Alex Panduro’s playoff run will undoubtedly be long remembered as legendary at De La Salle.
The junior midfielder/forward scored 13 postseason goals, including three hat tricks, two game-winners in overtime and the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Prairie Ridge in a Class 2A semifinal.
Panduro led the Meteors to their first state championship game in any team sport. Although De La Salle lost 3-2 to Belleville Althoff in overtime in that final game, it was an unforgettable effort.
Panduro knew he had risen to a new level when it mattered the most.
“I felt unstoppable,” he said. “My focus was there and I was just locked in.”
Panduro, the 2024 Daily Southtown Boys Soccer Player of the Year, was a bit upset when he was not named all-state by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association.
Those awards were voted on before the postseason, and De La Salle coach Francisco Martinez said they added fuel to Panduro’s fire.
“When Alex found out he wasn’t named an all-state player, I think that motivated him even more,” Martinez said. “I told him, ‘It’s not about telling people they’re wrong, it’s about displaying your game on the field.’
“He came out big in the playoffs. I told him, ‘That’s how you show people.’”
For Panduro, the season was all about having fun. He made a late decision to play high school soccer this fall after originally intending to skip the season to devote himself entirely to FC United, the team he plays for in MLS Next.
“I think playing at the school is going to be the thing I remember most,” Panduro said. “Playing with my friends, with all the people out there cheering for us. I’m very thankful that I decided to play with them.
“It was a very good run, and I couldn’t have wished for more.”
It was indeed a wild playoff ride for the Meteors, beginning with the St. Laurence Sectional semifinals, when they trailed Solorio 2-0 with less than 20 minutes to go.
Panduro assisted on two goals, including one from Antonio Als that tied the game with just six seconds left in regulation. Panduro then scored the game-winner in overtime.
“We thought we were done, but as soon as we got that first goal, our confidence went up,” Panduro said. “When we tied it up, it was unreal.
“The overtime goal felt amazing but at the same time, I was hurting because I was starting to cramp up. I just had to push through it.”
Panduro followed with hat tricks in both a 4-3 sectional final win over St. Ignatius and a 3-0 supersectional victory over DePaul Prep.
The heroic performances were no surprise to Panduro’s teammates, who are used to seeing him step up way bigger than his 5-foot-4 frame.
Just ask senior midfielder Mario Ramirez.
“He’s so fast,” Ramirez said of Panduro. “He has a great shot. Whenever we needed someone to make a big play, he did it.”
Panduro also does not need to look far for motivation. He knows that he might not even be the best player in his own house.
His 14-year-old brother, Nathan, plays for the Chicago Fire Academy.
“We started playing together when we were really young,” Alex said. “The whole time, we’ve just pushed each other to be our best.
“I try to keep up with him. Every day, he tells me, ‘You don’t know who’s watching and you should always give 100%.’”
Panduro said, as of now, he does not think he will play high school soccer as a senior.
But he has set some lofty future goals for himself. They’re things he said his family gives him the confidence to believe are achievable.
“I want to go pro,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of sacrifices. I believe I can do it because my parents, my brother, my aunt and my uncle always tell me that I’m a very good player and I’m very capable of doing anything.
“They always tell me I just need to stay focused and dedicated.”
