FF_100319

frankfortstationdaily.com sports
the frankfort station | October 3, 2019 | 47
fastbreak
Alumni Spotlight
Lincoln-Way soccer legend Grabavoy enters Joliet HOF, reflects on career
5
jeff vorva/22nd Century
Media
1st-and-3
THREE teams to
watch as the hs
golf postseason
begins
1. LW East girls
With a combination
of experienced
seniors, including
Jessica Loera
(above), and
talented youngsters
like sophomores
Kailey White and
Natalie Papa,
the Griffins are
dangerous in the
Andrew Regional.
2. LW East boys
Freshman Dylan
Drogemuller has
emerged as a
strong player to
complement junior
Matt Kelley. The
Griffins are in
the Homewood-
Flossmoor Regional
on Oct. 7
3. Providence boys
Competing in Class
2A, the Celtics
could challenge
at the Lemont
Regional behind
Davis Billows and
Drew Brasky.
PATRICK Z. MCGAVIN, Freelance Reporter
Ned Grabavoy was 11 years old
when he experienced a moment of
clarity. It broke from the standard
narrative.
“I was a baseball kid,” he said.
“I was a pretty decent player. I
was just a role player on the team.
I was playing up a couple of ages.
I went up against one of the best
players in the area, and he threw
a curveball.
“It was the first time I ever saw
it. Three pitches, and I couldn’t
get anywhere close to it. After the
game, I told my Dad, ‘I am not
sure I am a baseball player.’”
Soccer was another story. That
was his true calling. Growing
up in New Lenox, the sport was
something of an afterthought.
That soon changed after Grabavoy
participated in a soccer tournament.
“This was all the baseball kids,
and we played against a good
team in a tournament, and one of
the coaches told my dad I had to
move to a higher level, Grabavoy
said.
“I was about to turn 12, and I
remember being very nervous.
It was my first week of training
with a really big club travel team.
Almost immediately, I realized I
might be one of the better kids on
the team. From that moment on,
I thought I might be all right at
this, and it is time to concentrate
on soccer. I pushed all the other
sports to the side.”
So began the odyssey of one
of the greatest careers ever for an
Illinois-born soccer player.
Grabavoy reflected on his life
and career as he was part of the
four-member 2019 induction class
of the Joliet Area Sports Hall of
Lincoln-Way soccer legend Ned Grabavoy was inducted into the Joliet
Area Sports Hall of Fame on Sept. 14. PAT MCGAVIN/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
Fame in a special rooftop ceremony
Sept. 14, at the Joliet Area Historical
Museum.
A deft and electric player who
showed breathtaking athleticism
and shot creativity, Grabavoy
powered Lincoln-Way to back-toback
Class AA state title game appearances
in 1999 and 2000.
Coached by the legendary Brian
Papa, the Knights went a combined
52-4 in Grabavoy’s junior
and senior years.
He was named the Illinois Gatorade
Player of the Year in his
senior year.
“Reaching those state finals,
even though we came up short, we
had the ability and talent to win
both games, he said.
“I just think back to those times
and think about how fun it was, the
innocence of the games and having
the chance to play with your
friends. I am extremely happy I
made that decision [to stick with
high school soccer]. I still have
friendships that have carried on to
this day with high school soccer.”
Grabavoy starred at Indiana
University for three years and led
the Hoosiers to the national championship
in 2003.
The Los Angeles Galaxy of Major
League Soccer drafted him No.
14 in the 2004 draft.
“The MLS was a new league,
and after each year, maybe they
keep half the players and then you
go somewhere else,” Grabavoy
said. “There was not a lot of balance
or stability in the game. It
was difficult. You went from one
coach to the next coach.
“There was a moment about
halfway through where I felt like
I was not being used properly.
I was tired of moving. I realized
the game was a job. Then I went
to Salt Lake City, and I reinvented
myself. I changed my game and
I bought into some other areas. I
had six incredible seasons there,
and I won championships. That
was a turning point.”
Four years removed from his
playing career, Grabavoy remains
connected to his sport. He is the
technical director for the Portland
Timbers, where he finished his career.
Listen Up
“Whenever coach gives me the green light, I’m ready to throw the ball.”
AJ Henning – LW East senior, on taking several snaps at quarterback in the
Griffins’ 28-14 win over Homewood-Flossmoor on Saturday, Sept. 28.
tunE in
Boys Golf, 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7
Class 3A Homewood-Flossmoor Regional at
Balmoral Woods
• The Griffins, Knights and Warriors are among the
teams competing to advance to sectional play.
Index
43 - Athlete of the Week
42 - This Week In
FASTBREAK is compiled by Sports Editor
Steve Millar, s.millar@22ndcm.com.