*All records and postseason performances were taken from Maxpreps.com or from IHSA.org unless otherwise mentioned.
Fall sports at Oak Park and River Forest High School were bursting with fun moments, from being 5-1 against rival Fenwick High School in all sports to devastating losses. As with most sports moments, there were many ups and downs. Here’s a recap of what happened this fall and a look ahead to the future of these programs.
The Huskies went just 1-8 this season in football. While there were some good passes and rushes here and there, this was a disappointing season to say the least. However, the freshman class looks incredibly promising for the future seasons of OPRF football. (Please see Trapeze’s interview with Hoerster online and page 8 of the print edition).
From the looks of it, this season was a hidden success. Next season and the years to come are going to be successes either hidden or in OPRF stadium. Students, staff and the Oak Park community wait for OPRF to win the West Suburban Conference-Silver (WSC-S).
Girls volleyball thrived this season, going 31-7 and getting second place in the WSC-S under veteran senior players. Grace Nelson, a senior and outside hitter for the volleyball team, said “It’s been really awesome to see it come together like the missing puzzle piece.”
Under head coach Kelly Collins, OPRF is notorious for having incredible volleyball programs with a record over .500 in the past three years.
Student support for our volleyball program has been steadily increasing in the past years, with this year’s student section being very full on some game days.
The team won the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) regional tournament hosted by OPRF, but fell in the Sectional final to Willowbrook High School.
The sky’s the limit for the OPRF volleyball team, but with four seniors leaving, uncertainty looms for next year.
Boys soccer was one of the most impressive teams in school history, losing just one and drawing two in the 25 games they played this season. The OPRF team got as high as fifth in the nation under 15 key seniors. The team also won the WSC-S regular season championship this year.
Going into the postseason, the team was undefeated. However their postseason was cut short in the regional finals when the team fell to Notre Dame College Prep in Niles.
Jason Fried, the head coach of OPRF soccer, and a math teacher at OPRF, named the Illinois soccer coach of the year by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA), said the coach of the year award “is really a program reward, it goes to the players, it goes to the coaches, it goes to the managers, it’s not just me.“
This season was a historic season for the boys soccer team, in it being the most successful season in school history. Many players broke school records this year. 21-1-2 is the best record in school history. “Our defense had a 0.45 goals-against average, which is a school record, and goalie, [Senior,] Cam Smith, has a 0.39 goal-against average (seven goals allowed in 1,413 minutes of play)” Fried said. Senior, “Easton [Bogard], finished his career with the leading amount of goals scored as a varsity player (91 goals) at ORPF, as well as assists (45 assists), he also broke the OPRF single-season scoring record (33 goals).” Bogard also was named the boys player of the year by the IHSSCA.
Reconstruction begins for the soccer team, even though they had such an incredibly successful season. Who will be filling the 15 gaps for next season?
Boys cross country sent seven runners to state this year. The team received sixth place in the state, which is calculated by the five best times in each team of seven.
Liam O’Connor had the best time for the OPRF team, receiving 17th individually, running three miles in 14:39.92. Other runners for OPRF include: Lewis O’Connor, Daniel Johnsen, Michael Micheloti, Mariano Escobedo and two runners whose times were not included in the overall team score, Finn Kelly and Andrew Harmon.
Though only seven runners competed, “there were more than 50 kids on the team to cheer on the seven who were running at state,” said Head Coach and math teacher Christopher Baldwin. That’s a testament to their community.
The girls cross country team was also incredibly successful this year, but what’s more impressive is the story of one of the runners we sent to state.
OPRF sent two runners to state, both seniors: Katie Stabb and Lenny Sterritt. According to Athletic.net, Stabb received 36th at the state finals, running three miles in 17:48.7, and Sterritt received 71st, running 18:15.4.
Last year, in sectionals, Stabb fractured her foot. “She did not run after the injury until September of 2023,” Head Coach Ashley Raymond said. She qualified for state one month after she fully recovered from her injury, and placed as well as she did. With the odds stacked up against her, she beat them in an exceptional performance.
The girls swimming program sent a girl to state this year. Kate Walby is a junior at OPRF who swam the 100-yard breaststroke at state finals. To get there, she swam in the IHSA sectional at Fenwick High School. She swam the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:07.66, receiving first place, and granting her a bid in the state finals. On Nov. 11, At the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Ill., she earned 29th in 1:08.49.
Field hockey is an emerging sport in the IHSA, and OPRF is one of the schools that participates. The Field Hockey team went 5-11-1 this season and fell in the sectional finals to Glenbrook South, after a thrilling shoot-out win against Latin School of Chicago.
Boys golf sent Senior Will Newmann to state to play as an individual. The state finals took place on Oct. 6 at The Den of the Fox Creek Golf Course, in Bloomington, Ill. Newmann shot an 87, and did not make the cut to play on Oct. 7. To get there, Newmann shot a 70 at the Lyons Township Sectional, which was one of the best scores of that sectional.
Girls golf did not send any golfers to state, but they did win regionals on Sept. 27 with a team score of 334.
Fall sports are over, but winter sports are about to be underway. From basketball to wrestling to boys swimming and diving, OPRF is in for a fun winter season.
