Glenwood HS boys soccer team makes it to IHSA Class 2A championship
CHATHAM, Ill. — The 2022 season started off a little rough for the Chatham Titans boys soccer team. With only one victory in their first five matches, the players were understandably a bit down on their prospects. But Head Coach Kyle Franke knew he had a talented bunch, it was just a matter of believing in themselves and each other.
鈥淭he seniors really stepped up and changed things,鈥� Coach Franke says. 鈥淭hey instilled a team-first attitude and that鈥檚 when things started to click. We ran off a 20-game unbeaten streak that took us right to the state championship game.鈥�
The Titans ended up finishing second in state, falling short 1-3 in the finals against Peoria Notre Dame. Nevertheless, it was still a magical season for a program that has consistently raised the bar for success.
In true Chatham fashion, the team received a lot of support from the community throughout the season. Kyle said that the players鈥� families always stepped up to help when needed and the fan presence as they team advanced through the tournament created an energy that the Titans were able to feed off of.
鈥淭he classmates and community made this playoff run pretty special. It鈥檚 a聽 pretty neat feeling getting to watch the fans storm the field and celebrate with the team,鈥� he says.
Kyle took over as head coach last year after serving as an assistant since 2006 (he also serves as an assistant on the girls soccer team.) He had high expectations for the 2022 squad and its 13 seniors, many of whom had been playing together since they were barely past toddler years. But it wasn鈥檛 just the numbers and experience that had him thinking big.
鈥淚t was the speed also. Overall, this is one of the fastest teams I鈥檝e ever been around. Our goalies were another strength. We have two great goalies in Josh Jones and Jack Wolfe who have pushed each other for four years,鈥� Kyle says.
Landon Marconi was one of those seniors. The center back and mainstay along the Titan鈥檚 back line said he can鈥檛 remember a time when he wasn鈥檛 playing soccer. He loves the competitiveness of the sport and the brotherhood that it inspires.
鈥淭he chemistry among the entire team was the best I’ve ever been a part of,鈥� Landon says. 鈥淚t felt like a family.鈥�
Senior forward Carter Downen seconds Landon鈥檚 band of brothers. This familiar dynamic made it easier to get down to business and do the work that needed to be done.
鈥淢ost of us have played with each other for a long time, so we knew what we could do and what we couldn’t do,鈥� Carter says. 鈥淭his made us all brutally honest with each other, and in the end helped us all push each other to be better each day.鈥�
For Maddox Gerger, beating conference rival Rochester in overtime was one of the highlights of his senior season. The Titans are a perennial power in the Central State 8 and making long runs into the state tournament isn鈥檛 an unfamiliar feat. The boys program brought home a 2A state championship in 2005 and the girls team took the top trophy in 2A in 2013.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Titans will be without the services of those 13 seniors whose talent and leadership were pivotal to their success in 2022. They will however, be returning five players who started in the state championship game and the current freshman and sophomore classes look to be strong.
鈥淲e will be a different team next season, but I鈥檓 excited to see how the guys with varsity experience mix with the younger players. The freshman and sophomore classes look to be very promising for the future of Glenwood Soccer,鈥� Coach Franke says.
Players – Josh Jones, Jack Wolfe, Miles Calderon, Elliott Mogren, Bright Reed, Maddox Gerger, Adam Ryherd, Grant Tretter, Cooper Formea, Eben Reed, Brayden Paul, Brandon Mendoza, Esli Onacha, Carter Downen, Landon Marconi, Ryan Bridal, Ben Wilcoxen, Grant Tode, Wesley Bentley, Christian Ray, Declan Gorrie, Ethan Greer, Miles Burke, Lucas Smith, Jake Hamilton, Chase Campbell.
Coaches – Kyle Franke, Jay Lipe, Ben Winn, Todd Trautvetter, Jim Conlon, Jake Volker, Connor Carnduff. Manager – Ty Kirby
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