The experience of being a freshman getting extensive playing time on a varsity team can be overwhelming, but Lemont’s Luciano and Vincenzo Mancini have one major advantage.
Each other.
The twins are playing together, enjoying their first high school season and making an early impact.
“To have your brother out there with you all the time, it’s great,” Luciano said. “They’re lifetime memories we’re getting.
“Varsity soccer is tough. It’s pushing me a lot more than I expected it to. It’s making me a better player and person. Overall, it’s been a great experience. It’s an honor to be on varsity as a freshman and it’s a lot of fun.”
Luciano scored the first two goals of his high school career in the same Sept. 9 game against Eisenhower.
“It was awesome,” he said. “It was great to share the experience with my teammates and everyone around me. It was fun.
“When I scored the first goal, the reaction was great from my teammates. One of them picked me up. It’s what I imagined for my first goal.”
Vincenzo was watching from the sideline as he prepared to sub back into the game.
“I was coming back from warming up,” he said. “I saw the ball go in and I saw him score it inside the right post. The bench was going crazy. It was an exciting moment for me as a brother.”
Lemont, which returned all 11 of its starters from the spring season, has a roster filled with experienced players, but the Mancinis stood out right away to earn spots on the team.
“From the very beginning, we saw they’re very intelligent players,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “We like their movement. They don’t give the ball away cheaply. They’ve got really good vision. A lot of things that are really tough to teach.
“What we were concerned about was the physical aspect of the game and if they were going to be able handle it. They’re not going to be outpacing guys. They have to outsmart them. But they’ve seemed very comfortable.”
The Mancinis are typically the smallest players on the field, but they are not intimidated.
“Even if you get knocked down, you’ve got the next play,” Luciano said. “When you’re playing against a 6-foot kid and you’re 5-foot-2, you’re not going to win them all. That’s going to happen. You just have to be ready for the next one.”
If there is ever any hesitation about mixing it up with bigger players, there is always the motivation that comes from trying to one-up your twin.
“No matter what sport it is, we’re very competitive and want to beat each other,” Vincenzo said. “When he scored those goals, I knew that I have to start scoring now.”
Welcome back: Thornton co-op did not play for two weeks due to COVID-19 issues and weather cancellations, but the Wildcats (4-4) returned for the PepsiCo Showdown and won their eight-team bracket.
Nate Olivo, Hector Gonzalez and Mariano Delgado scored in the 3-1 win over Rauner in Sunday’s final.
“It felt really good just to see all the boys smiling and having that camaraderie,” Thornton coach David Gonzalez said. “They were doing it together to get something done. It gives you that playoff-type mentality.
“It was really cool to have something like that right in the middle of the season, especially with the kind of season we’ve been having, where there have been a lot of distractions.”
Bloom and Lincoln-Way Central also won bracket championships in the event.
Red leaders: Argo (6-2-1, 5-0) struck a big blow Monday in its attempt to dethrone three-time defending South Suburban Red champion Shepard, beating the Astros 4-1 for its fifth straight win.
“We’re really happy with how our guys are playing offensively and defensively right now,” Argo coach Carlos Marquez said.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
