Saturday's Prep Roundup: Marmion soccer seizes sectional title
By The CHRONICLE
WHEATON – The Marmion boys soccer team won its first sectional in program history on Saturday, outdueling Suburban Christian Conference rival Wheaton Academy, 2-1, on Saturday in the 2A Hampshire Sectional championship match.
Marmion coach Kevin O’Connor said it was the program’s first sectional title win in four tries.
“And it feels lovely,” O’Connor said.
Marmion advances to Tuesday’s Barrington Supersectional to face Freeport at 5 p.m.
Sam Duffield scored Marmion’s second goal for a 2-0 lead and, asked to play more of a defensive role against Wheaton Academy, played a sensational all-around game, O’Connor said.
“Sam Duffield may have played the best game we’ve ever had a Marmion soccer player play,” O’Connor said. “He was that good. He was absolutely special tonight.”
Max Rosenfelder scored the Cadets’ first goal off a corner kick, and sophomore goalkeeper Brad White made a couple clutch saves late in the match.
Marmion (21-5-1) has now won 15 straight matches. Its last loss was against Wheaton Academy in the regular season.
The match was moved from Hampshire to Wheaton College because of field conditions.
FOOTBALL
Montini 28, St. Francis 3: At West Chicago, Montini avenged a regular season loss to its Suburban Christian Conference foe, whipping defending state champion St. Francis in a first-round Class 5A playoff game.
“I would like to congratulate the Montini Broncos on a great game that they played, and I would like to congratulate the group of 28 seniors that I had that over the last two years have led us to 20 wins out of 24 games,” St. Francis coach Greg Purnell said.
Montini, which led 14-3 at halftime, was much more careful with the ball than during a 51-31 loss to St. Francis earlier this season.
“We misexecuted and had a lot of penalties early,” Purnell said. “They did not give us any turnovers, and the first time we played they had six turnovers.”
St. Francis finishes the season 7-3, while Montini moves to 6-4.
Winnebago 28, Aurora Christian 14: At Winnebago, Aurora Christian’s season came to a close in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs.
The Eagles, winners of the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division, end their season at 6-4.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Class 2A Belvidere Sectional: Kaneland (fourth place) and Marmion (fifth place) were among the five advancing teams to next Saturday’s state meet in Peoria.
Kaneland was led by Trevor Holm (13th place, 16:40), Matt Reusche (23rd, 16:48) and Dominic Furco (25th, 16:52).
Zach Young took 12th for Marmion in 16:37, while Ben Kanute (18th, 16:43) and Bennett Marsh (32nd, 16:59) also shined.
Clint Keim of Burlington Central (17th, 16:42) advanced individually.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Class 2A Belvidere Sectional: St. Francis finished fourth as a team to advance to the state meet in Peoria, led by Kelly McShea (seventh place, 19:49) and Kate Roback (18th, 20:17).
Burlington Central’s Maggie Gannon (10th, 19:59) qualified individually.
Kaneland was sixth as a team, missing the state meet by one spot. Andie Strang (28th place) and Ashley Castellanos (29th) led the Knights.
GIRLS SWIMMING
Upstate Eight Conference Meet: St. Charles North took second with 276 points, four behind victorious Neuqua Valley. St. Charles East (240) was third in the nine-team meet.
North’s 200 medley relay team of Lauren Reynolds, Angie Chokran, Taylor Gannon and Kirsten Hutchinson was victorious. Chokran also won in the 200 individual medley (2:07.83) and 100 breast stroke (1:03.88).
East’s Emma Smith won in the 200 freestyle (1:55.85) and 500 free (5:05.13).
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Class 3A Wheaton Academy Regional: St. Francis blasted host Wheaton Academy, 25-13, 25-14, to win the regional championship.
The Spartans (34-2) advance to Tuesday’s 7 p.m. St. Francis Sectional semifinal against Lemont.
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