Latest news with #MeteaValley
Chicago Tribune
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
All business as Purdue recruit Jaelynn Anthony opens playoffs with 17 strikeouts for Oswego. ‘I'm here to compete.'
Oswego's Jaelynn Anthony timed her varsity breakout last season just about perfectly. Anthony helped the Panthers make an historic run to taking third place in the state. But now, with the postseason beginning anew, the Purdue-bound junior pitcher is an established commodity. It's a big difference. 'Everybody knows I'm a good pitcher, so they're here to beat me and it's not going to happen,' Anthony said. 'I do what I need to do. I'm here to compete and they know I'm here to compete.' As far as competition goes, Anthony delivered a dominant performance Tuesday as top-seeded Oswego cruised to an 8-0 win over Metea Valley in a Class 4A Oswego East Regional semifinal. Anthony was brilliant, striking out 17 and walking one in a three-hit gem for Oswego (32-2). She also hit a two-run homer, tying her with Aubriella Garza for the team lead with 13. Adalynn Fugitt added two hits and two steals and scored twice for the Panthers, who extended their program record for wins and will play for a second straight regional title at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Garza and Sabrina Zamora each tallied two hits and drove in a run for the Panthers, while Zamora scored twice. Sydney Eakin, Maielle Ernser and Elena Gonzalez had hits for Metea (8-21). Iowa recruit Kiyah Chavez, Anthony's catcher and one of her best friends, has seen the subtle ways that Anthony has improved and taken steps forward this season. And they're not all related to her electric stuff. 'I think she just feels more confident, more comfortable,' Chavez said. 'There are so many things I could say about Jaelynn. She's obviously a fantastic pitcher and we're very lucky to have her. 'The strongest part of her development is definitely getting more comfortable with who she is and what role she plays. I think before she was a solid pitcher but she wasn't sure where she fit in with leadership roles, that kind of stuff.' Oswego co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi echoed those sentiments, acknowledging that Anthony has made the jump from breakout pitcher last spring to savvy veteran this season. 'She just has the confidence this year to attack those hitters, which I think has been the difference-maker with her this year,' Scaramuzzi said. Anthony puts fear into opponents with her bat, too. The Panthers were up only 1-0 after a sluggish start when Anthony came to the plate in the bottom of the third with one out and Garza on second. 'I was expecting a change-up,' Anthony said. 'All of our good hitters got first pitch change-ups. I'm not going to swing at a first pitch change-up. 'I saw an inside pitch and it was the best pitch I was going to get, so I took advantage of it and hit it hard.' Anthony took care of the rest in the circle, striking out the side in the seventh to put the finishing touches on her win. A year ago, Scaramuzzi would have been happy with advancing. After finishing third in the state and returning a ton of talent, though, the mindset has shifted. 'Last year, every win after we had our first win in the postseason was a surprise,' Scaramuzzi said. 'We didn't really have any expectations. This year, we said from the beginning the biggest challenge is managing expectations because we know we're that good.' Anthony, meanwhile, has been embracing that challenge. 'We just know we're capable of getting there and we're not playing down to any team,' Anthony said. 'We're here to win and to make a state run again. We're excited. It makes it way better. 'They're trying to beat us and we're like, no, that's not going to happen.'
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Superstitious Ava Drehs can amaze with K's for Neuqua Valley. Her new feat: All 18 outs by strikeout.
Neuqua Valley ace Ava Drehs claims there is superstition behind her superpower. The Creighton-bound senior has a list of pregame routines she must follow. One of them involves catcher Krista Waldusky. 'Me and Krista split a piece of gum and share it for the first inning until we're on the same page,' Drehs said. It doesn't take long for Waldusky, a senior leader for the Wildcats, to figure out she and Drehs are good to go. 'I can honestly tell in warmups,' Waldusky said. 'Like, as soon as she throws the first pitch, you can either know, like, 'Oh, we're on the same page,' or, 'Oh, we need a little bit more connection there.'' If it's the latter? 'We need a new piece of gum,' Waldusky said. 'There's been multiple times where we have spit out the first piece. 'We're a little bit superstitious, to say the least.' Indeed, the chewing gum isn't the only piece of Drehs' schtick. 'We also have another tradition with the game ball,' Neuqua Valley coach Danielle Asquini said. 'Whenever she's starting, I have to open it for her and give her the wrapper, and she puts it in her back pocket. 'Interesting superstitions around here. There's always something that keeps us locked in, that keeps us ready to go.' Drehs actually didn't feel ready to go before facing Metea Valley in a DuPage Valley Conference game in Naperville on Wednesday. 'When we warmed up, I was talking to Krista,' she said. 'I was like, 'I actually don't feel good today.' 'We were both like, 'Oh, it's hot, and we're tired from a long day and stuff. But then, I don't know, we just got out there and…' Dominated. In the final home game of her career, Drehs threw a three-hit shutout and recorded all 18 outs by strikeout in the Wildcats' 10-0 win in six innings. Waldusky and freshman Savannah Charlton had two hits and two RBIs apiece to back Drehs, whose strikeout feat was a first for her. 'I have not done that before,' Drehs said. 'It's exciting. My teammates are excited for me, too, and everyone's happy.' It was quickly apparent that Drehs and Waldusky wouldn't require a second stick of gum. Drehs knew after the first pitch of the game to Metea Valley's leadoff hitter, senior Grace Feeley. 'The first batter swung and missed the first pitch, and I was like, 'OK, wait, I think we'll be OK,'' Drehs said. 'Because she's pretty good. She's awesome.' Drehs was awesome throughout. Senior Sydney Eakin and freshman Maielle Ernser were the only batters to get hits for the Mustangs, who had only one runner reach third base. 'In warmups, she was throwing pretty hard today, and she was hitting her spots, spinning the ball,' Waldusky said. 'When she does, when she puts it all together, she's a pretty hard pitcher to hit.' The Wildcats (13-14, 9-3) had no such problems and the Mustangs (6-18, 3-9). They led 5-0 after five innings before scoring five runs in the sixth, with junior Hannah Toomey clinching the game with a bases-loaded walk. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because it prevented Drehs, who holds Neuqua Valley's single-season and career strikeout records, from going for 21 strikeouts. Her career high is 19, but that was in a seven-inning game. She has 610 career strikeouts 'I was hoping we'd have another inning,' she said. 'But it's all right.' For those wondering what type of gum Drehs chews, it's a minty concoction called Extra Polar Ice. She's stocked up and is hoping more wins are in store for the Wildcats, who are tied for the DVC lead with Naperville Central (17-12, 9-3) with three games remaining. 'We set a goal to win the conference, and we have to win all of our upcoming games in order to tie with Central,' Drehs said. 'So I think having this game, like, in the books and it being a well-played, well-pitched game puts us in a better note for the rest of the week and next week.'
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Meet Metea Valley's Emma Strcic, a DePaul commit whose best means ‘you shouldn't even know I'm on the field'
Metea Valley's Emma Strcic is an invisible star. The junior defensive midfielder might be the best player you've never heard about or at least haven't noticed. That's just the way she likes it. 'I always make the joke that if I'm doing my job right, you shouldn't even know I'm on the field,' Strcic said. 'If I'm possessing the ball well, if I'm covering other people, even if I'm just standing in position to cover the ball if it goes over, helping my teammate, that's the role of the 6. 'It's doing the things people don't always see, but it's definitely key to the game.' Strcic's name doesn't show up on the stat sheet. The DePaul commit has no goals and one assist in 30 career games for the Mustangs (10-1), but the plays she makes endear her to anyone who understands her position. 'It's my favorite position on the field because that's what I played for the most part growing up, and I love the position because you're right in the thick of it,' Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. 'It just takes somebody with a really strong mindset and somebody that's not afraid to get in on tackles and somebody who just give you their best effort every game. 'And that's exactly what Emma does.' Strcic put those talents to good use during the BodyArmor championship game on Sunday. The Mustangs held previously unbeaten Wheaton Warrenville South to just three shots and won 2-1 in La Grange. The Tigers (9-1-2) rarely had the ball in their offensive third because Strcic disrupted their attack by constantly winning tackles, doing the literal dirty work that left her with a sweaty jersey and muddy knees. 'She was just a bulldog out there today,' Whaley said. 'She was in our midfield, keeping our intensity up and winning tackles and keeping the ball in their half when we could. Loved it.' So did Metea Valley junior midfielder Mckenna Wigfield, an SIU-Edwardsville commit who scored the winning goal Sunday. 'I love her,' Wigfield said. 'She's probably the most composed player on the field. She works so hard. She's not afraid to go into tackles, and she's really good about switching the field and having her head up, like knowing what she's going to do with the ball before she receives it.' If Strcic's name sounds familiar, that could be because her older sister, Riley, played the same position for the Mustangs and was a junior on the 2022 Class 3A state championship team. 'She was a big role model,' Strcic said. 'I didn't get to play with her my freshman year because I was still on a club team that didn't allow me to play. 'But the year after she graduated, I was just really excited — not to fill her shoes but make my own path at the same position.' While that position is far from glamorous and even further from the spotlight, Strcic enjoys the intricacies. She is the oil that keeps the Mustangs' high-powered attack humming while greasing the skids of opponent's offenses. 'I really like seeing the whole field, and the whole field is basically in front of me,' Strcic said. 'I can run the field, basically. I can get the ball and swing it this way. I can dictate play whichever way I want.' Strcic also gets to attempt to dictate which way her marks go. She said that's also among her strengths. 'When there is a target forward, I'm always stuck on them, just 1v1 defending,' she said. 'And then distributing the ball, getting the ball to one side or the other and keeping possession.' While Strcic and her sister differ in styles of play, there are interesting parallels in the arc of their prep careers. Strcic is a junior on a team that features a potent offense. Metea Valley has won 10 consecutive games since its season-opening 1-0 loss to Oswego, which is 13-2-2. The Mustangs boast a bevy of senior stars, including forwards Isabelle Leofanti, Chloe Birch and Lily Senese and attacking midfielder Olivia Hernandez, so hopes are high that they can repeat the 2022 team's success. 'We have a really talented team,' Strcic said. 'Our team chemistry and the amount that we work for each other is crazy. 'This weekend our seniors all had prom, but they came back and they worked so hard. We really trust everyone, and we really lean on each other.'
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Grace Riggs, a sophomore who doesn't play travel or club, gets job done for Waubonsie Valley. ‘Working so hard.'
In an era of nearly universal specialization for high school athletes, Waubonsie Valley's Grace Riggs is definitely old school, but the sophomore second baseman is getting the job done. Riggs, who's very good defensively, is batting ninth for a second straight year on varsity. She doesn't, however, play summer travel or fill winter weekends working out in the batting cage. 'I like having my free time and not having all that traveling,' said Riggs, who seems to realize it could come at a cost. 'I started off bad this season, I think, because I don't play outside of this. 'I hadn't hit in a while before coming back.' By Thursday, yet another bone-chilling, windy spring day in Aurora for the Warriors' DuPage Valley Conference matchup at neighboring rival Metea Valley, that was hard to tell. Riggs looked to be in midseason form, emerging as the star of the game at the plate and in the field during a remarkable 8-7 come-from-behind victory for Waubonsie Valley. Ssenior pitcher Charlie Benesh was cruising with a 7-0 lead on a one-hitter through four innings for Metea Valley (2-8, 0-1), but Riggs produced singles in a three-run fifth and one-run sixth. She then came up with the game-winning hit for the Warriors (4-2, 1-0) with a two-run, two-out single in the top of the seventh that capped off a four-run rally. 'I just knew I had to hit it,' Riggs said. 'I like to open my shoulders, so I had to make sure to keep my shoulder in and hit it. I was just trying to get it in play. 'I guess I just got used to her pitching. I had been looking for change-ups, but she didn't throw as many as last year, so I was just going up looking for strikes.' It made a winner of senior right-hander Samantha Wiertelak, who pitched the final three innings and gave up no runs and no hits in relief of freshman starter Molly Quinn. Sophomore outfielder Dezirae Kelly added a two-run double for Waubonsie. Benesh notched an RBI triple and senior catcher Sydney Eakin had a two-run double and three RBIs for Metea. 'She's been working so hard with her hitting,' Waubonsie coach Valerie Wood said of Riggs. 'I know that's been a point of contention with her. She's been working on her confidence, and (Thursday) kind of solidified that. 'I told her it was gonna come because at that point we had played only two games and everyone was struggling. We've worked a lot with the whole team on mentally just getting over things and stepping back. It showed — she had a heckuva game.' Only three of Waubonsie's runs were earned and just two of Metea's runs were earned, although Riggs handled nine total chances without an error. She did bobble one of two seventh-inning grounders but scooped it up in time to sophomore shortstop Aislee Morgan for a force-out. She also snared a line drive and stepped on second for an unassisted double play in the second inning. 'We talk a lot about finishing the play and that's always our focus,' Wood said. 'It transferred over (Thursday), and Grace didn't give up on the bobbled ball and could have easily enough. 'She stuck with it and got the out. Grace and Aislee are best friends and work well together.' The 5-foot-7 Riggs also plays volleyball and was an outside hitter last season for the school's sophomore team. She doesn't play club in volleyball, either. Whether that continues for both sports remains to be seen. 'My mom's always saying, 'Other people play outside and you don't and don't get as much practice, so it's good you've been doing as well as you are,' Riggs said.
Chicago Tribune
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
With Chloe Birch's new perch on the pitch, Metea Valley can feast. She's ‘hungry' after 2 knee injuries.
Metea Valley's Chloe Birch was drawing a lot of interest from college soccer coaches earlier in her career. That dried up when Birch suffered a torn meniscus in November 2022. Then she tore it again in February 2024. 'The injury fully brought recruitment to a halt for a couple of years,' Birch said. 'It was hard, very mentally draining, very tough. 'But I knew with hard work my time would come and I just had to be patient. Eventually I was going to get my chance.' That chance finally came when Birch, a senior forward who played club soccer during her first two seasons, made her debut for the Mustangs one year later than planned. She was with the team as a junior but could only watch and cheer. 'It was obviously very frustrating,' Birch said. 'I wanted to make an impact, but I knew my place and I knew the only thing I could do was make the best of it. 'I knew cheering them on and motivating them to be the best would just make me better in the end.' Birch, who recently committed to North Dakota State, is already making a veteran team even better. She scored the game-winning goals in Metea Valley's back-to-back victories against Benet and Glenbard West last week. Birch also assisted on senior forward Lily Senese 's game-winning strike in the Mustangs' 2-1 victory over host Wheaton North on Tuesday. 'It's amazing,' Birch said. 'I love the girls. I love the team. I love the competition. I'm so happy to be back.' The Mustangs (3-1) are happy to have Birch in the lineup. She joins Senese, a Northern Michigan recruit, and senior Isabelle Leofanti, a Kent State recruit, to make one of the most potent forward lines in the state. Those three, along with Marquette-bound senior midfielder Olivia Hernandez, are what Hernandez calls 'the fantastic four.' They have been friends since second grade and have played with each other off and on for school and club teams ever since. 'Oh, it's so nice,' Hernandez said. 'We're close off the field, so it's easy to be close on the field.' Birch's presence on the field is a difference-maker for the Mustangs. 'We definitely need a powerful forward, and she gives us that on the wing,' Hernandez said. 'She can play anywhere, but it's really nice to have somebody to cross it because as you can see, she can cross it, and Lily can head it.' That's exactly what happened against Wheaton North. Senese headed home a cross from Birch to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead with 2:07 left in the game. That provided a crucial cushion because the Falcons scored off a corner kick with 43 seconds left. Birch prefers to play on the wing, but Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley knows he can utilize her elsewhere too. 'We think her best position might be center forward,' Whaley said. 'But we try to move people around quite a bit just to see how it works.' Whaley is confident things will continue to work out for Birch. 'She is very motivated,' Whaley said. 'She's a pretty competitive kid and really loves the game and wants to do really well — not prove herself, but kind of show everybody what she's capable of. 'She's just hungry from being hurt. I think sitting out that long was tough. She's anxious to contribute.' Indeed, Birch doesn't mind where she plays on the field as long as she's actually on it. 'I'm just trying to do what I can do, get other players involved, make other players have opportunities,' Birch said. 'Playing on the wing, I try to get crosses off for them to finish and let them have the goal if I need to, and then sometimes be selfish, take it myself, and just play based on what the game is giving us.' Hernandez is intent on giving Birch passes in space. 'I like to find Chloe a lot on through balls,' Hernandez said. 'I can easily find her down the field, and she can get a cross on it. She's good at finding the ball and taking 1v1s.' Birch, an aspiring pediatric nurse, is taking nothing for granted in her only high school season. She's relishing every moment and has high hopes for the Mustangs. 'I think we can go far,' Birch said. 'When we're hot, we're good, and we're going to work together, use our strengths and really pick defenses apart.'
