Boys water polo: Scouting the 2022 season in Lake County and the Northwest suburbs

The Stevenson boys water polo team is looking to add another banner after a historic showing last season.

The Patriots, coming off an undefeated season that included 30 victories and the program's second state championship, return several talented players aiming to continue the undefeated streak for an another year.

The Patriots, led by senior Jacob Whiting, senior Angelos Koutsogeorgas, sophomore Olin Kusevskis and senior Sullivan Swanson, have a good mix of experienced players and talented underclassmen.

"It's a very promising group with a ton of potential, but they just lack experience," Stevenson coach Sean Wimer said. "We have lots of unrealized potential, and they will get to show themselves against the big boys this year. It's exciting for me as a coach, as it's a totally different challenge.

"Last year we had 16 very good players who just dominated every game they played in to become one of the top teams all-time in Illinois. It's going to be about not getting caught up with being last year's team but trying to reach this team's heights loaded with juniors."

•Mundelein will have a revamped roster due to heavy roster turnover, though leading scorer Alec Sethna is back. Seniors Anthony Petrashko, Ayesh Chandrasekera and Dominic Fidanze help make up a solid foursome.

•After finishing 17-8 last season, Libertyville has to replace 10 seniors, including five starters. Juniors Eric Sparks and Nolan McDonald, a newcomer who moved to Libertyville this year, are the foundational pieces.

"Eric and Nolan are serious threats wherever we put them in the pool," Libertyville coach Kara Bosman said. "Both have a deep knowledge of the game and advance the play of those around them."

•Warren is a team hungry for a winning season after suffering some tough losses last season, relying on Ivan Morales, Brandon Morales, Jake Snyder, Robert Carlson and Guerin DeJong to be mainstays in the lineup.

"Ivan is a versatile defensive player capable of playing in multiple positions," Warren coach Kimberly Lobitz said. "Guerin is our varsity goalie who is a strong defensive player with great instincts. Jake is a strong defensive player with speed. Robert is a fourth-year varsity player who provides excellent support on defense. Overall, our entire team is in better condition and with a deep bench, we should be a more consistent team. We have a lot of returning players with some varsity experience, but also a very disciplined team focused on strong fundamentals."

•At Vernon Hills, sophomore Charles Karston is a developing player capable of a breakout season, joining seniors Jonathan Ramirez, Ben Ravenscraft and Arjuna Vimalarajah.

"We have significantly improved from last year," Vernon Hills coach Adam Lueken said. "We have some fast new guys and our seniors are strong."

•Barrington came close to a .500 record last season, finishing 8-10 and 3-3 in the Mid-Suburban League West. Senior goalkeeper Alex Ziegler is a returning player with experience.

"Alex really came on strong at the end of last season and we're looking for a big season in the net from him," Barrington coach Robert Emary said. "This year's squad has a lot to prove after last year's showing."

•Fremd enters the season riding the experience of several talented players, notably Aadit Bennur, Kurt Pennel, Jaden Heinlein, Luke Helsdingen, Ansh Parikh, Aurelian Laffont and Alok Das.

"The majority of the team is returning, so we're looking to build on last year's experiences and continue to raise the standards of our program by improving every day and being accountable to our teammate," Fremd coach Timothy Daniel said.

•Buffalo Grove is hoping to match last season's undefeated record in the Mid-Suburban East, aided by the development of Nick Goode, Peter Buehler, Alex Sheriff and Luka Stojakovic.

"We don't have a ton of varsity experience after graduating our entire starting lineup last season," Buffalo Grove coach Thomas Cooney said. "However, we have a lot of guys that are eager to learn and grow over the course of the season. This year's team is very fresh. We have a good core group of sophomores that should see varsity minutes throughout the season."

•Hersey is banking on the leadership of four key players - Jack Wojtowicz, Eryk Debicki, Kevin Pollina and Connor Neill - to carry the team following an 11-8 finish last season.

"The boys are hungry, especially after seeing our program do well in the past," Hersey coach Marc Popovici said. "They want to reach the goals our program hasn't in the past. They're hungry for a conference title and a state berth."

•Prospect (6-7) fell just short of a .500 record last season, but seniors Arthur Gorski and Colin Koziol are back to raise expectations.

"We have a lot more depth and speed thanks to some first year players coming out," Prospect coach Brian Esposito said.

•Elk Grove enters the season with plenty of new faces, but does feature Nico Thanopoulos and Alex Thanopoulos, Sam Sacha and Daniel Bochenek.

"We're a bit younger, but we're eager to learn and get some wins," Elk Grove coach Michael Nauert said.

•Conant is looking to ride the success of last season to another winning record, though the Cougars lost a significant number of standouts. The Cougars (12-5) feature a top goalie in Michael Chowaniec, a three-year varsity player, to lead the team, while Nathan Hall and Spencer Vecchione are returning starters.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how our younger players step up and fill the gaps," Conant coach David Jonen said. "I feel our strength largely lies in our need to prove ourselves. We have a great deal of room to grow and this allows us to try different approaches."

•Meanwhile, Palatine enters the season coming off an 18-7 record last spring. The Pirates return two starters in seniors Max Adame and Patryk Maslowski.

"We lost a lot of seniors, but we have a potent lineup with lot of potential," Palatine coach Joe Grzybek said. "We're well-balanced and should have options on offense and a good team defense."

•After not competing last season because of a shortage of athletes, Rolling Meadows dives back into the water. Sophomore Sam Fowler is a returnee to watch, while newcomer Caleb Bertermann is a developing player.

"We have nine guys this year, and they're all really excited about playing this year and growing their knowledge," Rolling Meadows coach Andrew Adams said. "We're young, almost all freshmen and sophomores."

•St. Viator is bringing back most of its team from last season, hoping to build a winner, led by seniors Leo Marcinkus and Jack Streck.