Joey Francis isn’t a gymnast, but he showed some tumbling skills after his outstanding performance on Monday night for Lemont. Francis celebrated scoring his second goal with a back flip. ‘The adrenaline was racing,’ he said. ‘I scored my first playoff goal earlier, and then a second one? It was amazing. I did whatever felt right.’
Francis had plenty to celebrate. The senior midfielder came off the bench to score twice, keying Lemont’s dominant 6-0 victory over Hinsdale South in a Class 2A Chicago U-High Sectional semifinal. Gabriel Zarycki, Max Plewa, John Robbins, and Andrew Guzy also scored for top-seeded Lemont (15-2-3). They will face the host Maroons (17-0-2) at 5 p.m. Friday in the sectional final.
Benjamin Pokorny kept the shutout with four saves, supported by Plewa, Matthew Koutoulogenis, Mateusz Maka, and Christian Merkouris on defense. ‘Defensively, we focused on maintaining position,’ Plewa said. ‘They took shots, but mostly over the net. We stayed focused because it’s the playoffs. One mistake could end our season.’
Sava Nikolic had two shots on goal for fourth-seeded Hinsdale South (12-10-1). Francis is seizing his chance after spending most of last season on the bench. ‘I didn’t play much last year, but now I’m playing a lot more,’ Francis said. ‘I’ve waited for this opportunity and want to make a good mark for Lemont and hopefully lead us to success.’
Lemont coach Rafal Slomba appreciates the energy Francis brings. ‘We’ve been rotating that outside mid position, and every player offers something different,’ Slomba said. ‘Joey was ready. He was fantastic. He’s the type of player who will put in the effort, just what we need.’
Francis kickstarted the scoring late in a tough first half, striking from 15 yards in the 32nd minute for Lemont’s 1-0 lead. ‘The ball was bouncing around,’ he said. ‘I touched it, looked up, and saw I was close to the goal. I took a left-footed shot and it worked well. I think that fired up the team and changed the game’s momentum.’
Plewa felt the team’s spirits lift after Francis’ goal, leading to five more in the second half. ‘Joey showed us how to start,’ Plewa said. ‘His goal motivated us to score more. He stepped up big.’ Francis has been playing soccer since age 5, influenced by his father Joe, a coach, and his sister Gianna, who played at Lemont. ‘My dad got me into soccer,’ Francis said. ‘He coached me in rec league when I was young. Soccer is really in my family.’
The whole family will celebrate Francis’ second two-goal game this season. ‘I scored twice against Richards before, but the circumstances are much bigger here,’ Francis continued. ‘It felt better to score in this game.’