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Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Wanting to avoid penalty kicks, Oswego's Jordyn Washington gets open for a shot. And scores. ‘You never know.'
The last thing Oswego's Jordyn Washington wanted was for the game to go to penalty kicks. Some might call what happened next serendipity. The junior forward ended up with the ball at her feet just outside of the Waubonsie Valley box — and she saw her chance to slam the door. 'The game was very physical up to that point,' Washington said. 'I looked and looked and knew the ball was coming to me. I grabbed it underneath my foot and then kicked it as fast as I could. 'You never know. You just have to get it there.' Washington definitely got it there Thursday night, scoring a goal in the 92nd minute to lead the host Panthers to a 3-2 victory in double overtime of a Class 3A Oswego Regional semifinal. Freshman forward Mane Brolley also scored off an assist by Washington for fifth-seeded Oswego (20-4-1), which plays at noon Saturday against fourth-seeded Naperville North (12-5-3) for the regional title. Senior forward Katie Chapman scored two goals in the second half on assists off free kicks by junior defender McKinley Ladd to lead Waubonsie Valley (3-10-5). Washington now has 28 goals and 16 assists this spring. Her ability to facilitate for others is the most significant improvement from last season, when had 23 goals and three assists. 'I think I'm always aware of where I am and I always try to go as far as I can with the ball,' she said. 'I'm always thinking about who's around me and if I can pass it off. 'That is just great to see if somebody has a better shot than me.' Brolley pointed out that having a game-changing player like Washington allows the team to stay calm even in the most demanding situations. 'I just know if I play Jordyn the ball, she's going to get it and score,' Brolley said. 'I wasn't worried even when they tied it and it went to overtime. She's really fast and can get by anybody.' Senior midfielder Grace Braun confirmed the other players also have complete faith in Washington's ability to deliver. 'She's really clutch in tough games,' Braun said. 'We can always rely on her to come through for us under pressure. Any time she gets the ball in the box like that, it's very hard on the other team. 'She wants it so badly and everything is personal.' The 5-foot-11 Washington, an Alabama A&M recruit, missed her freshman season recovering from a torn ACL. She combines elite size, speed and a physical presence on the ball. 'I think because of my size, my speed sometimes catches people off guard,' Washington said. 'I always try to be aggressive and play more at my feet with my speed.' She has a scorer's instinct as well, with a feel for the action around her. Two or three defenders are usually trying to dislodge the ball from her. And that's not all. 'I've always been able to look up and just know exactly how many steps I need to take to shoot the ball,' she said. 'I know what feels comfortable and what doesn't.' Her father, Verrell, played college football at Tennessee State. Jordyn, who did multiple sports growing up, played basketball for Oswego through her sophomore year before focusing exclusively on soccer. She recently took up the electric guitar, underscoring her creative nature and competitive intensity. She showed off considerable promise in her sophomore debut but was hungry for more. 'I had a great sophomore season, and it showed where I wanted to be and how good I could be,' she said. 'I remember thinking maybe I'm not going to be good anymore. 'Some players come off an injury and they don't play as well. I improved a lot.'
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Tennessee recruit Claire DeCook will graduate early. For the junior star and Naperville North, ‘this is it.'
Naperville North junior forward Claire DeCook is considered an honorary senior by her teammates. When the season ends for the outgoing senior class, DeCook will be saying goodbye to her high school playing career too. The Tennessee recruit intends to graduate in December so she can begin taking classes at the university in January and get a head start on her college soccer career. DeCook made the decision before the beginning of this season at the urging of Tennessee's coaching staff. 'They highly encourage their recruits to come early just so you get a feel for everything,' she said. 'But it's completely optional. 'My family and I talked about the advantages and everything, and we thought it was best for me, especially with all the resources they could provide. It didn't take me long at all to be like, 'Yeah, I kind of want to do this.'' DeCook, whose older sister Cameron is a student at Tennessee, is part of a new trend of high school stars graduating early. It is more common in football, but for girls soccer players, it means missing their final high school season. The decision sped up the end of a whirlwind high school career for DeCook, who was the all-area player of the year in 2024 after returning from ACL surgery. This season has felt a little surreal to her. 'It's definitely different because when you're a junior, it's like, 'Oh, you have another season,'' she said. 'I feel like everyone feels that they have more time than they do. 'Freshman and sophomore year went by so fast, and so did junior year. It was a big reality check in like, 'OK, this is my last game playing against this team.' 'So the fact that I don't have another year after this, I'm just living in the moment and making sure I get everything done now.' DeCook, as ever, is getting a lot done. She scored the game-winning goal in the fourth-seeded Huskies' 3-0 victory over 13th-seeded Plainfield East in the Class 3A Oswego Regional semifinals on Wednesday. It was DeCook's 10th goal of the season and the 40th of her career. The Huskies (12-5-3), who will play either fifth-seeded Oswego or 12th-seeded Waubonsie Valley in the regional championship game at noon Saturday, want to extend their season — and DeCook's tenure — as long as possible. 'When we did our senior night, that's when it kind of became really real, when she was wearing the senior shirt rather than the underclassman shirt,' Naperville North senior defender Emily Buescher said. 'The other three freshmen she came on the team with, they gave her her rose. That was a really big thing. 'We don't refer to her as a senior, but in the world of soccer she is.' The Minnesota-bound Buescher said it was amazing to play alongside DeCook, whom she has known since they were little. One of Buescher's club teammates, Mya Nugent, enrolled early at Minnesota. Buescher sees the benefits in doing so but opted not to do so herself. 'It is much bigger culturally with the SEC,' Buescher said. 'It gives them a lot of time to start lifting and stuff like that. 'I leave in three weeks, so I leave pretty early too. But I definitely wanted to be here. I didn't get to play high school soccer my freshman and sophomore year, so to me I could never give up this because we're a family. What would I do without this?' What will the Huskies do without DeCook? Naperville North coach Steve Goletz is going to find out sooner than he'd like. 'For Claire to have the opportunity she has is incredible, and it's because of all the hard work that she's put in since she's been a little kid,' Goletz said. 'She's going to go on and do great things. 'For us, it's sad just because of not only Claire's soccer ability but also her and her family are incredible people. We really have enjoyed some amazing memories and moments with not only Claire but also Cam. So not only are we going to miss her on the field in regards to her ability, but also the charisma and what she brings every day.' Which is considerable. 'Her work rate is incredible,' Goletz said. 'Her willingness to compete is next level. I'm just super fortunate that I've been able to coach her and sad that this is it. 'Hopefully we can continue to win and get as many games as possible with her and with this fantastic group as a whole.'
