Wildcats take 2nd at Mid-State Classic
By Mike Garofola

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Saint Viator may have learned more than how to celebrate a tournament championship after defeating West Chicago Saturday evening at Celtic Park in Palatine.

Jackson Owens' 80th minute winner put the annual Mid-State Classic tourney to rest in stunning fashion, and it was his brief moment of greatness which separated these two fine clubs in a well-played and exciting 1-0 final.

"Just a fantastic game to be a part of, and to watch, and I think we learned we can play against a team that really knows how to play the game with great technical skill and speed," said a thrilled Lions manager Mike Taylor, who earlier in the day saw his lads overcome a deficit in its semifinal match with Wheaton Academy to advance into the final against coach Jose Villa's Wildcats.

Villa concurred.

"I couldn't agree more with coach Taylor," he said. "Sure, we would have liked to have won the title, but there's no reason to be upset or down about this result.

"Saint Viator is one of the best teams we've played this year, they are one of the top 2A teams in the state, and we came out of this terrific 8-team tournament playing for the championship. We played the best that we could, so there's nothing more to ask from our team."

The Wildcats (12-4-3) won on PK's Friday against Springfield Sacred-Heart before defeating Evanston 2-1 Saturday morning. WEGO came out looking very good in the attack, technically driven by captain, Diego Munoz from the middle of the park, and assisted by the talented four-some of Jerry Medina, Edgardo Alcantar, Jenaro Terrazas and Steven Porcayo.

All helped push the early pace on the Lions’ backline, while the 'Cats backline of Christian Cruz, Daniel Hernandez and Jesus Fernandez would tackle and then build the attack.

"We had a very good start tonight," began Munoz.

"This was a tough tournament, with a lot of good teams playing in it, and the biggest thing about playing here is the three games in less than two days, and playing 160 hard minutes at a high level today.

"I think both teams had tired legs, and it kind of showed with how the pace of the game went. We had our struggles after a good start, and it came back again in the second half. We fired back and played with a lot of heart and energy in the final 20 minutes and had our chances to put a couple into the net."

Munoz would miss a gem of a chance at the quarter hour mark when Alcantar crossed to the spot and the onrushing Munoz, but his attempt lacked the pace to beat Lions keeper Mike McGrath, who wasn't tested as often as his counterpart Paolino Mansera, who turned in a magnificent performance for the Wildcats.

On the other side of the postage-sized Celtic Park turf, the Lions (12-1-3) mustered a few rushes forward, stopped by an offsides flag, or an occasional long throw from Ethan Wolfe. The throws put a scare or two into the West Chicago faithful, who cheered a handful of well-timed clearing punches from Mansera, beating Viator’s Troy Wheeler and Spencer Moore to the searing Wolfe heaves.

"We had some trouble with their deep throws and freekicks, but Mansera came to the rescue on those and a handful of others to help keep us in the game," Villa said.

The senior somehow was able to keep his wits in order to go from stick to stick to turn away a wicked shot from Moore which was redirected on the way in. The ball fell just inside the box where Moore once again had a go towards Mansera's left.

This sequence seemed to awaken a sleeping Lions attack, and minutes later Wheeler headed a Moore helper wide. Owens and Moore worked a nice combination to set up Ross Randon who sprayed his shot wide of the post.

"It took us awhile to get going, but once we did, we were able to generate a lot of opportunities in their end," said Owens.

Viator’s Kevin Klinkenberg, who has taken over in the middle for Ashwin Cornelius (lost for the season with an ACL) provided all the gritty tackling work to win a high percentage of 50-50 wins on Saturday. Klinkenberg’s ability to do so began to break apart the Wildcats and fuel the Lions attack, as did some quality minutes off the bench from freshmen Miles McDonnell, who gave his club some good pace and energy up the left side.

With the half winding down, Saint Viator had a flurry of chances, one from Randon, another off the boot of Moore and then Kyle Koss, who tested Mansera with a close range strike just before halftime.

West Chicago’s Jose Cortes and Vicente Tirado would connect before picking out Alejandro Villa who headed wide just moments before the first period ended.

"They really gave us trouble with our shape and organization in the first 10-15 minutes, but after that, I thought we tightened things up much better, and when our attack started to get forward a little more,” Viator senior Michael Duszynski said. “I thought everything kind of came together for us along the back.”

Duszynski, Wolfe, and Mark Tun have formed an airtight defensive unit along with senior captain Wheeler, the lone holdover from a year ago.

"Duszynski has come a long way this season, and Troy totally trusts him,” Taylor said. “They’re good friends away from the game and you can see how those two have formed a strong bond in the back for us.”

The Lions’ second half start was a bright one as darkness began to fall in Palatine. After a five-minute opening stretch which saw the home side test Mansero with a trio of shots on frame, while generating another two corners, it was clear the Lions had grabbed the run of play and appeared destined to find the back of the net before the Wildcats.

"(Moore) has been playing out of his mind since (Cornelius) went down, and today you saw it for 80 minutes,” Taylor said. “I really felt with him and Jackson, who had a strong effort today, playing at such a high level at the start of the second half, that we would score the first goal of the game.

"But (West Chicago) really hung in there well, and their keeper saved them a few times. After that, it turned into a high speed race for the last 15 minutes."

Both Medina and Munoz narrowly beat the Lions offsides trap before McGrath beat Medina to a clever 50-50 ball sent in from Terrazas to signal the Wildcats' attacking return to warp speed.

But A crucial five-minute defensive stand in the Saint Viator end would help keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard. An enterprising run up the left side by Terrazas sprung Tirado free but his shot went over the bar and the outstretched gloves of McGrath.

Three minutes later, McGrath stopped Munoz, then watched a Terrazas drive go over the bar at 75 minutes.

A couple more corners and dead-ball opportunities continued to trouble West Chicago, and the last of many on this day nearly cost the 'Cats after Moore was fouled on the far side.

"We really had our struggles with all of their long throws and freekicks today, and I give them credit for their ability to be dangerous with that part of their game,” Munoz said. “But I am very proud of the way we hung in there, and fought back and almost get into the back of the net towards the end.”

The Wildcats could only watch when Wheeler slipped through to head Moore's freekick serve off the woodwork in the 78th minute, but WEGO’s luck would end just seconds from time.

That's when Owens would guarantee a Saint Viator victory, when Moore dropped a well-paced early ball into the right side and Owens did the rest -- pulling just far away from his mark to get enough time and space to fire a low drive past the diving Mansera and into the far inside netting.

"I thought about playing the ball back to Spencer, but I knew I had an opening, and time, and I just let it go from there," said Owens. "This team is starting to gel and come together, and we should be ready for the stretch run."

After a long cool-down and get together with its manager, the Wildcats began to gather up their things and leave the park for a long bus ride home.

"It was a great game,” Munoz said. “I had a couple of chances in the end, so did a few others, but they didn't fall tonight. But this is still a very good team."

Villa liked what he saw all throughout the tournament and he knows there's a lot of good stuff to take from, in advance of back-to-back matches this week with West Aurora and Naperville North.

"We responded well to playing three games in two days, and although we were tired - so was Saint Viator, and it didn't affect our play or approach at all,” Villa said. “I am very proud of our effort this weekend, and very glad to be a part of this tournament. Hopefully we can be back next fall."

Saint Viator has yet another busy week ahead as well, with two ESCC fixtures on the schedule, as it looks to stay clear of long-time rival Benet in the race for a conference championship.

"I couldn't have asked for much more from the boys this weekend," began Taylor.

"I wish we still had (Cornelius) around, of course, but (Klinkenberg) and Ross (Randon) are doing well in his absence together. I like where we're at right now, and I like the way we performed against one hell of a team in West Chicago. It was a long two days, but a very good tournament for us."