Seven minutes, 53 seconds.
Senior midfielder Max Floriani and his Warren teammates were so dominant this past season, they trailed for a total of 7:53 over the course of 15 games, all of which the Blue Devils won.
For Warren coach Jason Ahonen, that’s what stands out.
“You look at that number, and you put that into play for 15 games and 80 minutes,” Ahonen said. “That’s 1,200 minutes total. It’s totally amazing. … This was the most dominant team I’ve ever coached.”
After a season without a state series, the North Suburban Conference champion Blue Devils’ success has been recognized statewide. The Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association recently named Ahonen the state coach of the year and Floriani the state player of the year. They’re the first coach-player duo so honored since 2010.
Floriani, a St. Louis commit, said the Blue Devils’ focus throughout the condensed season was impressive.
“I just admired that we all kept the same mindset throughout the whole year,” he said. “We didn’t change just because of what was happening around us. We basically just took advantage of the time we had and kept our goals the same.”
Floriani said Ahonen, who led Warren to the Class 3A state title in 2012, works hard to make his players the best versions of themselves. This was Ahonen’s 14th season as coach.
“We think it’s very well-deserved for him,” Floriani said. “He’s put in a crazy amount of work over the years. His high standards for the program have really helped lead all of these kids to their goals.”
The 6-foot-2 Floriani, who played in an All-America game in St. Louis on Saturday, had four goals and four assists this season. He had a goal and two assists in the Blue Devils’ three NSC tournament games.
“He’s just so instrumental in what we do and how we play because of how much space he covers in the central part of the field for us,” Ahonen said. “He makes things easier for all of those guys around us. He has an impact on the game that goes far beyond goals and assists.”
Also playing key roles for the Blue Devils were IHSSCA All-State forward Ishaan Shah and IHSSCA All-State goalkeeper Nic Diana, as well as Roosevelt commit Sebastian Rodriguez.
Ahonen made sure to thank his family and his coaches for supporting him throughout the years. More than anything, he’s thankful that this team got to have a season, he said.
“This group will come back together, and they’ll be able to talk about stuff that people still remember,” he said. “This team is a vital part of this program, of its history and of its foundation moving forward. … We’re definitely on the right track with them leaving the program in a great place.”
Nick Frazier is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.