Luke Jackson and his fellow seniors on the Lyons Township High School boys water polo team are used to state trophies. Saturday’s final victory resulted in the only one missing. The Lions gained their first state championship since 2015 and third overall by defeating Stevenson 10-7 at Stevenson.
“It’s just such a great feeling after four years of coming up short again and again and again,” Jackson said. “A state trophy’s still good, third place, second place, that feels great, but first place, it’s just an unmatchable feeling.”
The fourth straight trophy for the Lions (27-3) follows finishing third the past two years and losing to Stevenson in the 2021 final. LTHS beat Whitney Young 12-7 in Saturday’s semifinals after an uplifting 10-9 overtime victory over New Trier in the May 16 quarterfinals.
Four-year starting senior goalie Charlie Vlk is the only player from all four teams.
“It’s an insane feeling. It’s one of best feelings I’ve ever felt in my life,” Vlk said. “We worked so hard for this all four years. We became a brotherhood and to end it off like that, nothing more you could ask for. Definitely the perfect ending.”
Jackson (72 goals, 25 assists), seniors Brendan Whelton (64 goals, 23 assists), Finn Vahey (42 goals, 35 assists) and Michael Wall (34 goals, 6 assists) and junior Sami Rabah (44 goals, 45 assists) were this season’s leading scorers. Vlk entered state with a .631 save percentage.
Jackson (3 goals, 2 assists), Rabah (3 goals), Whelton and senior Sam Garvin (2 goals each) and sophom*ores Declan Vahey (5 assists) and Ben Kozak (assist) led the offense against Stevenson.
“We have a really strong group of seniors and just throughout the year they provided great leadership, setting a great example and continuing to work hard,” LTHS coach Doug Eichstaedt said.
“They just kind of kept everyone together, moving toward the same goal and this is what happens. Just really, really happy for them. They all worked so hard their whole high school career. To be able to finish it off like this is really special.”
The Lions had edged Stevenson 6-5 at Stevenson in their March 9 season opener.
On Saturday, LTHS opened a 4-0 lead in the second period. The Patriots (24-9-1) closed within two goals three times, the last at 9-7 with 4:35 still left. But the Lions’ defense – a key ingredient to their success – held the Patriots scoreless over their last four 30-second possessions with two Vlk saves and one shot wide.
The overtime victory over New Trier 10-9 followed losing both of their regular-season meetings but the second one 5-4 in overtime April 27. Whelton and Kozak scored Saturday’s OT goals after LTHS trailed 7-6 following the third period but forced OT at 8-8.
The Trevians (26-6-1) had won the teams’ last five meetings, including the 2023 and 2022 state semifinals.
“We wanted to get past [New Trier] and once we got past that one game, we knew we were going to go far,” Whelton said. “I’m super-excited. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. [Third is] a good feeling but this year, my last year, best one ever.”
LTHS girls water polo
Even with a younger lineup, the LTHS girls continued their same old successful ways Saturday. The Lions (27-6) finished third in state by beating Naperville North 12-7 after losing to eventual champion Stevenson 12-4 in the semifinals.
It’s the second third-place finish in three seasons for the Lions, who had just three seniors, Estelle Wright, Tess Filipak and Ellie Baum, and third-year starting junior Maya Mladjan and sophom*ore Bella Recker among four returning starters from their 2023 sectional finalist.
“A lot of people were underestimating us this season. We kind of underestimated ourselves a little bit because of how many talented players [graduated] but we definitely got our glory in coming back here,” Filipak said. “The whole season we were working really hard. Seeing the payout was really good to have.”
Mladjan (122 goals, 40 assists), Recker (85 goals, 39 assists), Filipak (40 goals, 61 assists) and Wright (48 goals, 98 assists) were the team’s leading scorers. Junior goalie Delaney Judkins had 285 saves and a .626 save percentage.
Mladjan was part of the 2022 third-place state team along with older sister Emilia, Filipak and Wright. Maya Mladjan missed last year’s sectional final loss because of a concussion suffered in the previous match.
“[2022] was memorable because (Emilia) was with me,” Mladjan said. “Coming back from last year, not winning the sectional, and making third in state really does hold a special place in my heart.”
Against Naperville North (32-3), Filipak, Wright and Recker each had three goals, Mladjan had two goals and three assists, sophom*ore Avery Watanabe had two assists and Baum added her seventh goal.
The Lions avenged a 9-8 loss April 23, their only defeat in their final 13 regular-season matches. They beat York 10-6 in Friday’s quarterfinals after splitting their two regular-season meetings.
“The older players have been kind of putting [state] in their heads since the beginning of the season so it’s been a goal to make state since practice No. 1,” LTHS coach Megan Jacobs said. “We didn’t know how far we’d go so third place is great.”
Related
