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THE ILLPOLO REPORT

Week 2

The following is a summary of what took place during the most recent week in water polo action in Illinois. This is not a complete list; the purpose is to recognize several of the best performances from across the state that have been reported.

Players To Watch

BOYS

Kyle Jackson (Naperville Central)

Tyler Gustafson (Schaumburg)

GIRLS

Jamila Jenkins (H-F)

Lauren Patt (Niles West)

Biggest Impact Plays

BOYS

Ben Howlett/Jordan Jopes (York)

Howlett found Jopes open with a crossing pass and the Dukes' sophomore connected on the game-winning goal in overtime as York beat Schaumburg 11-10 to win the Saxons' Tournament on Saturday night.

Luke Landiak/Nolan Roberts (Naperville North)

Roberts made a steal and assisted Landiak on a counter-attack goal with :20 left to lift the Huskies over Brother Rice 11-10 on Friday night en route to the Fenwick Tournament title.

GIRLS

Jessica Fox (Naperville Central)

For the second straight week, Fox scored a game-winning goal, this time with :09 left to beat Mother McAuley 9-8 to win the Naperville Central Tournament.

Madison Griffith (Libertyville)

Griffith scored the eventual game-winner for the Wildcats as they earned a 14-13 victory over Conant on Thursday.

Top Goalie Performances

BOYS

Graham Woolley (New Trier)

Woolley recorded two shutout victories over Hoffman and Mundelein to help the Trevians place third at the Mundelein Tournament.

Matt Lefler (Niles West)

Lefler averaged 14 blocks and 4 steals per game to help Niles West claim the Maine East Tournament over the weekend.

Shane Hughes (St Ignatius)

In a rare appearance in goal, Hughes totaled 25 saves in wins over Neuqua Valley and Stevenson in the opening round of the Fenwick Tournament before returning to the field in the championship round.

Tim Yara (Andrew)

Yara made 21 saves, 10 steals, and earned a shutout as the T-Bolts won the Hinsdale South Tournament with a 3-0 mark on Saturday.

GIRLS

Allyson Foor (STC North)

Foor allowed 3 goals per game and recorded a shutout to help the North Stars win their own tournament on Saturday.

Kim Butler (Palatine)

Butler allowed less than 4 goals per game and stopped 34 shots as the Pirates won the GBS Tournament and also made 14 saves in a 9-3 win over Fremd on Wednesday.

Biggest Surprises

BOYS

St Rita

The Mustangs upset Brother Rice 12-10 on Wednesday to shake up the Catholic League standings, then finished in third place at the eight-team Schaumburg Tournament on Saturday.

GIRLS

Homewood-Flossmoor

The Vikings may have turned the corner, if their impressive defensive performance in a 3-2 victory over Fremd is any indication. They went 2-1 to finish the Naperville Central Tournament in third place.

Niles West

The Wolves placed third at their first-ever tournament, ending the weekend with a 2-1 record at Jones-Payton.

News and Notes

Sectional Hosts & Assignments

With just one week left in March, expect the IHSA to finally announce the sectional hosts and assignments at some point during the upcoming week.

Spring Break

A large number of schools begin their Spring Break vacation this week, so expect a somewhat lighter schedule during Week 3, especially when the weekend rolls around.

Super Ballers

BOYS

Drake McClure (Naperville North)

Gianmarco Duin (Naperville North)

Nolan Roberts (Naperville North)

GIRLS

Caroline Wojtas (Palatine)

Rachel Chumbook (Palatine)