Coach Josef Schroeder made an important observation while on the bus ride back to Prairie Ridge from last year’s IHSA 2A state finals.

“I told our juniors and our sophomores, ‘Why don’t we expect this every year?’” Schroeder said. “I believed in them. I knew we were losing a lot and maybe some people thought I was crazy for thinking we could be competitive this year, but that’s the role of a coach.”

After finishing 20-5-1 and taking third in 2A last season, Prairie Ridge has opened Fox Valley Conference play with back-to-back victories. The Wolves, who are 7-2-1 over their first 10 matches this season, posted a 3-0 shutout against Cary-Grove on Tuesday before scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes of their 4-1 road victory over Jacobs on Thursday.

“We’ve had incredible leader

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