When De La Salle found itself in overtime in the state championship game for the second year in a row, senior goalkeeper Jahir Anaya knew he didn’t just have a chance to make school history.
He also had the opportunity to exercise some demons and answer a question from his dreams.
Anaya was suspended for last season’s championship game against Belleville Althoff after he received a red card immediately following the semifinal victory for taunting the opposing crowd.
“After we lost that game, for months and months, I would get nightmares about it,” Anaya said. “I couldn’t escape it. But once this season started and I realized that was in the past, I started having one particular dream where we were in the championship game and this exact thing happened.
“We went to penalty kicks. But then I woke up and I didn’t know if we won or not.”
Anaya finished that story Saturday night, coming up with two huge saves in penalty kicks as De La Salle won 3-2 in the shootout for a 2-1 victory over downstate Washington in the Class 2A state championship game at Hoffman Estates.
De La Salle’s Jahir Anaya (1) jumps into the arms of Fidel Orozco (9) to celebrate against downstate Washington in the Class 2A state championship game at Hoffman Estates on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)
It’s the first team state title in any sport in school history for De La Salle, the first boys soccer title for any Catholic League team and the first soccer championship — boys or girls — for a school from the Southland since Sandburg won the Class AA boys title in 2002.
Alex Panduro scored in regulation for the Meteors (25-3-1), who lost 3-2 in OT in last year’s state final. Christian Flores, Fidel Orozco and Cesar Solano converted in the shootout.
“It’s amazing to be the first team from our school to win a championship,” Panduro said. “When we were tied and going to overtime, it gave me a little flashback like, ‘This is what happened last year.’
“But I knew this time that we were going to win.”
De La Salle’s Christian Flores (10) scores in penalty kicks against downstate Washington during the Class 2A state championship game at Hoffman Estates on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)
Anaya set the tone right away in the shootout, diving to his right to make a spectacular save on the first shooter from Washington (29-2-1).
“Making that first save and hearing the pop of the crowd, hearing them chant my name, it meant the world,” Anaya said. “Knowing my parents were up there listening to it, I just bet they’re so proud of me now.”
Anaya also made a save in the third round of the shootout. After Solano’s goal gave De La Salle a 3-2 lead going into the final round, the last Washington shooter fired his shot off the crossbar to set off the Meteors’ celebration.
“Everybody had joy in their faces, smiles and tears,” Panduro said. “It was amazing.”
De La Salle’s Alex Panduro (6) steals the ball from downstate Washington’s Oliver Wettstein (1) and scores during the Class 2A state championship game at Hoffman Estates on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)
In the end, all the heartache and anger over the way last season ended made this year’s victory even sweeter, according to junior defender Christian Edwards.
“We spent so much time last year, we put so much into training and we got so close and we felt like we got robbed,” Edwards said. “We came back this year like, ‘We’re going to win this.’
“Winning it feels great.”
De La Salle coach Francisco Martinez felt his team had the pieces coming back to win the big trophy this fall, but having a focused Anaya was vital.
“He’s grown up a lot,” Martinez said. “He’s matured. You hear it in his voice. The confidence is there. When I met the young man, I knew we had something special.
“To find a goalie that can play at that level, there aren’t too many of them. I think it takes a little bit of crazy, too, to be a goalie, and he’s got that. Not in a bad way — in a good way.”
De La Salle goalkeeper Jahir Anaya (1) makes save in penalty kicks against downstate Washington during the Class 2A state championship game at Hoffman Estates on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)
As the game got late, Anaya heard his teammates talking about Washington playing conservatively, like they were hoping for the game to come down to penalty kicks.
That was fine with him.
“They were saying they want to take it to penalties,” Anaya said. “I said, ‘Let them. Did you forget who you have in goal?’
“‘I ruined this for you last year. I’ll make sure I make it happen for you this year.’”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/08/jahir-anaya-de-la-salle-washington-ihsa-boys-soccer/
