Girls soccer: Huntley reflects on its program's growth

Let it be no secret about the Huntley's girls soccer team: a first-time state run isn't a fluke at all. Nor is it a validation that Kris Grabner's soccer program has arrived.

The Red Raiders have been state force a while, exemplified by 10 straight regional titles and 3 straight sectional wins.

It's just that their ability to finally clinch a state berth this year more than anything else was simply overdue, not a penalty to withhold a program from elite status.

When you compare that notion to where Huntley has come from since 2004 when Grabner inherited a program that was initially a JV squad in its infancy, fourth place at state is nothing to be disappointed about even if they never reached their ultimate goal.

"The first game we play Indian Creek and we go down 3-0," Grabner said of the program's first game. "It's a torrential rain. 38 degrees. Sideways rain. And we comeback to win 4-3. So we get our first win and then we're playing the Fox Valley Conference and some really good teams: Jacobs, who made state a couple times and Prairie Ridge had a state championship. We're getting it handed it to us pretty bad at times but over the next three years we just kept getting players that had experience and it just exploded."

In the process, there still was one hurdle to get over: Barrington. Six of the last 7 years Barrington bounced the Red Raiders out of the postseason. Most of those came in sectionals but a 2014 supersectional loss to St. Charles East and last year's loss to the Broncos in the supers set up that 'Third-time is the lucky charm' scenario. This time Huntley capitalized with a 1-0 win at Barrington to finally shake off a squad that had always had them watching state from home.

"It was just our perseverance and effort, we never backed down," senior defender Erin Gaitsch said. "We didn't win conference but we rallied back to win the sectional title. I think that was the big breaking point once we got through that. I think once we did that we felt we could accomplish anything and beating Barrington, that was an accomplishment in itself."

And while a 1-0 PK loss to Glenbard East Saturday made this weekend even more bittersweet than anything, they were just 1 of 4 teams in Class 3A who received medals.

"Fourth place is unheard of in Huntley soccer so this is pretty amazing," Gaitsch said. "It (should) push (future teams) to continue a legacy, do better than us. Until we get that state title there's always room for improvement."

Grabner and his coaching staff will continue to work with the local clubs to drive home the technical side to future Red Raiders so that they come in ready with the right philosophy. Their validation: since 2006 Huntley's totaled at least 14 wins each season with four 20-win seasons: 21 (2008), 24 (2009), 21 (2010) and 22 this season.

"There's things we see when they get here that if we can work together where those kids are getting 10-11 months of the same type of work we're going to be better off," Grabner said. "When you get to a game like (Friday's 4-0 loss) it stands out on where you need to improve. And we have a bunch of (coaches) that will take what we saw today and say 'If we're going to win the championship, here's what they're going to do.'"

The fourth place trophy will be at the Red Raiders' summer camp Monday. And according to senior keeper Paige Renkosik "it's a great accomplishment and it shows how much we as a team worked" with the hope "it gives teams that come in later the fight to where we got and get higher than we got."

Someone mentioned to Grabner this weekend that he was "developing a really good program here."

Unless you're living under a rock, Huntley soccer has been a force for a long time. And for what it's worth, it's going to be here for a long time.