Fahnestock returns from broken collarbone to be key in Explorers' push to state title
EAST PEORIA – For a time, it seemed as though Marquette Catholic's Noah Fahnestock wasn't going to be making a return to the team.
Fahnestock, a senior, got tangled up with a Collinsville player during their Sept. 16 match against the Kahoks and wound up breaking his collarbone in the process.
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Fahnestock made a big comeback to the team and got together with Aaron Boulch for the Explorers' final two goals of a five-goal-in-11-minute explosion in the second half that sent Marquette into Saturday evening's IHSA Class 1A boys soccer final at East Peoria's East Side Centre. The Explorers defeated Monmouth-Roseville Saturday evening to win the state title. Fahnestock was a key player as one of the captains in the Marquette run.
“It really wasn't supposed to happen,” Fahnestock said about his return to the lineup this season. “The original diagnosis wasn't looking good for me, but during physical therapy, during my recovery sessions, I built my strength back as quickly as possible because this is where I want to be. I'm just so happy to be be back with my team.
“It (getting to the final) was the ultimate goal; we knew dropping down to 1A was a possibility (the Explorers had been playing up in class previously). It's amazing to be here and amazing that we won a state finals game 5-0; it's an awesome feeling.”
“I just to come and and get as many points as possible and help the team as possible,” Fahnestock said of he and Boulch capping off the five-goal explosion. “When you miss that many games with a broken collarbone, you just want to come back and contribute as much as you can; that's what I'm trying to do.”
The injury came when, as Fahnestock put it, “I got tripped up with another guy and he ended up landing on top of me; it was a pretty brutal break and a brutal couple of weeks; I just wanted to get back as quick as I could.”
“Coming into a state tournament, you don't really know much about the other teams because they're from different areas.” Fahnestock said. “You don't know about their strength of schedule, necessarily what they bring to the table; that makes it even more fun because you can go out and play your game.
“They (Garcia) were good; they were quick, they were good on the ball; going into the half 0-0, we just wanted to find (the first goal) because we knew if we found the first one, the gates would be open. It was a little frustrating in the first half not being able to find a goal, but the second half was electric.
“We found the first one, the crowd got into it, we got into it.”
As far as getting to the final goes, “obviously, we were excited,” Fahnestock said. “We gave it the best we could and brought home the state championship trophy.”
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