Luke McGonigale has been preparing for this season his entire life.
And he’s very thankful to his coaches for that.
McGonigale is a senior at Father Judge High School, and he’s been a key contributor to the varsity team since his sophomore year.
Every year when he was working his way up the ladder in the Catholic League, he was putting in the work. But he is quick to point out he wasn’t doing it alone.
“The biggest thing was the coaches,” said McGonigale, an attacking midfielder from Fox Chase. “Not just (John Dunlop) who helped me a whole lot, but the other coaches at Judge. They worked with me a lot. All of them made me a better player.
“I think they saw I had a chance to be a good player, so they worked with me to make me a better player and a better leader. That’s where they helped the most, they put me in position to be a leader on this team. That meant a lot because they knew I could do it and helped me get there. They helped me get here.”
Here is a very good place for McGonigale. Here means he comes into the fall as the leader of the Crusaders, who have been traditionally one of the best teams in the Catholic League over the past decade or so.
McGonigale has twice seen his Crusaders make the Catholic League championship. During freshman year, he didn’t play, but he was a starter last year when Judge lost in the championship game.
Just as losing in the semifinals during his sophomore year motivated McGonigale to work so hard last year to prepare for his junior year, last year’s setback in the finals pushed McGonigale to put forth the same work before his senior year. That not only included working out on his own, but playing for the Crusaders summer league team, which won the Lower Moreland league this summer.
“Losing in the semifinals motivated me so much for my junior year,” McGonigal said. “Now it’s even more than last year. I think getting there was good. We learned a lot. We learned what it takes to get there and we know what it takes to win the whole thing. Hopefully we can get it done. The league is good, it’s always good. There’s some really good teams out there. We have to worry about some of the best teams. Anyone can win. But I like what we got and I really think we can do it.”
And McGonigale is ready to do his part.
He worked his way into the lineup as a sophomore, and as a junior he became one of the team’s most solid players.
But what he does in the locker room is just as important what he does on the field, where he serves as the playmaker for the team.
He’s ready to do whatever it takes as long as it means good things for his team.
“I feel like there’s more responsibility on me, and I need to be in more of a leadership role,” McGonigale said. “If we lose, it’s on me, and we have to teach the younger guys what it’s like to be a young guy in the PCL. I always looked up to the seniors so I’m going to do the same for the younger guys.
“Sophomore, junior, it was mostly the same, now I’m just more of a leader. Nothing has changed soccer-wise. I think I’m a creative player, that’s my strength. I care a lot, I put in a lot of time off the field. I feel like that’s what I bring to the team.”
He’s ready to play the leadership role. And while he did have help getting to this position, he has been preparing for it his whole life because it combines people he likes and the game he loves.
“I feel like that’s me loving soccer,” said McGonigale, who hopes to play college soccer and major in business or finance. “Everything I do is soccer. I watch it. Play it. I really like to learn about the game and it’s really important to me. People can come to me because I care. I like helping, different people play different positions. Sometimes people just need some advice. Some will ask about changing positions. It’s a process and I’m really happy people come to me.”
He gets that from his family.
His sister Alex played three years at Basil’s before transferring to Hubert, where she coaches now. His dad played at Judge and coaches there.
“I’ve loved soccer my whole life, my whole family does,” he said. “My dad played for Judge. My sister played for St. Hubert. She was a really good player. She was more of a defender. She was a great leader and she fit the team perfectly.
“My dad is my biggest mentor. He still likes to watch and play. And my mom helps a lot, too. Not much with soccer, but with personal stuff. Learning the important things like being a leader, how to help people. It does help in soccer, though. I’m very appreciative of all she’s done.”
He’ll appreciate a PCL championship even more.
While he would love to accomplish a lot this year, that’s the ultimate prize he craves.
“I really like what we have this year, we have some really good players and some really good young players who are going to help a lot,” he said. “I think we could have a very good year.” ••
