36 | April 18, 2019 | the tinley Junction sports tinleyjunction.com BOYS WATER POLO Thunderbolts enjoying junior achievement this season JEFF VORVA, Sports Editor The Andrew boys varsity water polo roster could easily be nicknamed the “JUNIOR varsity” because 82 percent of the 11 athletes listed are juniors. There is also a freshman and a senior. The pool is also deep in talent on the lower level because the actual junior varsity has 11 freshmen and two juniors that coach Jeff Hofer has the luxury of pulling up. “Last year we had about eight seniors who left us,” junior goalie Matthew Wagonblott said. “It’s nice to know that there is always next year. It is a little different not to have that upperclassman help. But it is nice to know we will all be together this year and next year as well.” As for this year, Wagonblott, who spent a part of the offseason travelling the country with the Olympic Development Program, and his T-Bolt teammates are working their way up the ladder in Illinois. After an 0-2 start, the Bolts won 10 of their next 12 matches and were ranked 30th in the state by illpolo.com on April 7. They finished second in the Sandburg Invitational on Saturday, April 13 and possibly their most impressive showing was a 4-3 OT loss to St. Charles North in the title game. North came into the tournament ranked 19th in the state. Wagonblott had 25 saves. Joining Wagonblott on the varsity roster are fellow juniors Sam Casey, Ruairi Andrew goalie Matthew Wagonblott (background) and Liam McHale (middle) formed a tough defense in a 16-5 win over Lincoln-Way West on Thursday, April 11 in Tinley Park. Murphy, Michael Reiter, Eric Zawada, Christopher Camacho, Liam McHale, Dejan Radic and Austin Russell plus senior Zachary Unger and freshman Christian Blaske. The T-Bolts entered this week with a 13-5 mark and all five losses were to teams ranked higher than they were as they dropped matches to No. 5 St. Rita, No. 14 Metea Valley, No, 13 Lincoln-Way East, No, 17 Lockport and St, Charles North by an average of 2.4 goals per game. Meanwhile many of their wins are blowouts, Andrew’s boys water polo team won 13 of its first 18 games with an 11-man roster featuring nine juniors. PHOTOS BY JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA including a 21-6 won over Brother Rice, Hoder’s alma mater. “It’s a weird makeup to the roster, but it’s a good group,” Hoder said. “It’s also been unique in that the past four years, we always had someone who has led us in goals by a big margin but this year, it’s very spread out.” this week in TITANS VARSITY ATHLETICS BASEBALL ■ ■April 18 – at Argo, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 20 – hosts Homewood-Flossmoor, 11 a.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Reavis, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – hosts Richards, 4:30 p.m. BOYS TENNIS ■ ■April 18 – at Argo, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Bremen, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Hillcrest, 4:30 p.m. BOYS TRACK ■ ■April 18 – hosts Titan Relays, 4:45 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – at District 228 Quad at Hillcrest, 4:30 p.m. BOYS VOLLEYBALL ■ ■April 23 – at Bremen, 6 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Reavis, 4:30 p.m. GIRLS TRACK ■ ■April 19 – at Richards Dale Janssen Invite, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – District 228 Quad at Bremen with Hillcrest, Oak Forest, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Oak Forest Invite, 4:30 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER ■ ■April 23 – at Argo, 6 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Shepard, 5 p.m. SOFTBALL ■ ■April 18 – at Hillcrest, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 20 – at Lincoln-Way West, 11 a.m. ■ ■April 22 – at Thornton Fractional North, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Thornton Fractional South, 4:30 p.m. THUNDERBOLTS VARSITY ATHLETICS BASEBALL ■ ■April 20 – at Oswego, 10 a.m. ■ ■April 22 – at Lincoln-Way Central, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 24 – hosts Lincoln- Way Central, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Bradley, 4:30 p.m. BOYS TENNIS ■ ■April 18 – hosts Thornwood, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Lincoln- Way West, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 24 – hosts Homewood-Flossmoor, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Stagg, 4:30 p.m. BOYS TRACK AND FIELD ■ ■April 20 – at Edwardsville Invite, 10 a.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Andrew Triangular, 4:30 p.m. BOYS VOLLEYBALL ■ ■April 18 – at Brother Rice Smack Attack, 5 p.m. ■ ■April 20 – at Brother Rice Smack Attack, 9 a.m. ■ ■April 23 – at Lincoln-Way East, 5:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – hosts Lincoln- Way West, 5:30 p.m. BOYS WATER POLO ■ ■April 18 – hosts Stagg, 5 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Bradley, 5 p.m. ■ ■April 24 – at De La Salle, 4:15 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – hosts Whitney Young, 5 p.m. BOYS GYMNASTICS ■ ■April 18 – at Independent Conference Championships- Wheaton Warrenville South, 6 p.m. BOYS LACROSSE ■ ■April 18 – at Providence Catholic, 6:30 p.m. ■ ■April 24 – at Plainfield North, 7 p.m. GIRLS BADMINTON ■ ■April 20 – at Hinsdale South Invite, 8 a.m. ■ ■April 24 – at SWSC Meet- TBA ■ ■April 25 – at SWSC Meet- TBA GIRLS SOCCER ■ ■April 18 – hosts Lincoln- Way West, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 19 – at Hinsdale South, 6:30 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – at Stagg, 6:15 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – hosts Lincoln- Way Central, 6:15 p.m. SOFTBALL ■ ■April 18 – at Bradley, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 20 – hosts Joliet West-Double Header, 10 a.m. ■ ■April 22 – hosts Thornridge, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – hosts Stagg, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 24 – at Lincoln-Way West, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – hosts Thornton, 4:30 p.m. GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD ■ ■April 23 – at Bolingbrook Triangular, 4:30 p.m. ■ ■April 25 – at Oak Forest Invite, 4:30 p.m. GIRLS WATER POLO ■ ■April 18 – at Stagg, 5 p.m. ■ ■April 23 – at Bradley, 5 p.m. GIRLS LACROSSE (CO-OP TEAM, HOME GAMES AT SANDBURG) ■ ■April 22 – hosts Downers Grove North, 7 p.m. ■ ■April 24 – hosts Wheaton North, 7 p.m.
tinleyjunction.com TINLEY PARK the Tinley Junction | April 18, 2019 | 37 Wake up. Shower. Breakfast. Coffee. Local News. News happens every day. Why wait? Make TinleyJunction.com part of your daily routine. Subscribe today at TinleyJunction.com/Plus or scan the QR for a direct link