Junior forward Kevin Gates Jr. scored the biggest goal of his high school career Monday night for De La Salle, but he didn’t even get to see the ball go into the net.
Gates had jumped into the air to attempt a header. The ball did hit his head, but at the same time, it also knocked his black headband down, which covered his eyes as he hit the ground.
And then he heard some good words.
“I couldn’t even see it,” Gates said of scoring the Meteors’ go-ahead goal. “They told me when I got up it was a great goal. All I heard was congratulations and the crowd cheering. It was great.
“The headband came down like it was a mask. It was like I was Batman or something.”
That superhero-type effort allowed Gates to strike with 20 seconds left in the first half, breaking the ice for De La Salle in a 2-0 win over Fenwick at the Class 2A Lyons Supersectional in Western Springs.
De La Salle’s Kevin Gates Jr. (31) tries to gain control of the ball against Fenwick during the Class 2A Lyons Supersectional in Western Springs on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
Alex Panduro scored his 102nd career goal with 3:25 remaining for the Meteors (24-3-1), while Jahir Anaya recorded the shutout by making three saves against the Friars (14-7-1).
De La Salle, which finished second in the state last season, plays Streamwood (13-10) at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals at Hoffman Estates. The Meteors are attempting to win the school’s first state title in any sport.
While Gates didn’t see his header go into the net, his teammates and coaches certainly did. After more than 39 minutes of action, it had appeared the game would remain scoreless at halftime.
“Man, Kevin … I’m telling you, it looked like he jumped three feet in the air,” Anaya said of Gates. “It looked like he got up there and levitated.
De La Salle’s Alex Panduro (6) heads the ball up the field against Fenwick during the Class 2A Lyons Supersectional in Western Springs on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
“I’m not going to lie, when Kevin got here, he wasn’t the best player, but he has grown so much. I’m forever proud of him. The way he has been playing recently, he’s grown as a player and as a person. That’s my homie. That’s my brother.”
De La Salle coach Francisco Martinez confirmed that Gates is still a work in progress as a player when it comes to mastering headers.
“It’s funny because during practice, he’ll miss sometimes,” Martinez said. “I’m like, ‘Kevin, the biggest thing is to finish.’ We need to fail sometimes in our practices.
“Success comes when you actually finish it. And, man, what a finish.”
De La Salle’s Christian Flores (10) dribbles through the defense against Fenwick during the Class 2A Lyons Supersectional in Western Springs on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
Panduro pointed out that, after Gates scored the goal, there was a different feeling to the game.
“Everybody just went crazy and we knew we could do it,” Panduro said. “The intensity just went through the roof.”
Gates’ soccer career actually started when he was young and his father, Kevin Sr., coached him at a club in Chicago.
“I didn’t think he knew anything about soccer because he was a basketball coach,” Kevin said of his dad. “But he taught me, and my mom got me into it, too. I just stuck with it.”
De La Salle’s Kevin Gates Jr. (31) works the ball toward the net against Fenwick during the Class 2A Lyons Supersectional in Western Springs on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
It turns out that Kevin Sr. also had to learn soccer on the fly.
“I looked at videos and I looked at YouTube,” he said. “I learned a lot about it then. I’m ecstatic right now. Kevin is doing a great job.”
Now, the younger Gates and the rest of the Meteors are looking to climb one more step on the ladder and make history by bringing home the state championship for De La Salle.
“It’s great that we get a chance to go back where we started,” he said. “We finished in second place last year and now we’re going for first.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/03/kevin-gates-jr-de-la-salle-fenwick-ihsa-boys-soccer/
