NORTH ALL-CONFERENCE

Two from softball and two from baseball teams also make all-Fox River Classic Conference

MEGAN LITTLE (3) made all-conference first team.
– Photo by Nhia Yang

For the first time in program history, North’s girls soccer team won its third Fox River Classic Conference championship in a row. No wonder the 8-1 Golden Raiders had seven named to the all-league team.

Senior forward and Valparaiso recruit Dana Fish even earned offensive player of the year honors thanks to a team-high 13 goals and 31 points. It was the second straight season she landed on the first team.

Senior defender Megan Little also made the first team for the second straight time, and freshman midfielder Erica Herzog (she had a team-high 11 assists) earned first team as well.

ERICA HERZOG also earned first-team all-league.
– Photo by Katherine Goebel

“It’s quite unique to make first team as a freshman,” coach Tim Eirich said. “You have to be really, really good. She had a really outstanding season for her first year. It was quite impressive.

“She’s going to have a great career ahead of her.”

Earning second-team recognition was sophomore midfielder Anna Fogle and senior defender Kendall Herzog.

Honorable mention went to freshman goalkeeper Peyton Baker and sophomore forward Abby Reinl.

SOFTBALL

Senior infielder Abby Thaves earned first-team all-FRCC and junior outfielder Ally Wagner was on the second team.

Thaves had the second-highest batting average in the league and was one vote shy of being a unanimous pick, according to her coach.

She hit .462 and led the Golden Raiders with 30 hits, six doubles, five home runs and 23 runs batted in.

“I’m not sure what more I can say about Abby,” Chris Lenz said.

Wagner, who made the second team as an infielder in 2019, was second on the squad in batting average (.394), hits (26), and RBI (15). She also pitched and had a team-best five wins to go with 42 strikeouts in 81 innings.

“She deserved to get recognition,” Lenz said. “I’m looking forward to seeing her build on this for next year.”

BASEBALL

BEN VORPAHL is a two-postion all-FRCC selection. – Photo by Katherine Goebel

Senior Ben Vorpahl not only received all-conference honorable mention as a pitcher, he did so as an outfielder as well.

“It felt really good,” he said. “I worked really hard in the offseason, and to see everything come into one is really cool, especially in the tough conference we play in.”

As a pitcher, Vorpahl says he used a fastball, curveball and changeup for strikes.

“Hitters were always on their feels because they didn’t know what was coming, so that was very effective for me,” he said.

Vorpahl also played left field and would hit either third or fourth in the lineup.

“I was very effective on both ends,” he said.

Hunter Steger, another senior, made honorable mention as a utility player.

“I am thankful that my parents have always pushed me to be the best I can be on and off the field at all times,” he said.