Chants echo across the field. Coaches instruct their players. The adrenaline is felt by the West Chicago boys varsity soccer team on the night of Oct. 29 at Schaumburg High School.

Leyden scored an early goal in the first half off a corner kick, forcing the Wildcats to dig deep and even the playing field. Despite the Wildcats’ best efforts, promising attempts were blocked by Leyden’s goalkeeper, and dangerous plays were shut down by its defense. Down 1-0 at halftime, the Wildcats never gave up hope.

“I think in our second half, we turned up our intensity. We knew that Leyden was up one-zero,” assistant varsity coach Dorian Carrasco said. “We needed to do something different, which meant being a little more intense, a little more daring, getting forward, and finishing our plays.”

Shortly after returning in the second half, junior Diego Bustos scored his second goal of the season on a header, but it was disallowed by the referee.

“Supposedly, the ball went out of bounds. But man, the pure emotion that I had when I scored that — I really thought I was gonna be the superhero for this game and bring us back into it,” Bustos said.

Many players shared frustration about the disallowed goal, but instead of letting their disappointment win out, they picked up the pace and worked harder to find the back of the net. In the 58th minute, senior Aidan Durbin scored the equalizer, assisted by a free kick from senior Abraham Salinas.

Durbin’s goal proved to be a major turning point as the Wildcats picked up momentum and scored again just 13 minutes later.

With minutes to spare, senior Abraham Salinas dribbled past two defenders and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper, securing the 2-1 victory to advance to the sectional final. The game was a true display of grit and determination by West Chicago.

“I knew we could catch up. I told my team not to put our heads down, because one-zero is nothing. So we turned it around in the second half,” Salinas said.

Crucial saves from goalkeeper junior Alvaro Martinez and key tackles from defenders like senior Peter Bovey made the game a spectacle worth watching. After a strong challenge, Bovey was left with a large, bleeding gash on his head. He played on until he was substituted out due to the blood on his face. The Wildcats proved they will fight until the final whistle.

Although the team aspires to bring home a state title, it acknowledges that several games remain and it must take things one step at a time.

“The sole focus is on the sectional final on Saturday,” Carrasco said. “That’s our biggest game right now, and we’re looking forward to performing and playing with that heart, passion, and character that we’ve shown all season.”

If they keep going like this, the team will not disappoint. The team’s attitude is contagious, and players hope it will catch on.

“Job’s not finished. Just stay tuned and watch us bring that state title home,” Salinas said.