Niles West Sports Roundup: Boys Golf Rides Early-Season Hot Streak

Boys Golf: Early in the season, Niles West continues to pile up the golf accolades. The Wolves won two CSL South dual matches early last week and followed it up with a ninth-place finish at the Zion-Benton Invitational.

Nick Hester has had a number of stellar rounds for the Wolves, taking medalist honors in Niles West’s victories over Evanston and Maine South. Hester shot 36 in Niles West’s 158-166 win over Evanston and fired a 33 in the Wolves’ 139-150 win against Maine South a day later. Both matches were held at Willow Hill.

Niles West shot 327 as a team in the Zion-Benton Invitational at Shepard’s Crook, only 10 shots off of a top-five finish. The Wolves face off against Waukegan and perennial state contender New Trier this week.

Girls Volleyball: Niles West took back the Skokie Skirmish championship trophy by defeating Niles North 25-10, 25-16 last week. They did it on Niles North’s home floor, making the victory a little sweeter.

Niles West followed up its emotional victory by splitting four games in the Resurrection Tournament. The Wolves beat Northside College Prep 25-10, 25-14 and held for a tough three-game victory over Trinity 26-24, 25-27, 15-13. The Wolves fell to host Resurrection 25-21, 25-15 and Benet 25-17, 25-16.

The Wolves now stand at 9-4 on the season and face New Trier in a sectional championship rematch this week. Niles West also hosts Waukegan in a CSL crossover matchup.

Boys Cross Country: Running on the three-mile state championship course, Niles West took 10th as a team in the Peoria Woodruff Invitational on Sept. 10. Niles North took home the team title while New Trier also competed and placed fourth.

The Wolves were led by Neal Omar who crossed the line in 15:13, good enough for 20th place. Marc-Daniel Julien (15:20) finished in 25th while Mas Hoshi (15:53) took 62nd. Also scoring for the Wolves was David Iverson (16:22) in 98th and Justin Atwal (16:50) in 148th position.

Football: Niles West’s 14-6 victory over Maine West on Sept. 9 was a huge win for a team looking to possibly challenge for a playoff spot. With a 2-1 record, the Wolves host Highland Park, giving them an excellent shot to finish out their non-conference schedule with three victories.

Six wins –and an automatic playoff spot -- might be a stretch, but five wins is not out of the question. In the CSL South it’s not going to be easy. Maine South hasn’t lost a conference game in seemingly forever while Glenbrook South, New Trier and Evanston are all talented and capable of winning against a majority of opponents. The Wolves need a win this Friday to keep their playoff hopes alive.

SCOREBOARD

Boys Soccer:

Sept. 8 - Metea Valley 2, Niles West 0

Sept. 10 - Wheaton Warrenville South 4, Niles West 0