Boys soccer: Presenting the Fox Valley All-Area team
Jonathan Acevedo St. Charles North
This first time all-area selection was a great distributor as a forward, unofficially finishing with 14 assists and 10 goals. Acevedo was voted all-Upstate Eight and all-state en route to a regional championship, where he had a key assist in downing Glenbard North.
Julian Ajroja Dundee-Crown
A forward known for his scoring prowess, Ajroja scored 18 goals and dished 8 assists en route to his second all-Fox Valley Conference and all-sectional selection. A first timer on All-Area, he helped D-C grab its first regional plaque. “Julian is one of the most dangerous scorers in the area, he demanded attention from defenses across the conference and somehow he still managed to score,” Chargers coach Rey Vargas said. “Julian is fast and has exceptional foot skills and the combination of this led him to score 4 goals in 2 games during regionals.”
Jose Cruz Hampshire
Cruz was a major part of Hampshire's success this season with 11 goals and 11 assists. While this all-Fox Valley Conference selection missed the playoffs due to a concussion, his display allowed a first-time All-Area selection. “He was that player that we could have put anywhere, and he would have been that good for every position,” Whip-Purs coach John Gosling said. “He could play it all.”
Brett Czerak Aurora Central
Helping ACC to a 12-6-2 season, this all-sectional and Metro Suburban Conference selection scored 11 goals but did better dishing 17 assists. Czerak finished with 29 goals and 30 assists as a 4-year starter, shining on both offense and defense. “His play in the air is really strong and defensively he was a solid performer, he was the reason why we turned the season around from last year to this year,” his coach, Jose Barrientos, said. “He's a team player, a coach's players. He's strong on offense, strong on defense. He was our best defender and best overall player.”
Daniel Dominguez Streamwood
Without this first time All-Area selection in goal, the Sabres are a different team. Posting 5 shutouts and array of circuslike saves, Dominguez earned all-sectional and all-Upstate Eight honors. “The saves he made throughout would be classified as world class in some cases,” Sabres coach Matt Polovin said. “He did everything and more to make sure the team did their jobs on the field including getting five shutouts. Beating Jacobs 1-0 and St. Charles North 2-1 were two huge games in which Daniel came up big when needed.”
Chris Edgerton St. Charles East
This first time All-Area selection was a difference maker. His energy, mobility, aggressiveness and ability on both sides of the ball spoke more of the just the 2 goals he scored on the season en lieu of an all-state selection. “He definitely made the guys around him better and his speed of play and soccer IQ was just on that different level,” Saints coach Paul Jennison said. “You'd love to set the world on fire with goals and assists but he was so much more than that. He brought more to the team that necessarily stats would dictate.”
Angel Escontrias Kaneland
This 4-year varsity player ended his Knights career a 2-time All-Area selection and was known for his quiet, influential leadership skills as well as his IQ and competitiveness. His 14 goals and 8 assists this season made him an all-NI Big 12 and all-sectional selection. “This year was a tough one because of the competition, but he excelled and rose to the challenge and made his teammates do the same,” Kaneland coach Scott Parillo said. “The last 2 weeks of the season it clicked for the team and he was the reason for this. He will be sorely missed, not just because of his talents, but because he is a genuinely nice person.”
AJ Franklin St. Edward
One of the most dynamic scorers in the area, this forward led the area in goals scored with 40 en route to a second-straight All-Area selection. An all-Metro Suburban selection, he had 8 hat tricks that allowed him to total 69 goals this season, a record for the St. Edward boys program. “AJ can score at any time in any way,” Green Wave coach Tim Brieger said. “Deadballs, PKs, headers, volleys, in tight spaces, on the run, etc., his highlight reel goal off a corner volley in the sectional semifinal will go down in St. Ed's legend. Teams resorted to triple teams by in the state tournament, where he still scored 11 goals in five games.”
Will Gaston St. Edward
For the past 2 seasons, this first time All-Area selection started as an outside mid. This season he moved to attacking central mid and benefitted greatly with 21 goals and 7 assists. “Will combines an almost unnatural sense of balance, ballhandling and an unrivaled vertical — easily scoring half or more of his goals off of headers,” St. Edward coach Tim Brieger said. “Many teams overlook Will's defensive skills to their dismay ... he is a powerful defender able to take on mids or forwards at any time.”
Andrew Grabowski CL South
This senior forward ended his career with 47 goals and 32 assists, placing fourth all-time at CLS with 126 points. This 2-time All-Area forward, 3-time all-sectional and 3-time all-FVC selection had his best and most well-rounded season playing with his back to the goal and scored, distributed or turned and finished from a variety of different angles. “Most impressive this year was his amazing vision and field awareness to get his teammates involved in the attack,” Gators coach Brian Allen said. “He adjusted well to the numerous double and triple teams he often faced, while going on to lead our team in assists for the first time in his career.”
Jeremy Jareckyj Dundee-Crown
Scoring 6 goals and garnering 14 assists, this first-time All-Area selection earned all-FVC and all-sectional honors for his great all-around play in the midfield. His dynamic connection with teammate Julian Ajroja gave teams fits during the Chargers' historical season. “He sees the field well and has great foot skills and is dangerous around the goal,” D-C coach Rey Vargas said. “Jeremy is a great player and was the engine that made us go this season. He provided the energy and leadership necessary that led to the school's first regional championship.”
Jack Kempf St. Charles East
An all-sectional and first time All-Area selection, this defender who had 1 goal and 1 assist grew into a leadership role at center back kept the back line in check while becoming a captain by season's end. “(Jack) just carries himself with a presence and you don't often see kids in the modern day hold their head up high, he's got something about him,” Saints' coach Paul Jennison said. “An excellent 1-on-1 defender and again as the season went on we turned to him more and more to be the guy and standout and be a presence back there that would just give us more confidence.”
Aldo Lazaro Streamwood
A first time All-Area selection, this all-UEC, all-sectional and all-state selection finished with 10 goals and 10 assists, but was instrumental in getting Streamwood a top seed in the sectional. “He's what made our offense click this season. His tireless work on and especially off the ball helped guys around him get open and ultimately got Aldo open,” Sabres' coach Matt Polovin said. “(He) was respected by other teams and double-teamed throughout the season. His defense was very key in our overall team play, and Aldo rarely came out of a game the whole season.”
Noah Melick Jacobs
A 2-time All-Area selection and 2-time All-Area honorary captain, this forward simply ran away with the captaincy for the second-straight year with 32 goals and 8 assists as of October 31. A 3-time all-FVC selection, Melick refined his finishing and saw a rise in goals by 14 due to his ability to stay calm on the ball in the box and slot more goals away. “He did a better job of staying in the middle of the field a bit more and bringing the work rate but being more thoughtful when he'd put back liners under a bit of pressure,” Jacobs coach AJ Cappello said. “He's much more efficient this year and it kept him in better scoring positions more frequently.”
Sean Miller Marmion
Miller scored 15 goals in the first 10 games of the season allowing him to finish with 19 goals and 4 assists. This all-sectional, all-Chicago Catholic league selection was the Cadets' captain and led by example. “Sean was our go-to-guy this season,” coach Ricky Del Toro said. “Sean's speed, combined with his finishing abilities made him a true, lethal striker. Marmion will have to fill in some big shoes to score goals.”
Ryan Olson St. Charles North
This two-time All-Area selection unofficially had 6 goals and 5 assists and was an all-UEC and all-sectional honoree. Olson, a player who does all the little things and has been a box-to-box definition for a midfielder, helped the North Stars to a regional plaque this season after a breakout season last year.
Aaron Ruffner Huntley
After improving his finishing touch from last year, this all-FVC selection made his first All-Area team by scoring 18 goals, 8 of which were game-winners. “Aaron brought an explosive speed that changed our attack and was the fastest player on the field in every game we played this season,” Red Raiders coach Kris Grabner said. “He created headaches for defenders who had to give him a lot room in order to stop him. He drew many fouls including 4 penalty shots.”
Jack Schramme Burlington Central
A threat to any defense, Schramme scored 19 goals and 4 assists this season thanks to his good first touch and scored some important goals late in the season for his second All-Area selection. “Jack has a lot of potential and continues to get better each week,” Rockets coach Mick Galeski said. “Our guys know if we can get the ball in the box more often than not Jack is going to get on the end of it. His attitude has been outstanding both on and off the field and he is a great role model to the younger players on the team.”
Gabe Swarthout Jacobs
A holding mid who was all-FVC, all-sectional and a first time All-Area selection with 5 assists, Swarthout knows how to break up an attack with his good instincts in the air and at tackling. “He's a kid who shows up at training and nobody wants to compete against him because he's challenging his teammates day in and day out,” Jacobs coach AJ Cappello said. “One of the things that I feel has gone underrated for us this year and how well we've defended and how few opportunities we do concede in a game and large part of that is Gabe. It's his understanding of the game and just breaking up the opposing team's attack day in and day out.”
Colin Walsh Jacobs
Another first time All-Area selection, Walsh garnered all-FVC and all-sectional honors with 5 goals and 17 assists mainly because of his vision. “His ability to hold up a ball and create, along with his vision for the field brought him back into midfield (this year) to help him get on the ball and facilitate the attack opposed to playing off (Noah) Melick,” Jacobs coach AJ Cappello said. “His ability to hold up a ball for a guy who's not big in stature — he's very strong lifting weights — he can hold up a ball anywhere on the field and has the composure to play out of very tight situations.”
Eric Whiteman Elgin
This first-time All-Area selection helped the Maroons to double-digit wins this season, a regional final berth and greatly bolstered the Elgin back line. While only scoring 2 goals and dishing 5 assists, he heads to West Point as one of the area's top defensive gems. “(He's a) great kid, a hard worker and outstanding student,” Elgin coach Dave Borg said. “He makes players around him accountable and he's a role model. He can play any position and won a lot of balls in the middle for us.”