North Suburban Conference rivals Libertyville, Stevenson and Warren take the top three spots.
TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Libertyville (7-8-3): The Wildcats are one of the most experienced teams in Lake County with 17 returning players, including nine starters, and should contend for the North Suburban Conference title. A strong group of seniors — defender Nick Snow, defender Henry Bownas, defender Ben Goldberg, midfielder Matthew Underwood and forward Max Doshi — headline the group.
2. Stevenson (16-3-1): With 230 players attending tryouts, the Patriots have a large talent pool. Senior forward Jack Bacher, senior defender Mohit Damodaran and junior goalkeeper Matthew Rutcosky are the main returnees from the team that won a Class 3A regional title last year.
3. Warren (12-10-2): Depth is a key strength for the Blue Devils, especially considering they lack their usual star power. Junior midfielder Charlie Crowson is slated for a bigger role after scoring five goals last season. Senior goalkeeper Ethan Cole is among the top players in the NSC, and junior forward Christian Albarran and junior defender Gunnar Zajac could be key contributors.
4. Wauconda (13-3-2): The Bulldogs should be contenders for the Northern Lake County Conference title, led by senior goalkeeper Tyler Jacobs, senior forward Freddy Barnshaw, senior forward Sam Jurczyk, senior midfielder Luka Gmitrovic and junior defender Mario Torres.
5. Round Lake (16-6-1): The defending NLCC champion welcomes back three key players: senior midfielders Jorgie Morales and Christian Hernandez and senior defender Sebastian Herrera. Senior midfielder Alex Corona and senior defender Iroel Velazquez round out a strong nucleus.
6. Lake Zurich (12-5-2): Ten players return from the Bears’ NSC championship team. Senior goalkeeper Karsten Zettlmeier, senior forward JP Eck, senior midfielder Caden Wits, senior defender Ben Lowe and senior defender Brandon Taboada are among the top players.
7. Mundelein (10-9-4): The Mustangs finished second in the NSC last season and aim to top that behind senior forward Diego Sanchez (6 goals, 6 assists), senior midfielder Chris Rivas, senior defender Lukas McCaulou and junior defender Brandon Reyes.
8. Vernon Hills (11-6-1): The Cougars bring back several talented players from last season, particularly senior goalkeeper Brandon Grunfeld and senior midfielder Daniel Finn.
9. Grayslake Central (12-5): Junior forward Ivan Sereno, junior midfielder Damian Sereno, senior midfielder Jaziel Alonso, senior defender Anderson Chevier and senior midfielder Jacob Clement are among the top players for the Rams.
10. Waukegan (5-9-5): The Bulldogs are aiming for a competitive season behind senior midfielders Jonathan Mejia and Carlos Banales and senior forward Jimmy Basulto.
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Jack Bacher, Stevenson, senior, forward
- Carlos Banales, Waukegan, senior, midfielder
- Ronald Bardales, Zion-Benton, junior, forward
- Freddy Barnshaw, Wauconda, senior, forward
- Ethan Cole, Warren, senior, goalkeeper
- Charlie Crowson, Warren, junior, midfielder
- Daniel Finn, Vernon Hills, senior, defender
- Dylan Geller, Highland Park, junior, midfielder
- Brandon Grunfeld, Vernon Hills, senior, goalkeeper
- Zach Grzesiak, Carmel, senior, defender
- Christian Hernandez, Round Lake, senior, midfielder
- Tyler Jacobs, Wauconda, senior, goalkeeper
- Alex Luna, Grant, sophomore, midfielder
- Jonathan Mejia, Waukegan, senior, midfielder
- David Mendoza, Zion-Benton, senior, midfielder
- Jorgie Morales, Round Lake, senior, midfielder
- Luke Reynolds, Carmel, senior, goalkeeper
- Boden Rupprecht, Lake Forest, senior, midfielder
- Matthew Rutcosky, Stevenson, junior, goalkeeper
- Diego Sanchez, Mundelein, senior, forward
- Ivan Sereno, Grayslake Central, junior, forward
- Nick Snow, Libertyville, senior, defender
- Sam Soriano, Grayslake North, senior, forward
- Cade Ternes, Antioch, senior, midfielder
- Matthew Underwood, Libertyville, senior, midfielder
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
