Matt Le Cren

6 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Matt Le Cren

Selma Larbi’s family heritage spans the Atlantic Ocean, and the smile she frequently flashes can seem just as wide. The Neuqua Valley senior forward is known for her sunny disposition as well as her prodigious talent on the field. The Wildcats missed both when Larbi opted to play club last year after shining on the varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. But happy times are here again.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Matt Le Cren

NAPERVILLE – Sometimes it is the soft touch that does the most damage. After being held scoreless for 68 minutes by an impressive Lyons defense, Naperville North star Claire DeCook finally broke through when she latched on to a bouncing ball in the middle of the penalty area and rolled a short shot into the net with 11:43 left in the second half. That was all the host Huskies needed to edge the Lions 1-0 on Wednesday night to advance to the championship game of the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic.

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Matt Le Cren

Naperville Central senior catcher Riley Silvers arrived at the ballpark Monday and noticed a gusty wind was blowing straight out. Did that boost her confidence? “Yeah, it kind of does,” Silver said. “I just think, ‘Swing the bat hard, and something’s going to happen.’“But I also know to stay level and not pop it up. I just stay level and swing hard.”Something good often happens when Silvers does that, and the Florida International commit came through again — and again.

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Matt Le Cren

Nicole Smith barely said a word after being elevated to Naperville Central’s varsity team midway through her freshman season. Two years later, that’s no longer the case. “I was really quiet my freshman year,” Smith said. “Sophomore year, I finally gained some confidence. I knew I had to be talkative. “Now I’m very, very bossy, telling people where they need to be on the field.”That’s a good thing for the Redhawks, who rely on the junior midfielder for guidance and grit.

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Matt Le Cren

Naperville Central senior Daniel Nussbaum has always wanted to play college football, but his twin brother, Aaron, wasn’t always sure he wanted to follow suit. That changed when Aaron Nussbaum suffered a torn ACL during a game against Lockport on Oct. 4. “Getting hurt definitely changed my perspective on the whole thing,” Aaron Nussbaum said. “At the end of that Lockport game, I could tell how much I missed it, not even just playing with Daniel but playing with my whole team.