Will Fortenberry brings from Boone Grove a wealth of experience and passion to his new job as history teacher and head varsity boys soccer coach for Chesterton High School

Will Fortenberry brings from Boone Grove a wealth of experience and passion to his new job as history teacher and head varsity boys soccer coach for Chesterton High School

Will Fortenberry, Chesterton High School’s new varsity soccer head coach.

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

Will Fortenberry grew up in Portage, so from his vantage point from across the pitch in DAC rivalry matches, he learned what Chesterton soccer is all about: winning.
Now Fortenberry is in charge of the Trojans’ boys soccer program, announced Friday as the replacement for Lucas Sabedra, who resigned after eight years on the job.
Fortenberry comes to Chesterton as a social studies teacher from Boone Grove High School, where he taught and coached soccer for four years, the final year as head coach.
“I’m from Portage originally and when I was in school, Chesterton and Portage were big rivals, so I know the tradition and history of Chesterton being a successful program under Coach (Jamie) Sensebaugh and I know Lucas pretty well,” Fortenberry said. “I used to work at his dad’s gym when I was in college.”
A graduate of Portage High School and Indiana University Northwest, Fortenberry gained experience as a head boys soccer coach at Portage (2014-16) and Kankakee Valley (2017-2019). He also directed the Portage Parks Youth Soccer Academy for three-and-a-half years.
As with many coaches from competitive high school soccer programs in the region, Fortenberry directs a club soccer team as well as coach of the Northwest Indiana United Lions.
Fortenberry’s first high school coaching experience came at his alma mater from 2014 through 2016. He then coached at Kankakee Valley (2014-16).
He then made a career change and became a steel worker at Cleveland Cliffs until getting laid off during the COVID-19 shutdown.
At that point, Fortenberry followed his heart back to his true calling: teaching and coaching.
“I love it,” Fortenberry said of coaching. “It’s obviously very similar to teaching, making the relationships and watching the growth kids have. Soccer has been my love for a long time. I enjoy watching the sport that I love and watching others enjoy it as well.”
Fortenberry’s first Trojans team will baptise Chesterton’s soccer facility in the season opener vs. Northridge on Aug. 15.
“I’ve seen pictures and videos of it,” Fortenberry said. “It’s beautiful. It’s exciting.”
Fortenberry said his excitement over joining Chesterton’s athletic department didn’t fully settle in until he made it through the most difficult aspect for a coach leaving a job where he has built lasting relationships: breaking the news to his players.
“It’s never fun hurting kids’ feelings especially since I know how much they appreciated me and I appreciated them, so it was difficult,” he said. “It’s never fun. In the end, you always have to do what’s best for the family.”
Fortenberry, his wife, and their two children, 8 and 6, live near Boone Grove High, which he coached to a Porter County Conference title with a 5-0 record in conference play this past season.
The new coach inherits a program that won two state championships under Sabedra and is coming off a 7-9-1 season and a fourth-place finish in the DAC with a 4-3 record, which interrupted Sabedra’s streak of seven consecutive conference champions. The Trojans have lost in the first round of sectional play in each of the past four seasons, all by one goal, three by 2-1 margins, one by a 1-0 score.
The new coach looks forward to the opportunity to coach at a bigger school and the challenge of going against a much tougher schedule.
“Chesterton has always had a pretty good talent pool and definitely will have quality kids next year as well,” Fortenberry said. “Last year was considered to be a down year, but in fairness, the schedule Chesterton plays is a meat grinder, so it’s not like they’re hiding from anyone, and a lot of these games were close games.”
Fortenberry takes the job on the cusp of when the spotlight shines the brightest on his favorite sport, a World Cup summer, which happens every four years. The United States, Canada and Mexico co-host the 48-team event this summer from June 11 through July 19.
“It brings a little extra spice to the summer,” said Fortenberry, who like his predecessor closely tracks the European professional leagues. His favorite club: Inter Milan, which competes in Serie A, the highest tier of the Italian football system.
Now he’s coaching a soccer team in the DAC, a heavyweight conference on the Indiana high school soccer scene.
Chesterton athletic director Jeff Hamstra headed the search committee that identified and interviewed leading candidates.
Hamstra weighed in on the athletic department’s newest varsity coach in a statement in a press release announcing the hiring: “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Fortenberry to the CHS coaching ranks. Throughout the interview process, the committee was impressed by his experience, his leadership style, and his clear commitment to developing student‑athletes on and off the field. Will brings a strong vision for our boys soccer program, and we are excited for the direction he will provide as he steps into this role.”