Boys soccer: Sebastian Chavez finds his knack for scoring for Plainfield Central

Based on the way his junior season is going, you wouldn’t know that Sebastian Chavez has not played forward for very long.

Chavez converted to the position for Plainfield Central and is scoring goals after spending most of his soccer career preventing them.

“You have to be able to control the ball well. The first touch is key. You always have to practice your shots, at home, in training.”

—  Sebastian Chavez, Plainfield Central boys soccer

“I’ve been playing defense, center back, up until high school, and I play defender in club,” Chavez said. “I did play forward when I was a lot younger, so I would attack the goal back then.

“I had to get back in the rhythm. It’s a whole different place. It’s the opposite now. You have to be able to control the ball well. The first touch is key. You always have to practice your shots, at home, in training.

“Touch the ball as much as possible.”

Heading into last weekend, Chavez had scored 15 goals for the Wildcats (9-3-2), who have more than doubled their win total from last season, when they finished 4-13-5. He had a hat trick Sept. 19 in a 5-3 loss to Plainfield East.

“I’m just trying to look to get the ball as much as possible,” Chavez said. “You have to talk, you have to move to the space, and you have to always try to get a shot off away from the defender and be as quick as possible. I always look for my teammates, too, and the big thing is just making sure we score as a team, not just me.”

Plainfield Central coach Kevin Fitzgerald knows how vital it is to have a go-to finisher on offense. Chavez has become that for the Wildcats.

“It’s the consistency he brings and the ability to put the ball in the back of the net,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s a reason people say it’s the hardest thing to do in soccer. He’s got a good, hard shot, and when he’s in range, we’re telling him, ‘Let’s see you shoot. The more the better.’

“He’s a huge part of what we’ve been able to rely on attacking-wise. He’s not afraid to give it up for assists, either, but we like him scoring goals.”

Chavez has been a big part of Plainfield Central’s turnaround, as the Wildcats have a new sense of belief this season.

“We know we have a good team this year,” senior defender Sean Thompson said. “A big difference is we go out there with confidence and knowing we can win the game.”

Chavez has been playing soccer for more than a decade, following in the footsteps of his father, Omar, who made it to Division I at St. John’s.

Chavez’s younger brother, Emiliano, also is a top prospect in the sport. He plays for the Chicago Fire Academy’s 14-and-under team.

“[Emiliano] used to play more in the middle, but now he’s playing defense, where I play in club, so it’s more like he’s learning off me,” Chavez said. “It was a change for him, too, because he’s never played defense before, so I’ve been trying to help him.”

Going forward, Chavez is determined to keep scoring goals and help the Wildcats keep winning.

“We’ve been playing well as a team,” he said. “I know that we can keep having success. We have to keep working hard and keep getting better as a team, and I think we can do some big things.”

Whether he’s scoring goals or not, Chavez is enjoying the season and seeing the Wildcats find success.

“The team itself, it’s nice being around them,” Chavez said. “It’s fun. We hang out all the time. It’s a good environment. Winning is nice.”