East Aurora Boys Soccer Team Reaches State Championship

At Rockford, a significant moment unfolded for the East Aurora boys soccer team. Denzel Martinez, a sophomore midfielder, helped secure a historic victory in the Class 3A state semifinals, despite leaving the field injured and exhausted. His efforts put the team one win away from their first state title.

Martinez expressed his joy, stating, “This feels great. We’re making history. Nobody else has been able to do this. It makes me really happy.” He scored the only goal in regulation for East Aurora, leading to their 4-2 win in a penalty-kick shootout against Evanston.

The match at Rockford Guilford concluded with a 2-1 victory for East Aurora. Jeremie Bititi assisted Martinez’s goal, and goalkeeper Carlos Fabela secured key saves in both regulation and the shootout.

Emanuel Rodriguez, Edgard Junez, Miguel Diaz, and Jerry Hernandez successfully converted their penalty kicks. Hernandez delivered the final shot, celebrating with enthusiastic fans. He shared his experience, stating, “I was pretty nervous, but I had my eye on the left side of the net. I scored and it felt unreal. I enjoyed that moment with our crowd.”

East Aurora, boasting a current record of 15-6-3, advances to play against either Lockport or Glenbrook South for the championship. The team has already secured its first state trophy in program history.

Matthew Gilroy scored in the 22nd minute for Evanston, giving them an early lead that lasted until East Aurora’s combination play equalized. Aldahir Heredia’s back-heel pass to Bititi set up Martinez for a goal from 15 yards. Martinez remarked, “It was a good team play. I couldn’t have scored without my teammates.”

Despite the challenges, Martinez, who ranks second on the team with five goals this season, credits his success to teamwork and perseverance. He stated, “I have to work hard for my team.”

Jerry Hernandez praised Martinez’s performance, acknowledging his significant contributions to the team’s success.

The Tomcats, who struggled last season with a 5-12-5 record and had not won a regional since 2012, have made an impressive turnaround. They now find themselves in the state championship game.

Coach Nathan Parry expresses gratitude for the support, saying, “The supersectional win on Tuesday was great and I didn’t think we could top it, but I think this might.” He added that community support played a vital role, with fan buses and school watch parties energizing the team.

Senior player Carlos Fabela is thrilled to end his high school career on such a high note. “All the seniors, we knew the season was going to end one way or another and we’d rather end it the perfect way,” he explained.

Fabela and his teammates now look forward to the championship game, determined to deliver their best performance.