CHICAGO — The notorious literary line, often attributed to the playwright George Bernard Shaw, about the problem of youth “being wasted on the young,” gets thwacked and stood on its head by a gloriously precocious Jones team.

The Eagles have seven freshmen on their 25-player roster, a necessary turn of events after the team lost 12 seniors a year ago.

“We have a really young team,” coach Derek Bylsma said. “Today we had one senior starter. Other games, it has been maybe one or two. For the most part we are built around the youth.

“They’re at a high level, and they really help us.”

Circumstances also propelled the Eagles’ top young talent to the top of the class with the start of the Chicago Public League Tournament while two of the Eagles’ top offensive talents, forward Aiyana Wright and midfielder Audrey Dziedzic, recover from injuries and were unavailable to play. 

That cast the spotlight on standout freshman midfielders Morgan Theilke and Alyssa Ramos.

“I definitely knew today with two of our more offensive players not able to play that I had to step my game up,” Theilke said.

“I love playing, attacking. I started out the season playing in the back, or as an outside winger, and I have slowly begun to push up the field. This is closer to how I play with my club team, and I just love being that attacking player.”

Theilke and Ramos projected a bright future from the compelling present with two goals apiece in the Eagles’ 5-0 victory over Solorio in their Round of 16 opening match Monday in Chinatown.

The precocious midfielders showed their ability to play off each other masterfully. Theilke and Ramos also each had an assist in the game.

Jones (8-8-0) will host Hancock in the quarterfinal round Thursday.

The Eagles finished as the runnerup to Young in the Premier Division South. In the tourney, the Dolphins are the top-seed of the lower bracket. As the regular-season champion of the Premier Division North, no. 13 Lane is the top seed of the higher bracket.

Lane and Payton are heavy favorites to reach the semifinal round from the top bracket, Jones and Young are expected to reach the semifinal of the lower bracket.

Solorio (11-3-2) finished second to Back of the Yards in the Ist Division South. The Sun Warriors suffered an unfortunate injury when one of their best players, midfielder Janeth Ortega, was inadvertently struck in the face with the ball during the first half and unable to return.

Jones blitzed the Sun Warriors with four first half goals, taking maximum advantage of the wind at their backs.

Theilke was ready off the opening touch, controlling the ball in the middle attack and looking to exploit openings and pathways in the Sun Warriors’ defense.

“It didn’t matter where we were on the field, we were definitely looking to take more shots,” she said. “We had the wind on our side, and we definitely wanted to use that to our advantage.”

Theilke and forward Mia Miranda created the early pressure, which set up the conditions for her first two goals. 

She found her groove in the sixth minute. Winning possession at the top of the box, Theilke blasted a ball that hit off the backside of a Solorio defender and curved inside the near post.

She was just getting warmed up. In the 26th minute, Ramos played the ball in the middle of the field and slotted it to a streaking Theilke on the left wing.

With Solorio keeper Emily Sotelo pulled off her line, Theilke blasted a left-footed ball from 19 yards for her second goal for the game and fourth of the season.

Morgan Theilke got the nod as the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match for her scoring outburst and setting the tone for Jones.

“I’ve always played up with older girls on my club team, and I’m used to playing against bigger girls, but some of these girls are like twice my size,” she said.

“I definitely have to work really hard for the ball. When I was younger, I was used to getting around smaller players, and now I just have to work that much harder. With Alyssa and the other freshmen, overall, I think our skills just work together.”

The point was driven home moments later when Ramos played a ball to Theilke at the top of the box and she redirected the pass to forward Kaelyn Perez, who easily put away an open-net goal in the 28th minute.

Missing from the action was explosive and quick forward Aiyana Wright, who earned Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List recognition last spring after blowing up her freshman season with 20 goals and 13 assists last spring for the city finalist.

Now Ramos is the heir apparent with a team-leading 20 goals and 10 assists. (Wright has scored 14 goals and created eight assists in her sophomore campaign). 

The Eagles are definitely feeling Wright’s absence as a game-changing talent. Ramos is helping cushion the blow.

“It’s a little bit of pressure, because I’m a freshman. But at the same time, I really like it,” Ramos said. “I want to be able to take command and go up and help my team win.

“Aiyana is a great player, but now I think we’ll see more players taking command of the middle. She helped me a lot in the past, and now I have to be the one who helps the rest of the players.”

Perez, who has seven goals and five assists, also acts as a mentor to the young talent.

“I really enjoy being around them and playing with these freshmen,” Perez said. “I was a freshman on varsity, but our team was more experienced back then. I didn’t get that much playing time.

“We probably didn’t have as much of a connection between the younger and older players. I just wanted to make sure I have the relationship with them now that I never really had with the upperclassmen. We lost seven senior starters, and most of our big scorers last year. I’m grateful we have these new talented players.”

Ramos put the finishing touches on the rout with the final two goals, both rocket shots from distance that showed off her accuracy and shot-making prowess.

She punctuated the dominant first half with a blast from about 22 yards that handcuffed Sotelo and broke the line in the 37th minute.

Ramos put on the finishing touch with a left-footed howitzer from about 30 yards. It sliced through the wind and was perfectly placed in the 76th minute.

Even with Wright and Dziedzic out, Bylsma has options thanks to his youth movement. But there is no replacing the pair. 

“Alyssa is a great player, and Morgan is very good and will get even better with more time because she’s a great competitor and so hard working,” Bylsma said.

“She gets to every 50/50 ball, and she never stops. She also has some very good speed. This was the first time we really played her higher up in the formation. She is one of those players who can play anywhere. I moved her around this year. She can go all over. It works well for us.”

Starting lineups

Solorio

GK: Emily Sotelo 
D: Valeria Perez
D: Guadalupe Ruiz
D: Emily Quinones
D: Itzel Rivera
MF: Angelina Dominguez
MF: Janeth Ortega
MF: Giselle Vazquez
MF: Layla Vicario
F: Anahi Sotelo
F: Karla Pineda

Jones
GK: Ruby Miller
D: Leann Guidi
D: Ellie Ceraso
D: Karina Teliz
MF: Olivia Bahrmasel
MF: Alyssa Ramos
MF: Morgan Theilke
MF: Pauline Morro
MF: Lali Leal
F: Kaelyn Perez
F: Mia Miranda

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Morgan Theilke, fr., MF, Jones

Scoring summary

First half
Jones—Morgan Theilke (unassisted), 6’
Jones—Theilke (Alyssa Ramos), 26’
Jones—Kaelyn Perez (Theilke), 28’
Jones—Ramos (unassisted), 37’

Second half
Jones—Ramos (Lali Leal), 76’