October 2009 Archives

Cancer.

Just seeing the word scares me.

And as much as Providence coach Dan Potempa was fired up with IHSA assistant executive director Beth Sauser for sending his team more than 400 miles to compete in a geographic-based tournament, odds are his range of emotions were a bit different when he learned he had testicular cancer.

"It has spread to my lymph nodes in my abdomen, but that's all," Potempa said. "My lungs are clear. On Wednesday morning, my doctor put the decision in my hands on whether to do chemo or radiation. I'm a borderline patient. I've got an appointment next Thursday at Indiana University to meet with Lance Armstrong's doctors for a second opinion and consultation."

Potempa has tried to keep this quiet, wanting to keep the focus on his team. But this week, he was caught between a rock and a hard place mainly because of the IHSA's blunder.

While others doubted, I really did believe from the start there was no way they would play at Hinsdale Central on Saturday.

And they won't.

Hinsdale Central will battle Lyons part of a doubleheader at Naperville North.

Hinsdale Central vs. Lyons, 10 a.m.
Neuqua Valley vs. Wheaton-Warrenville South,12 p.m.

It was the right call, and everyone involved deserves all the credit.

With the onslaught of rain, there's no doubt in my mind the game between Hinsdale Central and Lyons will be moved from the Hinsdale Central soccer complex.

But if it isn't, then I'm looking right at head official Michael Moore to say the field is unplayable. I drove by it again this morning, and there's no doubt the game needs to be moved. Moore and I talk throughout each season about different topics. He's a great guy, and he gets it.

Moore was the linesman for Tuesday's and Wednesday's mud-pit sectional semifinals.

As I spoke with Naperville Central coach Jay Konrad and others on Thursday, I believe the game should be moved to Naperville North to be played part of a doubleheader with Neuqua Valley and Wheaton-Warrenville South.

It's a Saturday and fans will travel - even students.

With the Class A finals in Naperville, why not have a great doubleheader during the day right down the street to promote high school soccer?

There's a point of home field advantage, and then there comes a point of common sense. I'm curious to see if people involved with the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional have common sense.

I'm betting they do, because I already know they do.

From Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins - Mr. Soccer in the Chicago area - a very bright athletic department and smart soccer community to the great IHSA, someone better step up.

I took a poll of 10 coaches on Wednesday night after watching the slip and slide mud pit battle between Fenwick and Lyons. Every coach - some who played at Hinsdale Central recently - all agreed the no-brainer and right thing to do is change the site of Saturday's game.

That's why I know there is no way Hinsdale Central will host Saturday's final between Hinsdale Central and Lyons.

When I saw the highlights, read the quotes after the game and talked to former Providence coach John Kovatch this morning, you can't help but smile for Brad Guzan (left).

Anyone who has been a daily reader of this blog knows I have been a big fan of Guzan since his days at Providence, when he dominated opponents on the field - even though he was a natural goalie. I still remember when former Wheaton Academy coach Chip Huber looked at me after a Class A sectional game in Lemont and said, "Joe, Guzan is just a monster on the field."

I'm sure that's exactly what Sunderland thought after its Sweet 16 English League Cup match with Aston Villa on Tuesday.

But what Sunderland doesn't know is that's nothing new for Guzan. He did the exact same thing to Gibault in the 2002 Class A semifinals.

The best story of the Class 3A tournament right now is Eisenhower, which handed out a 4-0 spanking to Lincoln-Way Central Tuesday night in the semifinals of the H-F Sectional.

Up next for coach Dylan Shaughnessy's squad is Brother Rice, which shutout Sandburg 2-0. Tell me the last time Lincoln-Way Central and Sandburg were shutout on the same field playing against teams from the South Suburbs?

It will be interesting to see if H-F athletic director Joe Skowronski has extra security at Saturday's sectional final for the old-time soccer rivals. Skowronski was the athletic director at Eisenhower during the old heated brawls on the field when the two teams used to play one another. And yes, police were needed to calm the players and fans during those games.

The Catholics vs. the Hispanics as one coach used to refer to the annual battle.

Another storyline is the fact Shaughnessy played for Brother Rice coach Nick Markulin when he was coaching at Moraine Valley College.

Since the day I wrote my first column back in 1997 for what is now the SouthtownStar, I told myself this - write the truth, write with passion and don't shy away.

To this day, I still believe in those three things when it comes to writing this blog.

Sometimes, you need to take a stand on things and be blunt. Some people are going to love you for it, while others will tell you to go where the sun doesn't shine. It's part of the gig, and I get that.

Recently, Cornerkicks was honored as one of the best blogs in the Chicagoland area by George M. Wilcox of the Pioneer Press. Here's the story...

The Four Tops once sang, "Now it's the same old song."

After receiving 114 emails and talking to a number of school officials, coaches and parents on Monday in regards to the IHSA's latest soccer debacle with the placing of Providence in the Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional, I finally hit the stop button on Beth Sauser's same old song tenure as soccer administrator for the IHSA.

This is the latest blunder under Sauser's leadership, and enough is enough.

It's time for Sauser to be reassigned.

Neuqua Valley will finish the season No. 1 in the final Sun-Times rankings.

Why?

Because there is no doubt in my mind they are the best high school soccer team in the area this fall. The Wildcats finished the regular season undefeated and have advanced to a sectional of the IHSA tournament - which looks just like the Best of the West I must say.

If someone upsets Neuqua Valley, it will finish the season with one loss. Without taking anything away from anyone else - like a Palatine (who has one loss) - I just believe Neuqua is clearly the best team in the state and one of the best in the country.

And if you notice, this week's Top 10 looks like it did last week and the week before and the week before...you get the hint. One game at this point does not take away what they've done all season.

Some people may not like his style, saying it's outdated. But when it comes to soccer, there is no bigger personality in the game today than Brother Rice's Nick Markulin.

The old-school coach barks more than any other on the sidelines, but he's the type of coach I would've loved to play for. Brother Rice takes on Sandburg Tuesday night in Flossmoor, and it will be interesting to see two of the most competitive coaches in the South Suburbs - Sandburg's Jack Ferraro and Markulin - go at it.

Good morning to the folks at Pee-Wee's Playhouse, also known as the IHSA headquarters in Bloomington-Normal. Hopefully by now, the IHSA staff has watched its daily YouTube videos and changed out of the "Get A Clue" mascot uniform.

Every year, you guys make me sit back and shake my head. I know it's a big organization and things are tough, but I've heard the same song and dance for 14 years. You tell me year after year that your tournament is a geographic one.

Really? Seriously?

Well, let me get out a map to see.

And I really hope this map is big enough, so you can see you are full of it.

Explain this one to me: How in the heck is New Lenox-based Providence in the Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional? Let's see, Providence is a mere 245 miles from Edwardsville, a short four hour commute. Did the so-called IHSA tournament rubberband stretch all the way from Will County to Madison County - basically one end of the state to the other?

The Celtics are scheduled to play there at 7 p.m. Tuesday. If they win, should they stay or drive back and get home at 3 a.m.?

But wait folks, it gets better.

Sun-Times All-Area Nominations from coaches (key word people - coaches) are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

Nominations should be emailed directly to me and include the following:

Player's name, position, year, 2009 stats, player's contact info (email/cell), team you are nominating him for (first, second or third) and in 100 words or less why he should be named one of the top 33 players in the Chicagoland area.

Coaches also are encourage to nominate opposing players.

The only way a player may be placed on the 2009 Sun-Times All-Area Boys Soccer Team is if they are nominated by their head coach.

I really, really hate picking on officials.

I do, because we all make mistakes. When it comes to the way a game is called - tight or loose - I get tired of coaches moaning, parents saying the officials were horrible or kids not adjusting.

Just like an umpire in baseball, sometimes the strike zone is small - sometimes it's large. Good players and teams adjust, and it's that way in soccer, too. You have to adjust.

But when you have three people on a field and it's not a snap judgement call, someone has to have a clue - right?

Earlier in the week, I wrote about how an official at a recent regional game said the contest was in "stoppage time." Four to five minutes of stoppage time was added in a 2-1 final. Can you imagine if the game was tied during stoppage time?

This story was just brought to my attention, and my response is this - are you kidding me? You tell me.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/marquette-32305-penalty-regional.html?orderby%m
20=TimeStampDescending&oncommentsPage=1#slComments

In 2007, there were 70 boys players named All-State.

In 2008, there were 60 girls players named All-State.

Do you really think there were 70 boys players that really deserved a title that used to be respected? What about 60 girls in 2008?

On Sunday, the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association board and its sectional coordinators will meet to confirm the official All-State list for the 2009 boys season. They'll decide who should be All-Midwest and put up for All-America honors.

And just as the case has been the past three years, I'm going to give them a little advice - it's time to revamp the All-State system. It's watered down, not fair to programs with more than three standout players and just needs to be reborn, so it doesn't fall into the death title pit of All-Conference.

Do you really think a player cares if he or she makes All-Conference these days compared to how they felt 10 or 20 years ago?

Sorry to be the Grinch, but no they don't.

There are a lot of great stories every year that go unnoticed.

From players raising money and donating time to community service efforts to countless other acts on and off the field, there are good stories everywhere. But as promised last week, here is my No. 1 good story of the year.

I've known Sandburg coach Jack Ferraro for 14 years now. One thing I've always admired about Ferraro is his passion in everything he does. The guy cares about his program, cares about his players and is a family man. I've covered his two children - Tony and Megan (both of whom played at Lincoln-Way Central) - and have got to know his wife, too.

And yes, Ferraro and I have disagreed at least ... well, I don't think there's a number that big. Seriously, we've disagreed, but it's never been out of a lack of respect for one another.

Over the past two years, Ferraro has done more than any other coach in the state when it comes to this...

There are a lot of people who read this blog and are quite gutless.

I've always said people who write on message boards and use fake names or send in letters and don't sign them should be taken in the hallway and beat with a bat.

Why?

If you can't stand up and stand behind your thoughts or statements, go cry to someone else. But it's the era we live in and now accept.

That thought came to my mind again Wednesday when I was talking to one of the highest ranking school officials in the state. We were catching up, going over some stuff when this official threw something out at me.

Man, Paris is one hell of a dirty city. Here's a bar of soap and rag - it's on me.

Mercy.

But before we head out to have a $200 dinner (after having a $60 lunch that consisted of a cheeseburger, some sushi, two glasses of wine and a Sprite...I'm starting to think that $2 Pepsi Showdown players meal of a hot dog, chips and a Pepsi was one heck of a deal), I wanted to throw this out on a Friday afternoon - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Good thing I took French 1 my freshman year of college...just wished I remembered something from it.

I had to take a foreign language class in college, even though I took two years of Spanish in high school. Little did I think I'd ever need French unless I ran into a cute French girl. If I thought I was going to need it, I wouldn't have made it an 8 a.m. Monday class and probably would've showed up more than 75 percent of the time (sorry Dad).

Luckily, the girl knows some French. So I just sit back and pray that she isn't having a conversation about me with someone else.

But it got me thinking about a few news and notes...

On an average day, I receive anywhere from 50 to 100 emails from readers. It's always interesting to see who is reading and what their thoughts are.

Over the past 14 years since I began covering soccer and creating soccer events, I've dealt with thousands of players. Some are now playing in the Premier League or with different national teams, many have become doctors or lawyers, while some have started their own business.

As I was rode the "Tube" to Wembley Stadium Wednesday night to watch the England National Team in its last 2010 World Cup Qualifier, I was checking my blackberry and came across this email from a player I covered in the late 1990s.

As soon as I was done reading it, I smiled and thought - this is really what it's all about.

Prior to heading over to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards, I was thinking about how much the guard has changed in high school soccer this year.

When you look at the high school landscape, some of the area's premier programs have battled through up-and-down seasons this fall. Hinsdale Central, New Trier, Barrington, Sandburg, Evanston, Downers South and Maine South are just a few that come to mind.

So I ask you this: Of the programs named above or another high-profile program struggling this fall that wasn't mentioned, which one do you think will be back to the top first and why?

We're heading to Wembley Stadium tonight to watch the England National Team in its last World Cup qualifier and hoping to catch former Providence star Brad Guzan in action on Saturday in Aston Villa's Premier League match vs. Chelsea. Guzan is back in the U.S. with the U.S. National Team for its game tonight.

I thought about preposting things before I left for Europe on Saturday, but felt it would be better to keep it fresh. So here you go, live from London. It's about 5:30 a.m. back in Chicago, as I write this at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

While I was thinking about ways to get a one-on-one interview with the Queen before I head to the England National Team game on Wednesday, I started to think about this again...

How one-sided is the Mount Carmel athletic department? I've always been a fan of Mount Carmel athletic director and football coach Frank Lenti, but come on Frank - look at that crummy piece of land your department and school refers to as a soccer field.

After you look at that so-called soccer field, turn to the west and look at your football practice field that is TURFED.

So let me be frank Frank, it's time for change at Mount Carmel.

I'd like to start off today saying morning to Oak Park residents Stephen Tyma, Loraine Brzozowski-Tyma and Marsha Borders.

I'm praying all the way from London that when you walk out of your house, a flock of birds do their business on your heads because that's what you are trying to do to the student-athletes at Oak Park.

If that happens, then it will be more than just "morning" - it will be a GOOD morning for you three selfish idiots. The Village of Oak Park and Oak Park High School officials may not be able to say it, but I will - you are the three clueless stooges.

Stephen, Loraine and Marsha Marsha - aka Moe, Larry and Curley - filed a lawsuit to have Oak Park remove its new stadium lights or be required to better mitigate the noise and light they say is negatively impacting the neighborhood.

Where's that IHSA Get-A-Clue mascot when I need it?

I will be posting a couple new blogs later today and Friday before leaving for a 10-day trip to Europe on Saturday. While I'm out, the blog will still be running with pre-set blogs set to post. And it should be interesting doing the weekly Soccer Top 10 from London, Paris and Germany.

As I was leaving Denver on Wednesday, I had a former standout soccer player approach me - former Lincoln-Way and Chicago Magic star Steve Doster. He recently moved to Denver from San Diego and was traveling through Chicago to have dinner with his parents before heading to Boston for a trip.

We talked about the past, and how the Magic has fallen since Mike Matkovich left and the overall fall of soccer in the South Suburbs.

"It really has changed a lot, and it's not the same," said Doster, who still stays in touch with former Magic teammates Ned Grabavoy and Brad Guzan.

Doster was just the latest to chime in about the demise in that area. After posting that blog last week, I received more than a 100 calls and emails from former coaches and players and even current coaches and parents of players today that asked why I didn't write that sooner?

I'm hoping by putting the spotlight on this issue that it will be a call to action for folks out there. Lincoln-Way East coach Brian Papa said Tuesday night that it's going to take three-to-five years to fix things.

And here's the question of the day...Sandburg lost to Bolingbrook on Tuesday 1-0, the Raiders' first-ever win over Sandburg. Does the result show how the mighty have fallen or has Bolingbrook improved?

It's not a slap in the face to either, but an honest question. It's really a little of both, but it shows the difference of soccer today compared to five, 10 or even 20 years ago out there.

Earlier in the week, I received an email from Glenbrook South coach Paul Agombar letting me know how his program raised $3,000 last weekend.

"It's an amazing amount of money produced by the great efforts of the parents, coaches, players and fans," Agombar said. "The athletes from all levels of the program participated in either playing in the game or working the sidelines as ball boys, selling raffle tickets to the crowd or working the concession stand, where 100 percent of the profit was given to Komen Breast Cancer Network.

"A suggested donation of $5 at the gate was made with many generous patrons offering more. The resulting goodwill is immeasurable, but the total of $3,000 raised shows that the soccer athletes are indeed having a positive impact inside and outside of our community."

This Thursday, Lincoln-Way North and Lincoln-Way West will team up to raise money for Prostate Cancer during their game.

"We will have a raffle ($100 prize, $50 donated by each program)," said Lincoln-Way West coach Ryan McAllister, who credited Lincoln-Way North coach Mike Murphy for pushing the idea. "We are asking people to come out and donate a minimum of $2 for a raffle ticket.

"All money raised during the raffle and a $50 donation by both the North and West programs will go to a local cancer organization. Anything anyone can do to help would be appreciated."

Additional information may be obtained by emailing McAllister at rmcallister@lw210.org.

The second annual event is slated for Friday, Nov. 27.

Visit www.pepsishowdown.us for additional details.