Biography
Joe Trost has been covering area high school soccer since 1995. He is a contributor to ESPN.com's national FAB 50 high school rankings and college recruiting. He has been named media person of the year three times by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association and is the creator of the Pepsi Showdown, the largest high school boys and girls soccer tournaments in the Midwest.
Girls soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: Madison County teams sweep the state tournament
June 9, 2011
Darren Geisler, an avid soccer fan from downstate Illinois, sent an email last week thanking me for picking Granite City to advance to the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament last weekend.
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Underwood set to replace Marksberry at Wheaton Academy
June 2, 2011
It will be a bittersweet weekend for Wheaton Academy coach Scott Marksberry and Naperville North coach Brent Terada.
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Rule comes back to bite Lincoln-Way North
June 1, 2011
As Oak Park coach Paul Wright pointed out last week, one of the Illinois High School Association's slogans is "Do What's Right."
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Picking the Class 3A state tournament winner
May 19, 2011
While some soccer pundits are afraid to put their picks out there, Corner Kicks is here to give you a little insight into which team will win the Class 3A state tournament.
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Wheaton Academy coach Scott Marksberry returning to college ranks
May 10, 2011
Wheaton Academy's Scott Marksberry became the latest area coach to announce that he won't return in 2012. The 31-year-old has been named head women's soccer coach at John Brown University in Arkansas.
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Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog | Subs at the end of close contests -- gamesmanship or garbage?
May 4, 2011
There's no question luck has been on Joe Moreau's side during his high school coaching career.
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Plainfield schools on the rise
April 28, 2011
One district on the rise in girls soccer is District 202, which includes Plainfield Central, Plainfield East, Plainfield North and Plainfield South.
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Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Brian McBride talks high school soccer
April 28, 2011
If there was an official face of soccer in Illinois, Brian McBride would be it.
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Sandburg turns out coaches
April 27, 2011
Fifteen years ago Sandburg shocked the high school girls soccer community by advancing to the state title match before falling to St. Charles.
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Todd Elkei trying to turn Lockport around
April 25, 2011
Recently I was asked what I thought about Lockport coach Todd Elkei. I paused for a moment because a number of adjectives filled my brain.
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Loyola's Stevens good to goalie
April 18, 2011
If there were any doubts that Loyola's Carly Stevens is the best goalie in the area this spring, the Loyola University-bound senior answered them with three big matches last week.
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Time to move girls season to fall?
April 14, 2011
Is it time to move girls soccer season to the fall, like Indiana and a number of other states?
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog: Players should take a break from spring vacations
March 29, 2011
Call me old-fashioned, call me out of touch with today's athlete and parent. That's fine.
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Plainfield North shows it's dangerous; Fenwick feeling fine
March 24, 2011
Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe hasn't been surprised by her team's early success, and you shouldn't be either.
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Metea Valley program new, but no rookie
March 16, 2011
Metea Valley might be the new kid on the block this spring, but the Mustangs are anything but a normal first-year varsity program.
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New Trier girls earn top seed in Pepsi Showdown
March 5, 2011
The New Trier girls soccer team learned Friday that the pressure will be on from the start after being awarded the top seed in next month's Pepsi Showdown.
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Huntley girls fighting for respect this spring
February 21, 2011
Two years ago, a number of local high school girls soccer coaches laughed when Huntley cracked the local and national rankings before the start of the 2009 campaign.
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Back to high schools not necessarily good news for boys soccer
February 8, 2011
I've listened to Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association board members and Illinois High School Association (IHSA) executives tell me year after year for 16 years that high school boys soccer was on the rise.
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Sandburg to hire new coach soon
January 31, 2011
Sandburg will name Desi Vuillaume its new varsity boys soccer coach Feb. 24 at the District 230 board meeting, according to multiple sources close to the school.
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Bartlett goalie Jeff Gal invited to U.S. National men's camp
January 27, 2011
U.S. Men's National coach Mike Matkovich confirmed Wednesday that Bartlett goalie Jeff Gal has been invited to the under-18 men's camp Feb. 2 in Tempe, Ariz.
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Signing day around the corner
January 22, 2011
National signing day is less than two weeks away.
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Sandburg coach Jack Ferraro retires
December 30, 2010
After 16 years at the helm, Sandburg boys soccer coach Jack Ferraro has retired.
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Area girls players make college choices
December 15, 2010
With signing day less than two months away, some of the area's top senior girls soccer players are announcing where they'll play next fall. Here is a look at where some of the big names, who play club for Eclipse Select, are headed:
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Former Lyons star still touching lives after death
December 4, 2010
The name and spirit of the former Lyons girls soccer star Jenna Johnson lives on.
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IHSSCA mum on membership fee
November 5, 2010
The Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) charges a $25 membership fee to coaches. Coaches who don't have a membership are not permitted to nominate their players for the IHSSCA All-State team.
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In good hands with IHSSCA's all-state selection policy?
October 13, 2010
Pay to play.
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East Aurora looking for some R-E-S-P-E-C-T
October 12, 2010
East Aurora is looking for a little respect.
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Leyden proving its worth
October 6, 2010
Is Leyden legit?
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Joe Trost's Corner Kicks blog | St. Viator, Metea Valley look forward to Toyota Park matchup
October 5, 2010
When St. Viator's Jack Horvath and his teammates watched the Chicago Fire play at Toyota Park on Sept. 25, they wondered why the Illinois High School Association state finals aren't held at the state-of-the-art soccer stadium.
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Crystal Lake South on a roll so far
September 28, 2010
As was the case with his girls program last spring, Crystal Lake South coach Brian Allen has people talking about his boys team this fall.
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Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: IHSA still doesn't get it when it comes to postseason fields
September 14, 2010
The Illinois High School Association has been asked the question time and again: Why isn't there a person on the administrative staff with some sort of soccer background?
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Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: Lyons' Sanchez proving last season no fluke
September 13, 2010
After he struggled early in the season, a handful of coaches wondered whether Lyons' Horacio Sanchez was as good as he showed at the end of 2009 . The senior scored a number of big goals during the Lions' run to their first Class 3A title last fall.
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Soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: Plainfield Central awaits date with No. 1 Morton
September 8, 2010
It's a position Plainfield Central has been in before, one that has the opportunity to propel the Wildcats to the next level or leave them shaking their heads in disappointment.
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Boys soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: First-week impressions
September 1, 2010
One week into the season, coaches from all over are singing different tunes.
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Naperville North will be more than just 'competitive'
August 27, 2010
Everyone knows "The Situation" from Jersey Shore.
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Benet looks to make big first impression
August 24, 2010
Talk about being welcomed to the big show .
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Are you ready for some futbol?
August 23, 2010
There's nothing like a new season.