Prairie Ridge’s Henry Knoll celebrates his goal against Lemont during this season’s Class 2A third-place game at Hoffman Estates High School. Knoll was named the Northwest Herald’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year. (Mark Busch)
Prairie Ridge senior Henry Knoll came through for the Wolves when it mattered during a historic season. But it didn’t come easy.
After having Prairie Ridge’s playoff push cut short last season in the sectional semifinals, Knoll put pressure on himself to be ready for the Wolves whenever they needed him.
“We really relied on him to finish when we needed to, and he did,” Prairie Ridge coach Joe Schroeder said. “There’s always, every year, there’s someone that it’s going to be hard to replace. Henry is that guy that’s going to be very hard to replace.”
Knoll came in clutch for the Wolves throughout their historic season. He scored 25 goals and added eight assists, scoring critical goals during a run where Prairie Ridge won FVC, regional, sectional and supersectional championships. Knoll scored the game-winning goal to help the Wolves take third place in Class 2A.
After an impressive season where Knoll helped the Wolves make history reaching their first state finals since 1999, Knoll is the 2024 Northwest Herald Boys Soccer Player of the Year, as selected by the sports staff with input from area coaches. Knoll is the first Prairie Ridge honoree since Ryan Zoellick won for a second straight season in 1999. Huntley’s Mason Leslie, Crystal Lake South’s Nick Prus and Richmond-Burton’s Joe Kyes also were considered for the honor.
Knoll answered some questions from Northwest Herald sports reporter Michal Dwojak about the Wolves’ historic season, what he’ll remember the most and where in the world he would go.
Prairie Ridge’s Henry Knoll pushes the ball up the field as he is defended by McHenry’s Evan Camargo during a Fox Valley Conference match this season at McCraken Field in McHenry. Knoll helped the Wolves win the FVC title. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
What was it like to end your high school career with a historic season?
Knoll: It’s awesome. We have 15 seniors, so all of us kind of wanted to leave our mark on the program, and I think we did a really good job of that this year. Everyone really worked hard and we all did what we all thought we could. We knew our potential going into the season and everyone really stepped up, and we were able to get the job done.
Was there a moment this year where you thought you guys could do something special?
Knoll: Going into the year, we all knew the potential we had. I wouldn’t really say there was a specific time. It was kind of we knew we were the favorites in every single game and we were using that confidence to really get the results we wanted. We didn’t drop any games, which is something we were really big on. We didn’t let in many goals. We completed almost all of our goals, and we’re really happy with how it turned out.
What was it like to qualify for state?
Knoll: It’s awesome. We’re up there with some of the best teams in the FVC, like some of the best individual years. And it means a lot to all the players, all the coaches, our administrative staff. Coach Chris Schremp, this is his first time as an athletic director going to state, and it really means everything to us because we’ve given so much to the program in the last four years and it finally paid off.
Did you approach your senior season any differently?
Knoll: It was kind of putting everything that I’ve learned from high school soccer all together into one final ride. I’m sure you can say the same about everyone else or my teammates, because they all worked really hard as well. I think going into this season, I really learned how to kind of control myself, same with everyone else, because we’ve gotten into really stressful situations throughout our high school careers, and we really learned how to deal with them. It paid off.
What do you think you’ll remember most about this season?
Knoll: Individually, I think my bicycle kick against Hampshire. It was a left foot bicycle kick. Couldn’t get much better than that. Maybe my goal against Crystal Lake Central because it kind of set us up to win the conference. But I think as a team, probably just going to state and making that state run that we all dreamed of, because we beat some really good teams on the way, like Benet Academy. That game really stood out to us because we never really played a huge historic program like that, and to be able to beat them was really cool.
What is your favorite class right now?
Knoll: My favorite class right now is probably my speech class, because I learn a lot of things that I’m going to be able to use in the future, no matter what I choose to pursue. It teaches me how to talk to people in the right way and how to prepare for presentations and everything like that.
What do you like most about soccer?
Knoll: It’s all I’ve really ever known growing up. That’s the only sport I’ve ever played and I kind of just live for the feeling of scoring goals, because that’s all I’ve really done. The feeling when you score goals is kind of unmatched, especially in a big game, and I was able to do that a lot this year, which is really cool.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Knoll: Probably like an island where I can just chill on the beach, maybe like Fiji or the Maldives or something. I’ve heard those places are really nice.
If you could be any superhero, which superpower would you want?
Knoll: I’d say invisibility because I’d be able to access anywhere I want. If I want to go to a sports game or something, I can just sneak in. Or if I just don’t want to be seen somewhere, I can just kind of hide.
What’s your favorite restaurant?
Knoll: I have really liked Raising Cane’s, but if I’m looking for a healthier option, probably Chipotle because it kind of has everything and it’s always really good whenever I go. I usually get a steak bowl, no beans, I get white and brown rice, guacamole, cheese, corn and lettuce.
What does it mean to end your high school career the way you guys did?
Knoll: Obviously, the better ending would have been winning a state championship. But I think we’re all pretty content with it now, and we definitely wanted to end on a happy note, because it’s hard to say goodbye to something you love on a loss.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

Post Views: 12