Wheaton Warrenville South in the top spot

Wheaton Warrenville South gets the preseason nod as the top team in the Daily Herald coverage area this year. In DuPage County the Tigers are followed by Neuqua Valley and Naperville North.

The Tigers amount to more than just forward Eric Shrigley and goalkeeper Randall Babb. Senior Scott Larson moves into the midfield after playing very well at sweeper for three years. The defense features seniors across the board, and senior Nico Galto is a roadrunner wherever he's used on the field.

Of course, underclassmen role players will need to step up, including a set of twins in sophomores Ricky and Manny Munguia, who "are the kind of players you might see on YouTube, showing their ball skills," said Tigers coach Guy Callipari.

The Big Three: When told that Callipari was optimistic about fielding another strong team this year, Wheaton North coach Bryce Cann's reply came quickly:

"He should be. I'd be optimistic, too, if I had two all-state players on my roster," Cann said.

There are three coaches' all-state players returning to play in DuPage County this season in the aforementioned Shrigley and Babb, plus David Tiemstra of Hinsdale Central.

Ohio State has done well for itself locally -- both Tiemstra and Shrigley have verbally committed to play for the Buckeyes next year.

Uncharted water for the Warriors: The youngest and most inexperienced squad in Waubonsie Valley coach Angelo DiBernardo's 16-year tenure will take the field this year.

Senior Kit Carson and juniors Pedro Perez and Greg Danieliwicz are the only Warriors returning with varsity experience, and they'll have to help a slew of varsity newcomers negotiate the increased speed and physicality of varsity play.

"There are some who will not be intimidated by it, but there are also some who will need to learn how to handle it," DiBernardo said. "As long as we compete and improve -- that's where the emphasis will be this year."

Tough to score on: Two of Illinois' premier goalkeepers will pace the pipes at Hinsdale Central and Downers Grove South this year. The Red Devils' John Shakon and the Mustangs' Bret Petricek are classic difference-makers for their respective squads.

Petricek was named the outstanding goalkeeper of the Olympic Development Program championships over the summer, and Shakon showed his mettle in last week's season-opening 0-0 tie with Naperville North.

"What stands out most about him is his ability to read the game," Naperville Central coach Jay Konrad said of Shakon. "A lot of guys can make saves, but that next-level goalkeeper reads the game and cuts off dangerous plays before they happen. Against almost any other goalkeeper on our schedule, I think we might have scored a goal or two with the chances we had in that game."

That was a close one: Driscoll's program came within an eyelash of folding up shop this year due to low numbers, but coach Enrique Mendoza was happy to report that the Highlanders will indeed lace up their spikes this season.

"We're trying to build the program, and I would have hated to see it fold," Mendoza said. "We've been playing with eight or nine boys in practice, and they really want to play."

A few late additions have the Highlanders opening the season with an 11-man roster, begging the question of what Mendoza will do should he lose a player to injury this during the year.

"We'll play with 10," he said. "Last year we used a few girls from the girls team when we had to, until they told us we couldn't do that any more. We would do it again this year, but they won't let us."

Welcome: A trio of new area coaches will roam the sidelines this year: Rudi Gesch takes over for five-year coach Peter Anderson at Timothy Christian; Greg Chrisman takes over for 11-year coach Art Alvarado at Glenbard North; and Dave Underwood takes over for seven-year coach Chip Huber at Wheaton Academy.

Anderson coached the Trojans to the Class A Elite Eight in 2002, when they went 18-7 and upset St. Viator 1-0 in a sectional final to advance downstate. Alvarado is now the assistant coach at Larkin under Ken Hall.

Underwood takes over a program that went 111-49-11 under Huber, who coached the Warriors to the Elite Eight in the 2004 season. The Warriors went 21-4-1 that year, their last as a Class A program.