Waukegan's future looks bright

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COMMENTARY

Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's IHSA Class 3A supersectional contest with New Trier, Waukegan's boys soccer team has made history this fall.

The Bulldogs' return to glory on the soccer pitch is ending on a high note -- including Waukegan's first-ever sectional championship in the sport and first appearance in the Elite Eight.

Not to mention a conference title in one of the premier leagues in the state -- the Central Suburban South.

All of this with a team filled with talented underclassmen in key positions, plus several standout seniors who have been the backbone of the squad's success.

The architect of the uprising is head coach Joe Martinez, who has had plenty of success in recent years with teams from Grayslake High and Robert Morris College in Waukegan.

When Martinez took over the program before the start of the 2007 season, the cupboard wasn't exactly bare.

Mike Barre had led the Bulldogs to four consecutive winning records, including a 10-3-6 mark in 2002, but Waukegan had not captured an IHSA regional title in 18 years.

Waukegan finished with an 11-9 record last season, but the mark could have been a lot better.

"Of the nine losses, five of them were by one goal," said Martinez. "We were so young that we didn't know how to finish off teams."

That changed this season, including last Wednesday's dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Palatine in a sectional semifinal, plus a close 3-2 win over Deerfield on Saturday to claim the sectional crown.

"(The Palatine game) was one we probably would have lost last season," said sophomore midfielder Luis Medina, who tallied the game-winning goal a few minutes into overtime.

"We've grown a lot as a team even though we are still very young. We are learning with each game."

Three freshmen -- Miguel Cortez, Jesus Medina-Avalos and Fransisco Sajuan, who tallied the game-tying goal against Palatine with just three minutes remaining in regulation -- have played a big part in Waukegan's success this season, along with several other underclassmen.

"We are trying to play soccer the right way here,' said Martinez. "We want to play fundamentally sound soccer with our passing game. We are technically strong and have a lot of speed, so we want to use that to our advantage."

The Bulldogs don't have much choice in playing a fast-paced passing game with a Latin flair, as they don't have much size or strength.

"Our biggest player is only 5-foot-8 (junior sweeper Lucas Lopez), so we have to do other things well to combat our lack of size," said Martinez. "I think we've done a pretty good job of that."

Despite piling up the wins this season, Martinez says this is just the beginning of bigger and better things for the Waukegan soccer program.

"We hope we are building something that will last," he said. "We have so many young players, and a lot of very good players in school who don't have the grades right now to play with us.

"If we can show we are doing things right, maybe we can get some more support and make this an even bigger program in the future."

He knows it's not going to be easy to change the perception of Waukegan athletics around the Chicagoland area.

"I think Waukegan gets a bad reputation sometimes, but we have a good group of kids here in our soccer program and they want to continue to improve and get better," he said. "That's a good sign."

Ex-Warren booter Colaizzi finishes strong

Former Warren High soccer star Anthony Colaizzi wrapped up his sophomore season for the Marquette University men's soccer team last weekend.

Colaizzi, who helped guide the Blue Devils to the IHSA state-championship game in 2006, finished as the Golden Eagles' top scorer this season with four goals and three assists, as he played in 14 of his team's 17 games.

Marquette struggled on the pitch in 2008, as the Golden Eagles finished out of the Big East playoffs with a 3-10-4 overall record and a 1-8-2 conference mark.

Tom Lynn, a junior from Libertyville, played in all 17 of Marquette's games, as well. He finished with a goal and one assist.