By Mark Gregory
Sports Editor
@Hear_The_Beard
mark@buglenewspapers.com
Up until Christian Duarte made the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State team as a junior in 2014, Romeoville had only featured one other All-State selection — Tom Kowalski in 1988.
The year Duarte made the first of his two All-State teams, there was a freshman named David Cahue on the team that made the coaches take notice.
In four years, Cahue went from a freshman that turned heads during a preseason scrimmage, to a varsity starter his first year to the third All-Stater in program history.
“It is a great feeling,” Cahue said. “All the hard work and dedication I put in over four years and to finally be rewarded for it feels good.
“When (Duarte) made All-State his first time, I knew I wanted it and knew I had to work and I hope me making it gives the young kids confidence that they can do it too.”
He now joins Duarte and Kowalski as a permanent fixture on the Romeoville wall of fame.
“When you are All-State, you are there for life,” said coach Nick Cirrincione. “That is something you can come back and show your kids. That picture never leaves.”
Cahue helped the team to a 16-5-2 record this season, a program record for wins.
“My four years here were pretty good. When I came in, I knew I had to work my butt off and to become a starter as a freshman was great because not many people get to do that. I improved each year and to make All-State as a senior is a big reward.
“Coach pushes us every game and every practice and I couldn’t have done any of this without him or my teammates.”
The biggest push that Cirrincione gave Cahue was a push back on the field during a playoff game his freshman year.
“He came out of the game with a sore ankle and they had his stuff off and I told him to get it back on and get out there,” Cirrincione said. “I don’t think he liked it, but he went back out and played the rest of the game. He learned young that there is a difference in hurt and injured.”
After learning that lesson, Cahue played the rest of his career never missing a game.
In total, Cahue played in 86 straight games for the Spartans, putting up a career record of 45-36-3.
“In four years, he never missed a game.” Cirrincione said. “He has been beat up and banged up, but he has never asked out of a game. That shows his toughness.”
Not only did he play in every game, he played almost every position for Romeoville.
“He played as a right defender, a stopper, a center mid, a right mid, a left mid, a forward,” Cirrincione said. “That is telling colleges that you will get a kid that can play any position on the field at a high level.”
He will also compete in the classroom at that same level, as he posts a near 4.0 grade point average — something he is looking to better.
“He has been one of our coachable kids. In the offseason with his work there was never a problem, grades there was never a problem — he is pushing to be above a 4.0 for his career,” Cirrincione said. “His grades are going to open even more doors.”
For Cahue, he is just looking for a college to be successful as he plays soccer and works towards a degree in sports medicine.
“I just want to go somewhere I can achieve success,” he said. “I will be blessed to go anywhere and I hope the success I had here translates to college.”