“To develop hard working, Christ-like men committed to excellence in all areas of life.”

Warrior Soccer F O U R T H IN S T A T E C O N C L U D E S

R EM A R K A B L E S EA S O N The 2012 Wheaton Academy soccer season will not soon be forgotten. The Warriors finished the year fourth in state with super-sectional, sectional, regional and conference championships. This group is the first to ever make it to the final four in the new three-class IHSA system. The team finished with an overall record of 21-8 while all of their losses but one were to teams who won at least a regional championship in 2012.

The Warriors were led by a group of seven seniors who pushed the program through to the next level of success on the field. A large and talented junior class accounted for seven starting positions. The year was highlighted by conference wins over St. Francis and a double overtime win over Marmion. In non-conference play, the Warriors defeated Wheaton North, Geneva, Plainfield Central, Proviso East, and Riverside Brookfield.

This group will always be remembered as the team that got fourth in state but it was defined by much more than that. This group fought to compete at the highest level in the state. Hours of work were poured into accomplishing the goals that this team set. A shootout loss to the state champion Peoria Notre Dame squad was a game to remember due to the high quality of play and talent on each side. The Warriors truly showed well in the state tournament.

In addition to the Varsity team, the JV team finished the year with a perfect 19-0 record. The group performed well in and out of conference and won the Hononegah JV Invitational in Rockford, IL.

As seven seniors move beyond the program, they will always be remembered as the group who led the program to the final four and who never stopped believing that this program could do incredible things if they fought together.

“ST”

January 2013 Newsletter

Karl  Cassel  Gareth  Flynn  Spencer  Graf  Adam  Hunt  

Andrew  Luetkehans  Thomas  Oster  Gabe  Partain  

SENIORS COLLEGE BOUND

Overall  Record:  21-­‐8  Conference  Record:  8-­‐0  

SCC  Conference  Champs,  Regional  Champs  Sectional  Champs,  Super-­‐Sectional  Champs  

2

R o m a n s 1 2 :1 0 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one

another above yourselves.”

This year, the captains chose the team verse out of the book of Romans. The team studied the remarkable power that young men have when they love each other as brothers. It was a daily challenge to put each other above self. Coach Howard dove into the passage and reflected on the significance of young men living outside of themselves and serving other people.

This verse is really at the core of what our program hopes to accomplish through the game of soccer. Soccer allows us to find our weaknesses and our flaws, which typically revolve around our own selfish pride. As young men, it should be a desire to die to ourselves and to live in brotherly love for the glory of Jesus Christ. This verse empowered and challenged this team to strive for new levels of excellence on and off the field. The group was challenged by the high call of brotherly love on a team pursuing a common goal.

Grant Stoneman and Gareth Flynn named IHSSCA All

Sectional

Gareth   Flynn   (#7)   and   Grant   Stoneman    (#8)   each   received   All   Sectional  acknowledgement   by   the   coaches   within  Illinois.    Gareth  finished  the  year  with  17  goals  and   16   assists   while   Stoneman   recorded   29  goals   and   18   assists.     Each   of   these   players  also   received   all   area   accolades   from  numerous   newspapers   and   All   Conference  honors.      

Stoneman   was   also   named   Suburban  Christian   Conference   Player   of   the   Year.     His  impressive   season   from   the   center   mid  position   gave   him   76   total   points   on   the  season.      

In   addition   to   these   players’   accolades,  Adam   Hunt,   Andrew   Luetkehans,   and   Sam  Hardy   were   named   to   the   All   Conference  team.     Spencer   Graf   received   honorable  mention   All   Area   for   his   work   in   the   goal.    Congratulations  to  all  of  these  players.      

FROM THE COACH The 2012 squad was committed to working to the best of their ability and ended up playing at a very high level. Our season included a challenging start based on a strong schedule and our need to build chemistry as a team. At one point we stood at 6-5 before winning 15 of our next 16 games leading up to the state semi-final.

While a fourth place finish is memorable, it is the guys and the group that I will miss the most. These young men battled and made strides in their relationship with Jesus Christ. The game exposed our weaknesses, which led to several conversations about our character as men. I am forever grateful for this group and the way they wanted to improve on and off the field as players and men. We were not flawless, but I was proud that we pursued excellence. The future looks bright if partnered with hard work and discipline. Our JV team finished with a 19-0, undefeated record and our returners will be hungry to exceed the level of this season.

It is my hope that you would remain connected to the soccer program and continue to pray for these players. You can follow us online at http://athletics.wheatonacademy.org/ or through social media.

Jeff Brooke (jbrooke@wheatonacademy.org)

   Wheaton  Academy  Boys  Soccer        @WABoysSoccer  

Mission Statement To develop hard working, Christ-like

men, committed to excellence in all areas of life.