Fenwick baseball’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Lake South in the IHSA Class 3A supersectional, June 9, officially brought a close to the 2025-26 high school sports season.
Fenwick, Oak Park and River Forest, and Trinity provided plenty of thrills – and a pair of state champions – in athletic competition. My Tate’s Take offers my “Tatesies” awards, the best of the best this year.
So without further ado, let’s get started:
Male Teams of the Year: Fenwick football, OPRF boys volleyball
Fenwick football won its second state title in five years. In the 6A playoffs, the Friars rolled past Kennedy, Rolling Meadows, and Burlington Central in the first three rounds before edging past Nazareth Academy in the semifinals (more on that below) and knocking off East St. Louis in the title game.
OPRF boys volleyball deserves equal recognition in this category. The Huskies (31-6-1), top-ranked in the state for the majority of the season, reached the state final before losing to Glenbard West in three hard-fought sets. Moreover, junior Jimmie “Trayce” Chrusfield III, one of the top prospects in the Class of 2027, participated for USA Volleyball’s U19 team at the NORCACA tournament in Canada; the team took home a silver medal, losing to the host country in the final.
Female Teams of the Year: Fenwick softball, Trinity basketball
For the second time in three years, Fenwick softball finished third in 3A. Unlike two seasons ago when the team was experienced, this year’s team had a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Coach Valerie Jisa has done a great job in rebuilding the Friars, and the future looks really bright.
Things are also in great shape with Trinity basketball, which finished third in the Class 3A state tournament. Seniors Zaria Goins and Chloe Santos along with junior Destiny Sacluti provided good, steady play and excellent leadership. The Blazers (26-11) also got a huge boost from a talented underclassman group: freshmen Ijeoma Conley, Jazmyn Ratliff, and Destinie Roe, along with sophomores Keyera Gamble and Danae Hickman.
Boys’ Game of the Year:
Fenwick football doesn’t get downstate without a scintillating 28-27 semifinal victory at Nazareth, Nov. 22. Trailing late by seven points to a team that seldom tastes defeat at home, especially in the playoffs, Fenwick needed a big play and got it when Josh Morgan made an interception deep in his territory. On the Friars’ ensuing drive, Jamen Williams hit Jake Thies twice on deep receptions, then scored on a QB sneak to tie the game and ultimately force overtime.
Fenwick struck first in the overtime as Williams found Tommy Thies for an 11-yard touchdown. Nazareth countered with a score on its possession, but instead of kicking the PAT, the Roadrunners opted to go for two and the win.
Nazareth’s Charles Calhoun went up the middle, then tried going outside to his left. But Jake Thies met him at the line and brought him down to secure victory for the Friars as their student body rushed the field in pandemonium.
Girls’ Game of the Year:
In front of a packed house at Trinity’s Sister Michelle Germanson Gym, Feb. 26, the Blazers, top-seeded in their own 3A sectional, led third-seeded Fenwick by nine early in the fourth quarter. But the Friars, led by Avani Williams, rallied to take a two-point lead going into the final minute.
Two of Trinity’s younger players came up big when it was needed. Gamble scored off an offensive rebound to tie the game. Then after Fenwick was called for an offensive foul on the ensuing possession, the Blazers got an opportunity to win.
After Trinity worked the ball around the perimeter, Ratliff found herself open in the right corner and made a three-pointer with 6.2 seconds remaining to give Trinity a thrilling 39-36 victory for the sectional title.
Other notable highlights from this season:
- OPRF junior wrestler Jamiel Castleberry won the 3A state title at 126 pounds. In the dual-team state finals, the Huskies finished fourth. In girls wrestling, OPRF seniors Caliyah Campbell and Isabella Miller earned All-State honors, and Fenwick senior Valerie Franco became the program’s first-ever state qualifier.
- Fenwick sophomore and River Forest resident Michael Doherty finished fifth in the 1A boys tennis state singles tournament to receive All-State honors. OPRF junior Lucy Stein took fourth in the 2A girls tennis state singles tournament to gain All-State honors.
- OPRF girls soccer won a 3A regional for the second consecutive year. The Huskies boys track and field team set a new school record for the 4 x 400 relay at the state meet, finishing second in a time of 3:16.18.
- OPRF (4A), Fenwick (3A), and Trinity (2A) girls volleyball all reached the supersectional round in the same year for the first time ever.
- Trinity soccer’s Grace Ramel ended her three-year varsity career with 115 career goals. She helped lead a resurgent Blazers team to its first regional championship since 2016.
- Finally, the Fenwick girls hockey team was runner-up to New Trier in the AHAI state tournament.