Chicago Christian’s Casey Lenarz was on a roll for the first month of last season. Then a back injury sidelined him for the rest of the fall.
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When the Knights advanced all the way to a Class 1A sectional final, Lenarz was reduced to cheering from the bench. The senior midfielder now has a new appreciation for being on the field.
“You don’t know what game’s going to be your last,” Lenarz said. “Last year, it was just a random Thursday night game and it ended up being my last. So, you value every game and value nights like (Wednesday) where there are fans in the crowd and a good atmosphere.
“You value every single one of them, especially as a senior because I don’t get too many more of them.”
Lenarz is certainly making them count so far. He poured in four goals and added an assist Wednesday night to lead Chicago Christian to a 5-3 victory over host Evergreen Park.
Garrett Murphy chipped in with a goal for the Knights (1-1), while Dylan Lenarz and Crew Maloni each provided an assist.
Diego Saldana, Armando Rangel and Randy Pineda scored goals for Evergreen Park (0-1), with Antonio Graciano making seven saves.
Casey Lenarz, meanwhile, showed off all the different ways he can put the ball in the net.
He converted after using his speed to burst through the middle of the field and getting a pass from Maloni for his first goal. Then he knocked in a free kick from 40 yards in the 27th minute to give Chicago Christian the lead for good at 2-1.
In the second half, Lenarz fought off a defender and threw in a spin move on his way to completing the hat trick. His fourth goal came on a 35-yard shot he tucked inside the far post.
That all came after Saldana gave Evergreen Park a 1-0 lead just 45 seconds into the game.
“We didn’t get down on each other,” Murphy said. “We didn’t get down on ourselves and start blaming each other. We brought the intensity up.
“Big shoutout to Casey. Four goals. That was a great performance.”
Lenarz, who also scored once in the Knights’ season opener, is now up to 30 career goals and 28 assists. Chicago Christian coach Danny Mack believes those are both program career records.
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After last season’s injury, Lenarz is thrilled to be back making an impact. He still remembers, though.
“I hit a shot and there was just a sharp pain,” he said. “I couldn’t get over it. I went to the doctor about a week later, and he told me it was a stress fracture in my lower back and I was out for the season.
“I tried to be a good captain still, cheering on my teammates. But it definitely took a toll on me mentally, knowing how hard I worked and not being able to be out there.”
Mack agreed that Casey still played a major part in the successful season.
“It’s a testament to him that he’s a team-first guy,” Mack said. “Even when he’s not on the field, he’s going to do whatever he can to help the team.
“Whether it’s helping the younger guys out or noticing certain things and saying, ‘Let’s try this,’ his soccer IQ is amazing and it’s only going to continue to grow. The sky’s the limit for him.”
Record books aside, Lenarz wants to leave a legacy at Chicago Christian. One that’s all about team success and doing things the right way.
“The program means so much to me,” he said. “It’s the best experience I’ve ever had playing soccer. So, I want to leave my mark on the program. If it’s records, that’s great.
“But I also want to leave my mark with how the guys act on the field, just being good sports and everything.”