LTHS tabbed to host top boys soccer tourney

Little did people realize that when the Pepsi Showdown was created it would turn out to be one of the most talked about high school boys soccer tournaments in the country.

And this fall, the largest tournament in the Midwest will have a new home at Lyons Township High School.

LTHS will become the official host of the 32-team tournament, which will feature some of the most successful programs in the Chicago area. Only two other tournaments in the country had a larger field than the Pepsi Showdown in 2004.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to host this great tournament,” Lyons Township coach Alex Hernandez said. “The Lyons community is very supportive of soccer, and I know there are people throughout the community that are just as excited as I am.”

Considered by many to be the strongest boys showcase in Illinois, the inaugural 2004 field consisted of 32 programs that combined had won 104 sectional titles and advanced to the state finals 52 times. Nine of those programs won a state title, while 16 others had finished second since the state tournament began in 1972.

“For us at Lyons, this was a great event with the high level of competition that we so sorely try to get on our schedule,” Hernandez said. “It really is an honor and a distinction to be selected to play in this event.”

The two-week, 80-game tourney will showcase more than 600 players from 24 public schools and eight private schools. More than 90 communities will be represented in the 2005 Pepsi Showdown.

“It was a tremendous experience for the boys in our soccer program to be a part of this tournament,” Naperville Central coach Jay Konrad said. “It provided us with an opportunity for our programs to compete with and see other programs that we would not otherwise see.

“It also provided the experience for the Class AA schools to see that the Class A schools can play the game at a very high level. Lyons will be an excellent location for college coaches and high school coaches to gather for recruitment and player advancement next fall.”

But what separates this tournament from the rest is that it has a single-elimination winner’s bracket to give a state-tournament atmosphere to the event.

“It was exciting for the players and coaches to see which teams would be the next opponent after the first round of results,” Hernandez said. “The tournament was seeded, so it felt like we were playing in an NCAA Tournament.”

The soccer complex at LT features three soccer fields. Another benefit is the fact that the stadium field now has AstroPlay, which is a rubber-filled turf surface that will never change no matter what the weather is like.

“This tournament gives excitement, experience and overall interest to the beginning of the season,” Maine South coach Tim Spiegel said. “The flexibility in the format allows for many matchups that we would never experience had we not been in the tournament. The ability to play on such premier fields like Lyons will be exciting for the kids.”

While LT has always been known as a prestigious education institution with superb athletic facilities, the key in securing this unique event for LT was due to the support of the school administration. From Principal Dave Franson, Athletic Director Mike Morris, Assistant Athletic Director Doug Stickels and the Lyons Township soccer club, these four powers played a big role behind the scenes.

“This will be a great experience for the entire Lyons Township soccer community,” Morris said. “One of our goals is to promote soccer within the school as well as in the community. The opportunity to host 32 of the best high school boys soccer programs in this tournament will allow our players, coaches and soccer community to be directly involved with this event.”

There also are rumblings that LT could be selected as the site to host the inaugural Pepsi Showdown for girls in April 2006. That announcement is expected to come by the end of May.

“Win, lose or draw, this is a tournament that will showcase some of the best high school talent in both the greater Chicagoland area and the Midwest,” Franson said. “Lyons Township is very pleased to be host site for this tournament. We look forward to the many benefits that will be realized for the participating schools and most of all their players.”