The Palatine Pirates won the Mid-Suburban League Championship for the first time since 2012, after beating the Buffalo Grove Bison in a tight 2-1 final on a brisk Thursday night.

Palatine’s performance was surprising, in the fact that they started out the game sluggishly. The Bison seemed calm and all over possession until Sebastian Khoury got the opportunity of a lifetime. 

“I kind of just saw the keeper kick it, and it ended up hitting the defender,” senior forward Khoury said. “The ball laid right for me, and I decided to take it around the keeper.”

This goal brought an electric spark to the team. From there, they never looked back.

Khoury scored yet another goal by shaking off his defender and firing it into the opposite corner, all thanks to the setup by Jerry Afonrinwo. The lead was now 2-0, and the atmosphere inside Chic Anderson Stadium was untouchable. 

Palatine kept their opponent to nothing until the final seconds, where Dennis Likhovid was awarded a penalty. Likhovid guessed correctly and was able to get a goal on the board, to ruin Alex Ganji’s perfect game. 

Nonetheless, time expired and Palatine was officially crowned kings of the Mid-Suburban League, for the first time in approximately 4,000 days. Nobody was more proud of what unfolded than head coach, Aaron Morris.

“The team believes in each other, even when we might not be playing our best,” Morris said. “These guys know how to win and they know how to battle even when things aren’t all that great.”

Palatine marches into the playoff slate with 17 wins, 3 draws and not a single loss. They are one of three teams left in Illinois with an undefeated record. There are 487 teams in Illinois for reference. Palatine is also currently ranked #33 in the United States, according to Maxpreps.

Palatine will make a near 40 minute trip up to Warren Township High School’s Stadium, and will await the winner of Waukegan and Highland Park, to play the winner in the regional semifinal.