Naperville North junior forward Noah Radeke has a great role model in his older brother, Cameron.
They played together two years ago, helping the Huskies reach a Class 3A supersectional. Cameron Radeke scored their only goal in a 2-1 loss to Morton, but Noah Radeke, a freshman at the time, impressed with his play off the bench.
“Noah was fantastic as a freshman,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “We saw that in the supersectional, watching him take the game over when we had a lot of really good players, and we knew what we had coming.”
Indeed, the second son has risen, and Noah Radeke may eventually prove to be even better than the first. Cameron Radeke, a sophomore at Wright State, produced 18 goals and nine assists as a senior in 2021.
Noah Radeke already has surpassed his brother’s career scoring totals. After finishing with nine goals and six assists last year, he has exploded for 12 goals and eight assists in the first eight games this season.
The Huskies (7-1) have won seven straight after losing to West Chicago in the season opener. Noah Radeke had an assist in that game and has scored in every game since.
He had three goals in a 5-0 rout of rival Naperville Central (4-3-2) in the Best of the West Tournament final, two goals and two assists in a 5-1 win against Neuqua Valley (6-2-1), two goals in a 3-0 win against previously unbeaten Elgin (5-1) on Thursday, and a goal and two assists in a 3-1 victory against previously unbeaten Marmion (4-1-2) in Aurora on Saturday.
“I was hoping for this start,” Noah Radeke said. “I feel like I should have done a lot better last year, and this year I’ve obviously produced a lot more chances.”
Indeed, Noah Radeke is producing at an unprecedented rate. The usually defensive-minded Huskies have scored 32 goals, with him and junior forward Jaxon Stokes, who has 11 goals, forming a deadly duo.
“This year we knew he would be one of the best kids, especially when you pair him with Stokes, who is one of the other best kids in the state,” Konrad said. “Those two together are a really tough situation for opposing teams.”
But they are a help to Naperville North’s young defenders, including sophomore Colin McMahon.
“A hundred percent it helps me for games like this,” McMahon said after the Huskies’ win against Marmion. “Their forward was as big, so I knew how to defend him.
“Noah is a really good player. He uses his size really well, and he moves his body really well with body feints, and with having such a big frame and how tall he is, it’s really hard to stop him.”
It’s not only Noah Radeke’s 6-foot-3 frame that is hard to stop. His mindset is equally formidable.
“I get the ball from the midfielders and the other attackers, and I make up my mind to just go,” he said. “My coach always says to attack the goal or else he’ll be mad.”
Noah Radeke does so with gusto, but he’s not single-minded. He’s just as willing to pass, as evidenced by his team-leading assists total.
Konrad appreciates the unselfishness of Noah Radeke and Stokes, who often take turns assisting each other’s goals.
Goalkeepers might prefer to face Stokes rather than Noah Radeke, who can unleash ferocious shots with either foot but also can be deceptive.
“He’s not a guy who’s just going to smoke it every time,” Konrad said. “Some guys are just going to pound it every time and hope it just blows past the keeper. Noah is smart about it. He knows when it’s time to hit it and when it’s time to finesse it.”
In that way, Noah Radeke is a lot like his brother.
“I kind of see myself playing like him,” Noah Radeke said. “I see his success, and I want to play at a level like that.”
It’s the story of many siblings, and the Radekes are no different.
“Having a big brother is the world, right?” Konrad said. “You’re always getting beat on your whole life, and you’re used to playing with bigger, stronger kids, especially with someone as gifted as Cam.
“Cam was friends with that group of Jacob Ryu and Alex Barger and Tyson Amoo-Mensah, and Noah was playing with those guys at the park. That’s a huge advantage when you’re the little brother being dragged along. Usually, it’s the kid that ends up being the superstar.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.