Playing in front of a packed stadium in Hoffman Estates for the Illinois High School Association boys soccer finals, the Morton Mustangs were able to overcome an early loss to land in third place in front of a record crowd of hometown fans.
The IHSA said Morton High School District 201 set a record for the number of fan buses travelling to the tournament with more than 50 trekking from Cicero to the northwestern suburbs to cheer on the boys soccer team for the November 6 and 7 games.
The Mustangs fell 2-1 to Libertyville during the semifinal game, but the crowd support kept them competitive the next day when they were able to beat Bartlett High School for third place with a 2-0 win. Rigo Lozano and Steven Tovar both scored for Morton with both assisted by Rodrigo Gutierrez. During the game, Hoffman Estates personnel as well as the IHSA praised the school district for the high level of school spirit.
“Our boys came out and played their best, and I have no doubt they fed off the energy from the fans who came out in droves to support their team,” said School Board President Jeffry Pesek.
The team finishes the season with a 27-3 season and the third place trophy, its best finish since winning the state title in 2011.
