When he made Lockport’s varsity roster as a junior last season, Zach Skiba found himself separated from his two closest, longtime teammates.
Zach’s fellow triplets, Jake and Nick, were on the junior varsity.
“It was a little bit odd,” Zach said. “I expected them to be on the varsity team, too. It was the first time we haven’t been on the same team, so it was different.
“Now we’re all back together, so we’re having a lot of fun.”
The Skiba triplets are seniors who form nearly a third of the starting lineup. They also are all over the field, with Zach typically playing defender, Nick at midfielder and Jake at forward.
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“It’s great because we all have good chemistry and we’ve been playing together our whole lives,” Nick said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
At the beginning of the season, the Skiba brothers all were coming off the bench for the Porters (14-4-1). Nick got the first start, and his brothers eventually joined him.
“We all started the season on the bench,” Jake said. “It was disappointing because we all wanted a starting spot. Throughout the season, we all kept working and now we’re all there.
“It’s awesome having all of us on the field playing together for most of the game.”
The triplets, who started playing soccer when they were 6 years old, had always been on the same team until last season.
“Missing out on being together last year, it just makes it extra special this season,” Jake said. “It’s really amazing.”
Growing up, the brothers were always competitive. That continues now, but they also celebrate each other’s successes and constantly work together.
“At home, we play soccer with each other and we go hard at each other,” Zach Skiba said. “We do the same in practice. We all try to make each other better.”
The triplets have all become vital parts of the Porters’ lineup.
“Those guys have all really stepped up,” Lockport coach Chris Beal said. “They’ve come a long way, and we depend on them all in different ways.”
The brothers are still considering college plans. They would love to go to the same school and continue to play soccer together.
For now, they plan to enjoy their final postseason together with the Porters.
Last year, Jake and Nick watched as Zach got to state and helped Lockport finish third in Class 3A.
Zach would love to return with his brothers this time. The Porters are seeded fourth in a 3A sectional they are hosting.
“It’s our last time playing high school soccer,” Zach said. “It’d be great to get back to state.”
Knight time: Chicago Christian won its first regional championship since 2014, defeating top-seeded Universal 1-0 in the final of a Class 1A regional hosted by the Knights.
The Knights also defeated Joliet Catholic 1-0 in the semifinal, avenging last season’s regional championship loss to the Hilltoppers.
“It feels amazing, especially with all the work the guys have put in,” Chicago Christian coach Danny Mack said. “It makes even more special because JCA knocked us out last year.
“Then to win the regional final at home with the student section cheering for us and the band playing, it was an amazing feeling.”
Junior Chad Busker scored the lone goal in both games, getting an assist from Kyle Powers in the final and from Matt Frieling in the semifinal.
Senior goalkeeper Henry Gawron recorded both shutouts.
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The fifth-seeded Knights (6-12-4) will take on third-seeded Herscher (13-8-1) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in a Manteno Sectional semifinal.
Finishing strong: Lemont (11-3-7) went unbeaten in its final nine regular-season games, going 4-0-5 and allowing more than one goal just once.
Lemont is the top seed in its subsectional within the Class 2A Glenbard South Sectional.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.