As the first half of the school year comes to a close, it’s worth taking a look back at a standout fall season for Oak Forest athletics. Across multiple programs, Bengal athletes delivered impressive individual performances and team success, making it a memorable year for the department.
“It was a great fall season for us athletically. All of our programs competed hard and represented Oak Forest well,” said Athletic Director Mr. Manzke. “Two highlights in the fall were our girls swim team, who won the SSC Blue Conference—Coach Gale was named Coach of the Year—and our football team, which also won the SSC Blue Conference and advanced all the way to the semifinals. I’m so proud of all the athletes and coaches for the work they put in to represent the Bengals.”
Golf
Both the boys and girls golf teams enjoyed strong seasons, each finishing second at the SSC Conference meet. The success continued at regionals, where both teams again placed second overall. Senior Selah Mabe led the way, finishing first individually with a score of 79, while freshman Kelsey McGrath shot an 83. On the boys side, senior Matthew Smith played a key role with a fifth-place finish at regionals.
McGrath also turned in one of the season’s most impressive individual performances, shooting an 80 to qualify for the state tournament as a top-10 individual.
Girls Tennis
The girls tennis team featured a standout doubles pairing in senior Hailey Plancarte and junior Maddy Moody. The duo captured a conference championship by defeating Lemont and went on
to qualify for the state tournament.
Cross Country
Oak Forest cross country saw strong performances throughout the season, led by senior Nick Manso, junior Hudson Neth, and senior Emilia Zwolinski.
Manso captured the conference championship with a time of 15:47, while Neth finished second at 16:06. At regionals, Neth claimed the regional title with a time of 18:08, with Manso close behind as the runner-up at 18:14. Both qualified for the state meet.
On the girls side, Zwolinski earned All-Conference honors with a 10th-place finish, running a time of 21:45.
Football
The football team delivered one of the most successful seasons in program history, finishing 11–2, winning the SSC Blue Conference title, defeating Lemont, and advancing to the Final Four of the Class 5A IHSA playoffs. The season marked an impressive debut for first-year head coach Zach Sadek.
Senior quarterback Danny Chopp capped off the year by being named SSC Blue Conference Player of the Year and earning All-State honors as a Class 5A quarterback.
Girls Swimming and Diving
Girls swimming reached a major milestone, winning the SSC Blue Conference championship for the first time in 15 years. The Bengals recorded eight first-place finishes, broke two school records, and posted numerous time drops at the conference meet. Coach Gale was recognized for the achievement with Coach of the Year honors.
At the SSC Blue Diving Conference meet, sophomore Meara Hille and senior Trinity Miller finished first and second, respectively. Hille earned All-Conference honors with a winning score of 321.85, while Miller followed closely with a score of 321.75.
As fall sports come to a close and winter sports get underway, the accomplishments of Bengal athletes deserve recognition.
“I can’t wait to see what the winter and spring seasons bring,” said Mr. Manzke. “Our athletes and coaches have been working extremely hard to put themselves in a great position for success. It’s always exciting to see teams develop over the course of the year and watch individuals step up as leaders.”
A special thank-you goes out to the senior athletes who may have competed in their final game or meet this fall. Their leadership, dedication, and commitment have played a major role in the continued success of Oak Forest athletics.
As always—Go Bengals!
