the meeting undefeated, but had not played anyone and used that as motivation for their run in the playoffs. This year they will not sneak up on anyone and with the change in the FVC in 2009-2010, they will have to play both Cary and CLS TWICE!!! and they will NOT sweep them both. I do not think PK ripped on any kids, just stated that certain schools are not as strong in soccer than others...never said they are BAD or have poor class/sportsmanship which several reporters do take note of, even you I believe...
And since you brought it up...how do you choose "teams to watch" then if not based upon projectd wins, etc???
At no time did I rip on the kids. I was ripping on you! I know Huntley well and what Kris Grabner, their coach, does. They do a great job there and with the increasing enrollment and growth of that far northwest suburb he will be successful for a long time. My point was they are too easy of a darkhorse to pick. Even if they were worse then last year they would still end up with 18 wins. Hardly a team to watch. Give us some more teams that will actually suprise us. Maybe Joe does not have enough time on his hands to really pick a diamond in the rough for us. It's interesting that your team to watch or advertise is always playing in the Pepsi Showdown. Things that make you go hmm!
When you have 30-plus teams in a tournament, the odds are there they might be written about. I'm still waiting for your surprise teams. Can you tell me how many times Huntley was ranked last year?
Let's keep in a mind, a lot of premier programs do not like to add "up-and-coming programs" to their schedules. A team to watch has to be a team that wasn't ranked the prior year.
we should know real soon if huntley is for real because they play hersey in the 2nd round of the pepsi, i believe hersey is going to be little better than their 13 seed so if they can beat them i think you can consider them for real
I believe Hersey is the same seed or better than last year. The coaches seeded the Pepsi Showdown last year, but not this year.