The muddy magic remains 20 years after Palatine's miracle finish

All of the elements involved had Palatine ready to accept its place in history for the 1994 boys soccer season.

Mere seconds were all that was left of the 80 minutes of the Class AA state championship soccer match. A weekend of monsoon-like rain had turned Fremd's Hale Hildebrandt Field into one gigantic mud puddle.

And downstate power Granite City's grip on a 1-goal lead seemed secure considering it had never slipped up the previous 10 times it had played for what is still the state record for boys soccer titles.

"To be honest, I was thinking second was not too bad," said Palatine coach Willie Filian.

"In the last minute I was thinking to myself that it was a great run. This stinks but what a great year we had," said Palatine goalkeeper Chris Jamal. "I wasn't fully accepting it, but I started to accept our fate and the reality of what was happening.

The SportsChannel television announcers - Chicago-area fixture Mike Liederman and longtime professional soccer play-by-play man Randy Hahn - had just about every right to crown Granite City champions. The school's fans started celebrating title No. 11.

But none of them, including Filian watching from the sideline and Jamal standing back near his own goal line, could influence one other element which typified the Pirates 20 years ago.

"What summed up that season," said Palatine senior midfielder Ricky Ternes, "was our never-say-die attitude and to keep on trucking."

Ternes did as he intercepted a sloppy attempt by Granite City to clear the ball out of its own end of the field. He chipped the ball over three defenders and it stopped perfectly for striker Mike Huber to deftly do what he did best. Blast the ball in the net with just 20 seconds left in regulation for the tying goal.

And just 88 seconds into overtime, Tim Harold's corner kick was headed into the net by John Wolowiec for a 2-1 victory. One of the most dramatic turnarounds in any sport in IHSA history was complete with a bunch of muddy hands clutching the first boys state championship trophy in any sport for Palatine.

"It was really, really a fun ride," said Filian, who just completed his 24th season in charge of the Pirates' boys program. "Those two weeks went by so fast.

"We started the playoffs in the sunshine and it was 70 degrees, we beat Crystal Lake South and we're thinking we could get through the sectional. The next thing you know, it's a rainy Saturday night where it's 45 degrees and we're holding up the state title trophy."

It was definitely more than two weeks in making.

The drive toward a title

Palatine has been a big soccer community for years. Many kids start playing the sport in the Palatine Celtic Soccer Club, which was started in 1968 by Bill Hughes and Jimmy Kinsella - the latter coming to the area from Scotland.

Those kids go to play in high school at Palatine or Fremd. And their rivalry was punctuated by spectacular results in the early '90s.

Palatine reached the state finals in 1977 and 1980 under Rod Gibbs. Fremd won the first of its two state titles under legendary coach Gerardo Pagnani in 1984.

Palatine brought home a third-place trophy in 1990 under Paul Keenan, who then left for St. Charles. Taking over was his assistant, Willie Filian, who had played and coached at Northern Illinois. Filian was complemented on his staff by assistants Dave Hart and Billy Kennedy - along with the addition of Charlie Gries in 1995, when the Pirates finished third in the state.

"He was a players' coach," said Ternes, who is now coaching and teaching at Fayetteville High School in Arkansas. "He knew the game, he played at a high level and he could step out and play with us if needed. If there were any kind of issues or problems we could talk to him."

There was one big problem for the 1993 Pirates led by star midfielder Brian Doherty, who played at Wisconsin and professionally in Germany. They were 20-3-2 - but the second of two losses to Fremd came in a sectional championship and their crosstown rival went on to finish second in the state with a 1-0 loss to Sandburg.

While the Pirates lost Doherty, they were poised for more success. Ternes and Harold were seniors in the midfield with Sharif Zaben and Tim Harold. Wolowiec and seniors Scott Boynton, Brian Zych and Doug Layne led a ferocious defense.

Huber had scored 24 goals as a sophomore and would be joined up front by sophomore Paul Eguez. Jamal was coming back from an injury-plagued sophomore year to take over in the net and sophomore Jeff Zych was a big part of a team that had tremendous depth.

"The seniors were a tight-knit group of leaders ... and it was a complete team," Filian said.

"Everyone knew what each other could do and we had stayed together for a long time," said Jamal, who had a stellar career at UIC and is now in his second year as an assistant coach and teacher at Highland Park. "Everyone grew up together and there is definitely something to be said for that.

"You didn't really find any egos. Everyone was a grinder and wanted to win. That was the goal every day."

Especially in the days leading up to the start of the season as World Cup fever gripped the United States and Chicago area. The opening ceremonies were held at Soldier Field and Ternes was part of the contingent that got to carry flags during the world-wide extravaganza.

"Soccer was a big part of our lives," said Ternes, one of the tri-captains with Prutch and Layne. "The whole country was excited and we were excited. We just built off of that.

"Over the summer, we had captains' practices right after school ended our junior year. It was a big commitment for a lot of guys to spend extra time training. Besides us getting in good shape it brought us closer together."

It would prove to be time well spent.

The drive to a magical finish

Palatine suffered a couple of early losses to perennial power St. Charles and Wheeling but wouldn't fall again. There was another match that looked like a loss and showed that no opponents' lead was safe. It also gave Filian and his staff the chance to deliver a not-so subtle reminder of making sure nothing was left to chance.

"We were down 3-0 at half to Peoria Richwoods," Filian said. "We had to light them up and remind them at halftime, we had been on a good roll and we can't just let up. We came back to win 4-3 so we knew we could come back as a team."

That was a much tougher proposition for opponents with Brian Zych anchoring the back at sweeper and Jamal's imposing presence in goal. The Pirates had a nine-game scoreless streak that lasted nearly a month and at the time was the fourth-longest in IHSA history.

"As far as a unit, and to the first defender off the bench, it was probably as solid as you could get," Filian said. "Not to mention having an all-state keeper behind them. They were very hard-working, hard-nosed and they sacrificed."

Wolowiec was a perfect example as he missed time with a knee injury and wound up coming off the bench in the midfield when he returned. He scored the game-winner off a Huber assist in the 70th minute of a 1-0 Mid-Suburban League Soccer Bowl win over Prospect.

"He didn't have a problem with it and he understood," Filian said. "He never complained about it and as the year went on, he understood his role and what was best for the team. We had some really good selfless personalities who did whatever was needed to be done for the team."

Never was that more evident when Palatine traveled to Rockford to face Boylan in the supersectional. Huber's all-state status didn't supersede team policies where a missed practice required sitting out the first half of the next game.

Filian said he told Ternes, Layne and Prutch it was their team and they could change course if they wanted.

"They said, 'Nope, it's our policy and we'll play,'" Filian said.

Palatine had a 3-goal lead by the time Huber came in to play. The next stop was the Elite Eight.

A wet and wild weekend

When Fremd took second in 1993 the AA Elite Eight was played in bitter cold with some snowflakes. The elements would play a much different role in 1994.

It rained and rained and rained. Three inches in more than 24 hours led to two Friday quarterfinals being played at Conant, both Saturday semifinals at Barrington and the championship at Fremd.

Not only did Palatine have to contend with the elements and field conditions in days before field turf, it also had to battle back from 1-goal deficits in all three of its Elite Eight matchups.

"We didn't want to do it that way," Filian said with a laugh, "but it became our mantra. Refuse to Lose."

Palatine couldn't generate anything in the first half of its quarterfinal when it had to attack to the muddier side of the field at Conant against Peoria Notre Dame. It was a different story after halftime in a 4-1 victory.

That set up a semifinal with defending champion Sandburg.

"They had us on the ropes 1-0 and it could have been two," Filian said. "Jamal made a fantastic save to keep it at one."

Wolowiec scored the equalizer and Huber went around two guys and scored what Filian called "one of his patented goals."

Their biggest goals were still to come.

A stunning and magical ending

Palatine would now face the state's premier program of that era, led by legendary coach Gene Baker and one of its best players ever in striker Shawn Petroski.

For anyone who thinks the weather and field conditions were exaggerated, take a look at the SportsChannel broadcast now available through the IHSA archives.

There were big puddles of water all over the field and in some spots they were 3 to 4 inches deep. It would have a major impact on two teams that preferred to play the ball on the ground.

Hahn said during the broadcast open: "This is going to be sloppy ... and sometimes strange things happen."

What wasn't strange was the advice Filian got before the match from a familiar face at the check-in table on the field.

"He was wearing some kind of construction suit and galoshes and he saw I was kind of nervous," Filian laughed at the recollection of Fremd's Gerardo Pagnani. "He said, 'Just enjoy it because you may never get here again.'

"Now when I look back I kept quiet and let the guys play. That was good advice given to me by the Italian Stallion."

There was nothing odd about Petroski finding the net for the 42nd time of the season midway through the first half. Considering the difficulties the mud-covered players were having just staying on their feet it looked as if it could be enough for title No. 11 for Granite City.

"It was just a swamp out there," Ternes said. "The soccer definitely wasn't great and the conditions weren't good."

That only heightened some of the frustrations on both sides, but Granite City still had the lead and a goal kick with less than a minute left.

Hahn said "that ought to be enough for Granite City" as SportsChannel showed a shot of its excited fans who made the long trip north from just outside of St. Louis.

As time seemed to slip away, Liederman mentioned how Granite City had won two of its previous titles at Fremd and the last in 1987 went four overtimes.

"This should be in regulation," Liederman said.

But seconds later, Hahn interjected, "well, wait ..."

Ternes got his right foot on the Granite City clearing attempt and served the ball perfectly over three defenders. Huber stayed onside as he maneuvered through the slop past one of the defenders, corralled the ball as keeper Mike Bristol came off his line and slammed it into the right side of the net for his 31st goal of the season.

Palatine had the ultimate reprieve just 20 seconds before its season would have been over.

"There was a ball boy I knew as a younger player who was behind my goal," Jamal said. "As soon as the goal went in I remember high-fiving the ball boy and jumping up and down.

"As soon as the ball went in and it was tied up we had a second life there. You could see the energy go up tremendously and Granite City, they were in shock."

Palatine gave them no chance to recover. Set pieces were one of its staples of success - and on the second of successive corner kicks by Harold, this one to the far post, Wolowiec was there to head the ball on one hard hop past Bristol and start a wild celebration that seemed most unlikely just minutes earlier.

On the broadcast, Hahn said, "this may be one of the most stunning state final finishes ever in IHSA history."

It was also the first half of IHSA history as Ternes' sister Suzanne scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Naperville Central that gave the Pirates the girls title in the spring. Filian became the first coach to win boys and girls soccer crowns in the same school year.

But it would have been close to impossible to match the drama that went into the final piece of the boys' magical 25-2-2 season.

"After watching it, it brings everything back about what a good time it was," Ricky Ternes said. "How amazing it was when you watch the video, there's less than a minute left and they show the Granite City fans cheering like they had won. Then they can't believe it that we pulled it out."

Palatine has the muddy memories and title trophy as proof.

• Marty Maciaszek is a freelance columnist for the Daily Herald who can be reached at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.