The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys tennis team won its IHSA Class 2A sectional on Saturday with 29 points. The Huskies qualified a singles player and both doubles teams for this week’s state tournament.
Sophomore Naveen Rajagopal (22-9) won the singles championship, defeating Yash Kaushik of Payton 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
In doubles, junior Nick Vizzone and sophomore Alek Rekucki defeated Arjun Sawhney and Chris Williams of Chicago University High 6-1, 3-2 (retired) for the title. Senior George Barkidjija and sophomore Charles Bruce won 7-5, 6-1 over U-High’s Tyler Chang and Kiran Mullangi for third place.
At the 1A Deerfield sectional, Fenwick High School sophomore Michael Doherty punched his state ticket for the second consecutive year as he reached the singles final before losing to Roman Stukov of Vernon Hills 4-6, 2-6.
“It was a terrific tournament run for Michael,” said Fenwick coach Ron Rogala. “There were no easy matches for him along the way and he battled the entire way.”
Girls soccer
Trinity High School claimed its first regional championship since 2016 on Saturday with a 4-0 shutout over Westmont in the 1A Trinity Regional final. Sophomore Charlotte O’Brien and senior Grace Ramel each scored twice for the Blazers (10-5-1).
“It means everything,” said Ramel, who has 115 career goals. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to play with in my last year.”
A pair of second-half goals from senior Ana Sofia Mrotzek gave host OPRF (10-7-2), seeded seventh in the 3A Downers Grove South sectional, a 2-0 upset victory over third-seeded York, in the regional final, May 22. It’s the second consecutive regional title for the Huskies.
“It’s super-amazing. We’re all really excited,” said Mrotzek, a Loyola University signee. “This is the perfect way to go out, playing on your home field and walking off with a (regional) plaque.”
OPRF faced Lyons in a sectional semifinal May 26, after deadline.
Fenwick, the second seed in the 2A Wheaton St. Francis Sectional, was upset in the U-High Regional final by Nazareth Academy 3-2, May 23. Sophomore Quinn Sansone scored both goals for the Friars (8-6-4).
“It was a challenging playoff game which was to be expected. We played well at times, and it was disappointing to not equalize at the end as we did well to mount a comeback,” said coach Craig Blazer. “The team did well all season to be resilient and play together with class.”
Softball
Falling behind 4-0 in the first inning to DePaul Prep in Friday’s 4A OPRF Regional final was not ideal for the Huskies. But OPRF chipped away at the deficit, then scored a combined eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take the lead.
The visiting Rams, however, refused to yield and scored five runs in the seventh to pull within a run. But Zoe Daly came on in relief to get the game’s last two outs and secure an 11-10 victory and a regional title for the Huskies.
“I love these girls so much and to play another game with them means everything to me,” said OPRF senior catcher Leia Hammerschmidt (3-for-4, 3 RBI). “It was all energy. Everyone cheering and supporting each other is how we won.”
Lily Maas had four hits and Georgia Godellas, Julia Henderson, Margot Smith, Charlie Terry, and Harper Travis each had two hits for OPRF (25-11), which met Lane Tech in a sectional semifinal at Whitney Young, May 26, after deadline.
In 3A, Fenwick (19-11) won its own regional with a 12-0 run-rule shutout of Timothy Christian, May 23. Gianna Pescatore allowed one hit and struck out 12 in five innings. Bella Bigham and Sophia Leonardi had three hits apiece, and Ayanna Bourn and Hailey Smith-Young each had a two-run homer.
The Friars, top-seeded in the Glenbard South Sectional, faced the host Raiders in a sectional semifinal, May 26, after deadline.
In its 2A Trinity Regional title game, May 23, the Blazers (7-14) battled valiantly against top sectional seed IC Catholic Prep. But a three-run sixth inning by the Knights sealed Trinity’s fate in a 4-0 defeat.
“It was a close game up until the end. That’s all you can ask for as a coach,” said Trinity coach Chardonnay Harris. “We’re only losing one senior (D’Asya Collins), and I’m looking forward to coming back next season.”
Baseball
Last week, OPRF (27-8) won its second consecutive West Suburban Conference Silver Division title, sealing it with a 10-1 victory over visiting York, May 21. The Huskies enter this week’s 4A state tournament with plenty of momentum, having won seven straight games.
“The guys really shifted into the next gear toward the end of the season,” said OPRF coach Kevin Campbell, who added that the junior-varsity team won its third consecutive WSC Silver title.
OPRF, seeded fifth in the Brother Rice Sectional, hosts a regional this week. The Huskies play Simeon at 7 p.m., May 27. A win would result in advancement to the title game, May 30, likely against fourth-seeded Mount Carmel.
“We’re in a really good place right now,” Campbell said. “Our confidence is at an all-time high.”
Fenwick (12-20) is the top seed in its own 3A sectional. The Friars also host a regional and have a bye to the title game May 30, where they’ll face Lake View or Prosser.