Grayslake Central’s Ray Sereno can get overlooked at times.
But the senior midfielder has been a key contributor in the Rams’ quest for a repeat trip to the Class 2A state tournament.
“Ray is one of the stars,” Grayslake Central coach Keith Andersson said. “But he’s the unsung hero. Nobody realizes how amazing his touch is. He’s a skillful player, and when he finishes, it’s just a beautiful shot. He’s an amazing leader and will do anything for the team.”
Sereno provided another example of that shot during the Class 2A Grayslake Central Sectional championship game on Saturday. He scored his eighth goal of the season in the 44th minute to propel the top-seeded Rams to a 1-0 victory against second-seeded Vernon Hills.
The Rams (16-1-3), who have played without star Danik Marynevych since he suffered a season-ending knee injury in September, advance to their second consecutive supersectional and will host Notre Dame (16-5-2) at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“This is one more step toward state,” Andersson said. “We will have another battle again on Tuesday night underneath the lights. I’m excited for the boys.”
On the winning goal, Sereno took advantage of an opening after teammate Nick Molochnikov’s shot from the far corner came right to him just 11 yards away on the left side. Sereno calmly drilled the ball into the back of the net with 36:01 left.
“I saw the ball coming at me and just wanted to shoot it and aimed for the corner,” he said.
Sereno, who had six goals and an assist during the Rams’ run to fourth place in the state last season, called it the most impactful goal of his career.
“We’re still not done yet,” he said. “We’re going to hopefully be back at state. They say history repeats itself. I’m trying to give it my best and make a difference on the team. We all have had to step up.”
The Cougars (13-7-2), who have won four straight regional titles and seven in the past nine full seasons, nearly earned the program’s second sectional title behind the stellar play of Brandon Grunfeld.
The sophomore goalkeeper wasn’t afraid to charge to the top of the box to break up scoring threats, and he made a memorable save by using his right foot to stop a shot by Alan Alonso early in the second half.
Grunfeld made seven of his 12 saves in the first half. He had two in a 10-second sequence in the 20th minute, including a stop on a crushing shot by Mitchell Fein.
Vernon Hills coach Mike McCaulou, who credited the senior class for extending the program’s recent wave of success, were hampered for much of the season half after a player received a red card. He praised Grunfeld.
“Brandon Grunfeld is just special,” McCaulou said. “He should’ve been all-state, in my opinion. We’re lucky to have him for two more years.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.