Waterloo senior Kane Osterhage tops all-area boys soccer team as Player of the Year

Kane Osterhage spent much of Monday in bed as he recovered from the flu.

Osterhage, a senior at Waterloo High, was expected to push it aside as effectively as he was able to shake defenders in the Bulldogs’ state-championship soccer season.

Osterhage, with a powerful and accurate shot, racked up 31 goals and 21 assists as Waterloo finished 25-3-1 and nailed down the Class 2A state title. Coaches rewarded the attacking midfielder by voting him the overwhelming winner of the Belleville News-Democrat’s Player of the Year award.

“I saw it (on Twitter) and I was surprised,” said Osterhage, 18. “I felt great after I saw that. It’s a big honor to be blessed with that accomplishment.”

Osterhage turned in some of his best work in the clutch. In the seven games of the postseason, victories over Salem, Carbondale, Quincy Notre Dame, Alton Marquette, Springfield, Mundelein Carmel and Peoria Notre Dame, he had eight goals and seven assists.

Osterhage, a four-year starter, finished his career with 58 goals and 30 assists. He scored four more goals as a senior than he had in his previous three seasons.

“My goal was to get somewhere around 30 goals,” Osterhage said. “I didn’t know if I would get there or not. The assists are a big accomplishment, too. I always liked getting assists because I feel like they’re just as hard as getting a goal because you’ve got to pass it to someone and let them score. My teammates really helped out. It was easy giving assists to Benny (Huels).”

Huels, a junior, matched Osterhage with 31 goals.

Team objectives always ranked highest on Osterhage’s to-do list. After knocking in a pair of goals in Waterloo’s second game of the season, a 5-0 victory at Belleville East, Osterhage remembered feeling like the Bulldogs had a chance to be special.

“In one of the very first interviews I did (during the season), someone asked me what our goal was this year, and I said, ‘Our goal is to win a state championship, and I think we can do so,’” Osterhage recalled. “That dream came true. It was just awesome how much we went through in order to get there and win a state championship.”

Star power

Osterhage was just one of several stars that powered the Bulldogs. Others like Huels, seniors Clay Metz, Chase Rubemeyer and Ethan Lewis and juniors Philip Most, Griffin Lenhardt and Trevor Coplin, the goalie, were major cogs. The team had no recognizable defects.

The 6-foot, 155-pound Osterhage was the glue, the player other teams feared the most. Double-teams were commonly used to combat his skill set, speed and strength.

“He’s a complete player,” Waterloo coach Chad Holden said. “He was one of our team captains and has been a big part of our program for four years. He just kept maturing. He was definitely our quickest player as far as raw speed, but he’s also got endurance, too. He could play 80 minutes a game. He was voted MVP by our players. We’re really going to miss him next year.”

Osterhage will play next fall at Division II Missouri St. Louis or Southwestern Illinois College, a two-year school. He plans to major in computer science. Osterhage also plays baseball, but soccer is his No. 1 passion.

“He’s a really good baseball player,” Holden said. “He’s just a good athlete. That’s what makes him so special. He goes about his business, gets (the job) done and moves on.”

Afterglow of season

Osterhage said the freshness of winning the state tournament, played Nov. 6-7 at Hoffman Estates High, has lingered for more than a month. Banquets, postseason honors and recognition for the Bulldogs continue.

On Saturday night, Waterloo was honored at halftime of the St. Louis Ambush game at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. Osterhage, however, was too ill to attend.

“There was no way I could go,” Osterhage said.

Early experience

Osterhage played at both the freshman and varsity levels as a freshman, but his season was interrupted by a broken arm suffered during a freshman game.

The varsity experience Osterhage gained began to pay off as a sophomore when he scored nine goals. He then had a breakthrough season as a junior when he collected 17 goals.

“Coming in as a freshman and playing varsity, that’s a hard thing to do in any boys sport,” Holden said. “Usually, you’re playing against a lot of kids who are stronger than you, faster.

“But we saw something special in him in his freshman year and stuck with him. You get that experience in you and you can learn how to read the game.”

Osterhage said playing against older players “helped a lot.”

“You get the feel of how aggressive and physical the game is compared to freshman or JV,” Osterhage said. “I got stronger, bigger, faster every year. Also, my mentality changed. As a freshman, I was kind of timid and scared out on the field, playing against bigger guys. As my senior year came around, I just played with confidence.”

Humble roots

Osterhage is the son of Kyle and Amber Osterhage, of Waterloo. Kyle was a player on Waterloo’s football team in 1993 that finished second in the state in Class 3A.

The Bulldogs’ soccer title was the first in school history.

“I kept telling (Kane), ‘Our team’s been known forever, and we only got second. But around Waterloo, people still talk about us,’” Kyle Osterhage said. “But Kane went off and won (a state title). I told him it was a huge deal and it won’t be forgotten. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully, we can do it again in baseball because we’re going to be pretty solid there, too.”

Despite his athletic achievements, Kane Osterhage isn’t one to pop off.

“I’m kind of a guy who chooses my words carefully, and I am a little quiet,” he said. “I’ve always been that way. With age, I’ve gotten a little bit more outgoing and not as quiet. But I’m still pretty quiet.

“(My parents) have helped a lot with my confidence. They’ve boosted me up and they’ve just meant the world to me through all this.”

Kyle Osterhage said Kane always has been soft-spoken.

“He’s a real humble kid,” he said. “He’s always been quiet. Earlier, it held him back a little bit on the field. He was real timid and shy. As he’s grown in high school, he’s come out of his shell. We give credit to Chad throwing him out there as a freshman, starting him in varsity. He even told us, ‘He’s going to get his butt kicked.’ ... But it made him stronger.”

Kyle Osterhage is looking forward to watching his son play many more games.

“It’s been fun to watch him grow and play,” he said. “Hopefully, we can keep watching him on the next level. He’s got to make a decision there.”

Coach of the Year

Holden, who just finished his 18th season with the Bulldogs, was voted Coach of the Year by his peers. Waterloo’s 25 wins were a program record.

Holden credited his assistant coaches, Jim Prather, Tim Augustine and John Spytek.

“They’ve been a big part of our program,” Holden said. “I know I’m Coach of the Year, but they’re part of that, too.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Waterloo senior Kane Osterhage tops all-area boys soccer team as Player of the Year."