Waubonsie Valley forward Lucas Garcia and Benet midfielder Jack Wesley have never been teammates and aren’t acquainted.

But they’ll be seeing a lot of each other on the field over the next four seasons.

The two freshmen made their high school debuts Tuesday night in a nonconference game that featured a matchup between two coaches’ sons.

Garcia is the oldest son of Waubonsie Valley coach Jose Garcia.

“It makes me feel really old, but it makes it more interesting,” Jose Garcia said. “The guys have really accepted him.”

Lucas Garcia came off the bench with 15 minutes left in the first half and provided a spark for the Warriors, who pulled off a 2-1 upset as junior forward Tristan Mehra scored the first game-winning goal of his career.

“He’s been a standout player,” Mehra said of Lucas Garcia. “He’s been awesome off the jump. He used to come to our camp sometimes when he was younger, and he used to shine. So we knew he was going to be up here with us on this level.”

Lucas Garcia played about half of the match, which was played in nearly 90-degree heat. He was sweating like everyone else after the match but kept a cool demeanor.

“It went pretty well,” he said. “I just go in there and work hard. It feels good.”

Lucas Garcia didn’t have much else to say, but teammates like Mehra were complimentary.

“He doesn’t talk much, but he lets his game do the talking,” Mehra said. “Every time I’m with him, he shines on the ball. He’s a very good player, very technical.”

So, too, is Wesley, whose father, Sean, coached Benet to the Class 2A state championship in 2019 and stepped down following the 2022 season, opting to watch, rather than coach, his oldest son.

“I think he’s going to enjoy watching me play,” Wesley said. “I’m going to enjoy him being my dad instead of my coach.”

Benet’s new coach, Matt Klosterman, already is enjoying watching Wesley play.

“Jack Wesley is a heck of a good player,” Klosterman said. “He’s got a really bright future.

“He’s learning. First varsity game, that’s a big step up, so he’s got to keep working hard every day to get better. But I thought he earned the start today by what he did in preseason, and we’re really looking forward to see what he can do this year.”

Wesley looked comfortable from the start and created several dangerous chances. He nearly broke a 1-1 tie at the 27:15 mark of the second half, ripping a 22-yard shot that Waubonsie Valley senior goalkeeper Abrahm Tiburcio did well to tip over the crossbar.

Senior defender Nick Roe, a Loyola commit who scored Benet’s goal on a penalty kick in the first half, knows what it’s like to start as a freshman. He had fun playing with Wesley in the midfield.

“Obviously, Jack’s been around for a long time,” Roe said. “He was always practicing with us sometimes, just helping out, so he knows Benet like the back of his hand.

“His quality is great. He’s got so much potential, super calm. He knows what to do, and after a few more games, he’ll be more comfortable.”

Wesley said Roe and the rest of the Redwings already have made him comfortable.

“Everyone on the team, especially him, has been super nice to me,” Wesley said. “Obviously, a lot of them know who I am from my dad, but they’ve all been super welcoming, and they’ve been fun to play and practice with.”

Wesley said he can’t remember the first time he attended a Benet game but said he was probably a baby. He won’t forget his first time playing for the Redwings.

“Obviously, I wanted the win instead of the loss, but it happens,” he said. “I always look forward to the next game and just try to do what I can.”

As does Lucas Garcia, who won the first head-to-head matchup against Wesley. The two teams traditionally play each other in the first week of the season, so there will be more meetings between Garcia and Wesley, who are part of the vanguard of a new generation and have not gotten preferential treatment.

“He went through tryouts just like everybody else, and I treat him like any other player, so that wasn’t a big concern for me,” Jose Garcia said. “I knew that he was capable of being at that level.

“It will be exciting to watch how they develop.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.