Top 10 Teams

1. Chesterton: The Trojans have the ability to make another deep postseason run. They graduated 12 seniors, including eight starters. But senior forward Zack Bowser; senior goalkeeper Charlie Eaton, a secondteam all-state pick; and senior midfielder Nick Biel — all of whom played on the 2018 state championship team — form an outstanding nucleus. Other players, including junior midfielder Ryan O’Dell, are ready for increased roles. 2. Lake Central: Shane Cloutier, a 2008 graduate who was an all-state forward, takes over the Indians, who caught fire last season to reach the Class 3A state final. Senior midfielder/defender Emilio Zambrano, a second-team all-state selection; junior defender Quentin Enyeart; and junior forward Jake Noldin were instrumental in that success. After 21 seasons, Jereme Rainwater departed to coach Indiana Northwest. 3. Crown Point: Senior Hayden Eaton is a talented midfielder for the Bulldogs. Forward Kristian Simakoski made an immediate impact as a junior last season after transferring from Portage. 4. Munster: The Mustangs perennially are Northwest Crossroads Conference champions and postseason contenders. Top players include junior defender Gianluca Scalzo, senior forward Nana Nnuro-Frimpong, senior midfielder Ethan Orange and senior forward Gavin Kinsella. 5. Highland: The Trojans have a nice mix of players. Senior forward/midfielder Dane Richardson and senior defender Michael Perry lead the way. Junior Aerik Tanis has the potential to be one of the area’s best goalkeepers. Senior midfielder/forward Joseph Sanders also returns. 6. Valparaiso: It’s a new era for the Vikings. Mike Enghofer is their new coach following the forced resignation of Danny Jeftich after 28 seasons. Junior midfielder Eric Dreher is their key player. Senior midfielder Jason Isley and junior midfielder Breece Walls also are back.

7. Bishop Noll: The Warriors are not that far removed from their 2018 Class 2A state title. As sophomores that season, forward Jake Wichlinski and midfielder Bruno Zamora starred. Wichlinski became the program’s career leader in goals last season after already holding the single-season record, and Zamora is the single-season record-holder in assists. 8. Griffith: Longtime coach Ron Knestrict reprises his role as the coach of the Panthers. He had been an assistant before Castulo Perez left to become an assistant on Rainwater’s IUN staff. Forward Jivino Ramos emerged as their go-to player as a junior last season, when they won their first sectional title since 2008. 9. Boone Grove: With last season’s move up to 2A, the Wolves ended their run of back-to-back sectional titles — and first semistate appearances — and six sectional titles in eight seasons. But Boone Grove still is an exceptional small-school team that’s competitive against virtually any opponent regardless of size. 10. Wheeler: Coach Bryan Murray expects the Bearcats to be strong defensively and in the midfield, with their offense improving as the season progresses. He added they have a talented freshman class that will need to play a lot for the team to be successful.