ST. CHARLES – Justin Stanko strikes an imposing figure along the St. Charles North boys soccer team’s back line.

Better yet for the North Stars, the towering senior has a skill set to match.

“It’s not just having a 6-foot-5 guy in the middle of the field, but it’s having one that can win just about every 50-50 ball, and those little things do a world of difference for you in a game,” North coach Eric Willson said. “And on set plays, to have a kid come into the box and, if nothing else, give teams something to really be concerned with, that can give us an advantage.”