It has been a record-setting season for the Oswego East boys’ soccer team this fall.  The Wolves have set team records for wins and shutouts, won the Plainfield Classic for the first time in school history, and earned the top seed in the sectional on the back of an impressive regular season. Not bad for a team that welcomed 10 new faces to the varsity roster this season.  But it has been the experience of the defense, and their cohesion and competitiveness, that has propelled East to a Regional title as they look to keep their season rolling in the sectional.  This week’s Athlete Spotlight is on Senior defender Paxton Smith, for his leadership of that outstanding back line.

Smith has been a part of the OE Soccer program since his freshman year, working his way up through the freshman and sophomore teams, before joining the varsity team as a junior.  “Last season Paxton was a backup defender the first half of the season until we had a player get injured,” said Head Coach Steve Szymanski.  He added that once Smith “stepped in, he has rarely left the field.”  It’s that consistency and steadiness that has the Wolves in the sectional semi-final this week after a strong regular season.  

Oswego East’s defense has been formidable all season.  Both Szymanski and Smith are quick to credit this to the entire back line: Cade Cummings, Jacob Mann, Cam Henz, Juan Gomez, and Carter Lucas in goal.  That group built on the experience they gained from the previous year of working together and the synergy between the group is clear in the results.  Through the Regional Championship, OE has recorded a school-record 11 shutouts and has only allowed 19 goals all season (against the 45 they have scored on their opponents).  Smith notes that the team was really clicking in the middle of the season, “We had a seven game win streak…and we are a strong team when we play together.”

That belief is clear as the Wolves have controlled games on the defensive side of the ball.  Syzmanski highlights Smith’s virtues as an individual defender, noting that Smith is, “a lock down defender, who has not been beaten one on one this entire season.  He is a great tackler who is always in the correct spot.”  But it’s not just his individual skill that makes Smith, and by extension Oswego East, great on defense.  “Paxton is a silent leader that just goes out and competes each day,” said Szymanski, “He doesn’t say a lot but when he does it is very meaningful.”

That trust in Smith and in each other is instrumental in the run the Wolves have been on this season.  “I think that I just bring a high intensity to defense, and I really help organize the back line, and just keep us as a solid block in the back, and keep the communication up,” said Smith. When games get tight and the stakes of the IHSA State Series are raised in the sectional, the Wolves will be able to lean on their senior leader and back line to keep them in striking distance in any game, against any opponent.  “He just loves to play and loves to compete,” said Szymanski.  “He is the prime example of you keep working hard each day, and when your opportunity comes, be ready and take advantage of it.”

Asked what advice he would give to a young OE Soccer player, Smith echoes his coach and encourages Future Wolves to put the work in both on and off the field.  “I was just small,” said Smith, but as he was “in the gym or working on my physique,” the results started to follow.

The Wolves take on East Aurora for the third time this season on Tuesday as they look to earn a berth in the sectional final for the first time in school history.  The team and Szymanski have confidence in their team and their defense, “The guys all know if Paxton is on our back line we aren't going to give up many goals.” 

The Oswego East Boys’ Golf program has had a great run of success in recent years.  From sectional and state qualifiers to SPC and Regional team titles, the consistent theme has been the depth of the program. In a game as fickle as golf, the opportunity for an individual to step up and perform is always present. This week’s Athlete Spotlight is on Senior Duncan Kubek for precisely that reason.

Kubek started playing golf at a young age and his cousins, Dylan and Derek, were instrumental in encouraging him to stick with the sport, especially at the high school level. As a four-year member of the golf team, Kubek worked his way up from the JV squad as a freshman and sophomore to a prominent role on the varsity team this year.  He credits his work in the summer time for this jump. “I knew I had to take accountability to improve,” Kubek says of the opportunity left by a strong senior class the previous year.  

The success of the golf team this year is due in large part to Kubek’s growth and leadership. Head Coach Jim Vera said, “This season has been a nice surprise for us. Duncan has been a big part of that.”  Vera also attributes Kubek’s growth to his work in the offseason.  Despite balancing two sports (golf and hockey), Kubek spent “a lot of time this spring and summer working on his game,” said Vera, “Being a two-sport athlete is difficult, but Duncan has done a great job of balancing both over the years.”  

As a team, the Wolves reloaded this season after losing a talented senior class, including All-Stater Zach Johnson and All-SPC golfers Brayden Rusin and Logan Hong.  The 2026 team’s resiliency and ability to perform at their best when it matters most is a testament to Kubek’s leadership.  “It is easy to be positive when you are playing well, but what strikes me most about his year, is that the few times that he has struggled, Duncan has been able to work himself out and be in a better position by the end of the round,” said Vera.  That measured, even-keel attitude certainly paid off in difficult, rainy conditions at the IHSA Regional at Fox Bend.

Coming off an All-Conference performance earlier in the week at the SPC championships, Kubek had every reason to be confident going into the Regional tournament.  But heavy rains and uncertainty over whether the course would even be in a playable condition on the morning of the tournament created a level of tension before the round.  It certainly didn’t phase Kubek, though.  “I actually slept really well the night before,” he said, and had mentally prepared for what was sure to be a wet and cold day.  After a -1 under start, Kubek’s confidence stayed steady.  “I wasn’t thinking about golf at all.  When I think about golf, it tends to mess me up,” Kubek said.  

As the final scores came in, Oswego East shot a season-best 299 to finish second in the regional, led by Kubek’s -2 under, 70 (which tied for first, before finishing second in a playoff). By virtue of being in the top three, the Wolves were able to advance as a team out of one of the toughest regionals in the state, surprising almost everyone except themselves. 

The Wolves will head all the way south to Stonewolf Golf Club for the IHSA Sectional, hosted by O’Fallon High School next week.  When asked for what advice he would give to a future OE varsity golfer, Kubek said, “One bad round doesn’t define who you are.  Golf is all mental, you just have to push through, take it one step at a time and don’t overthink.”