The team that captures the Class 1A Westminster Christian Regional could claim the title as “1A Champion of Elgin.”
Unlike previous years, all four of the Elgin’s 1A programs have been clustered into the same regional. Top-seeded Harvest Christian (10-3-3) faces fourth-seeded Elgin Academy (6-9) at 4 p.m. Tuesday, while Wednesday pits second-seeded St. Edward (10-8) against regional host and third-seeded Westminster Christian (10-8-1).
Harvest Christian has matched its school record for single-season victories originally achieved a year ago. That’s when Cristo Rey St. Martin eliminated the Lions in a regional opener.
“We respect the other teams in the regional and will not take them lightly,” Harvest coach Jason Acres said. “We have a job to do and we all know what part to play. We’re going to give it everything we have and hope for a bit of luck as well.”
St. Edward has won six of its last seven games — losing to 2A powerhouse Wheaton Academy — and the move to the Metro Suburban West meant the Green Wave faced 2A and 3A opposition the majority of the seaosn.
In a 6-0 win over Elgin Academy in the season finale, senior Joe French’s goal was his 61st, giving him a shot at the school’s single-season goal record (64) held by assistant Chris Holze. He also had three assists in that game.
Not so fast
Genoa-Kingston coach Randy Tate may use Lee Corso’s Game Day line and insist his Cogs are not ready to relinquish the title of best “Elgin area” 1A program.
En route to last year’s fourth-place finish, Genoa-Kingston defeated Westminster and Cristo Rey St. Martin as part of a 17-8-1 season. The Cogs (10-7-2) are the second seed in the Hinckley-Big Rock Regional, and that would mean a meeting with the Westminster Regional victor in a Byron Sectional opener.
Déjà vu all over again?
At the Class 3A level, the first rule of thumb is don’t put too much stock in the seeds. Last year, fifth-seeded South Elgin knocked off fourth-seeded Elgin and upset top-seeded Streamwood only to lose to a Larkin squad which was denied a Final Four berth by a Lake Park squad that eliminated No. 1 St. Charles East.
This past weekend, Larkin made two first-half goals stand up in a 2-1 road win at Dundee-Crown. As the second seed, the Chargers seek revenge when they play third-seeded Larkin in an Oct. 22 semifinal for the 3A Streamwood Regional. The Sabres, ironically, are the top seed again and face the winner of a prelim between — you guessed it — fifth-seeded South Elgin and fourth-seeded Elgin.
Streamwood Streak III
Coach Matt Polovin’s Sabres had a five-game unbeaten streak snapped, then a seven-game string interrupted. An identical run would mean state hardware.
