OHS fall sports predictions

With the beginning of the school year and the warm weather, every sports team is getting ready for their upcoming events at Oswego High School. Every year, each team aspires to represent the school to the best of its abilities. There are many teams at OHS to keep an eye on, from football to volleyball. 

Boys Golf

To begin, boys golf, which was in third place in the conference last year, has been working with the same structure they worked with in the past, having returning players from last year. Chad Pohlman, the coach of boys golf, feels proud of the team. 

“They’re committed to golf. Their hard work outside of school is really important,” Pohlman said.

The Panthers won against the current Southwest Prairie Conference champion, Plainfield North, with a score of 157-163 in August. The Panthers won previously against Romeoville and Plainfield Central, and there is no doubt that the boys golf team will make the top three in the conference again this year.

Cross Country

Next, we have both boys and girls cross country. The boys cross country team, coached by Dan Whipple, has a bright future, since it has six sophomores aspiring to be the best in the conference. The boys’ next meet is against Sterling.

Girls cross country is coached by Eric Simon, and its next meet is the Sterling Invite as well, this Saturday at Hoover Park, 9 a.m. The girls cross country team is proud to have Ella Hale (Junior) and Rebecca Corbett (Sophomore) as the top returners they are ranked seventh in Class 3A. With the hard work and the confidence they always show, this team seems to be on the right path for having a successful season.

Tennis

Girls tennis is coached by Ryan Parr. The girls started the season with difficulties, although things seem to have gotten better with the victories against Plainfield South and Joliet West. The next match is the home game against Naperville North October 15 4:30 PM. It’s been hard to find consistency for girls tennis this season, but they still have enough time to change the bad beginning and make it a sensational season. 

Boys Soccer

The boys soccer team, coached by Gaspar Arias, started the season with a tie against Wheaton Warrenville. The game against Naperville North signified a good challenge since the team is a 3A State Final Team. The Panthers lost with a final score of 2-3. The “Clockwork Orange” had a great record last season; the team was regional champions, something that hasn’t happened since 2008. Forward Brian Villa is proud of his team, stating his love for the family atmosphere he feels while on the team. 

“We all have the same goal and expectations after school, we are a family. The team usually plays with a 4-4-2 and for me as a forward. It’s always good to have someone in my area so that we can exchange tasks depending on the game,” Villa stated.

The conference is competitive with teams like West Aurora and Naperville North, but the Panthers are on the rise since there are many players with the ability to play in different positions, which is helpful if there’s ever an injury. This team’s next game will be against Joliet Central this Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The team is motivated with the regional championship from last year, its victory against Oswego East, and its victory of 6-1 against Batavia. 

Football

The Panthers boys football team was honored to have Grace Davis as Athlete of the Week, an award given by NBC Sports Chicago.This is a story of determination and motivation for all student athletes since there’s not an official girls football team and all the inequalities for women in sports. During the end of August, the Southwest Prairie Conference preseason coaches poll had Oswego the first place, followed by Minooka, West Aurora, Plainfield North, Oswego East, and Yorkville in last. 

Last year, the team was in class 8A, and in game No. 13, OHS won over Taft High School 49-7. The away game against West Aurora signified another victory for the Panthers with a final score of 40-21. The team will play against Oswego East at 7 p.m this Friday.

The Panthers won the Homecoming game against Plainfield North in a close game, as the final score was 14-13. The football team will continue on its journey to success on a very competitive schedule, one that will make it hard to get a better result than last year. 

Volleyball

The girls volleyball team, coached by Amie Wade, won the Volley for a Cure game against Oswego East with Braiden May as the honorary captain. The next game will be against Joliet West this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Although the varsity team is having a difficult start, it has talent, and the victory against the Wolves brought more confidence to the team. It takes time to get results, and the Panthers are on the way to a successful season.   

Girls Swim

The girls swimming team’s next event is against Saint Charles North this Thursday at 5 p.m. The team finished first overall at the Lincoln-Way Central Invite as well as at the Wildcat Invite. The girls are already having an unforgettable season by winning against Rosary for the first time. The team has high expectations to meet for the rest of this season because of these big wins.

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“Playing without hinchada (sport fans) is like dancing without music,” Eduardo Galeano once said. 

There’s no doubt Oswego High School is well represented with all the athletes and coaches on every team. Sometimes the results might not be there, but the determination of these teams and Oswego sport fans will hold strong.