Chavez Fights Back From Knee Injury

There was a time when Joey Chavez of Cypress High School could run across a soccer field without pain. The simple act of bending his knee wasn’t laborious.

Back in those carefree days, the ligaments offered support, and getting ready for a match didn’t entail strapping a large piece of metal to his right knee.

But that was before Chavez injured his knee during a match against Esperanza last season.

Now, more than a year after the injury and nearly eight months after his fourth operation, Chavez is back. A tad less mobile, perhaps, and a little slower, but he’s back.

Chavez, a senior, will be in the starting lineup today when Cypress (19-2-5) faces Laguna Hills (22-5) in the semifinals of the Southern Section 2-A playoffs at Laguna Hills. He has played in 13 games since returning from the injury and has five goals and five assists.

More importantly, though, he has provided the Centurions a boast that helped them win their first Empire League championship. All five of his goals came in league play.

“What Joey has done is amazing,” Coach Fred Leininger said. “There was no one who thought he would ever play again. Even his therapist was shocked that Joey was able to come back.”

As was Chavez.

It took nearly a year of physical therapy for Chavez to get the knee into playing shape. At times, the therapy was even more painful than the injury itself and Chavez said that more than once he felt like giving up.

But after six months, Chavez was given permission to play again.

“The doctor kept telling me I would play again, but I thought there was no way,” said Chavez, who has been a starter on the varsity since he was a freshman. “I couldn’t see how I could possibly play this season.”

But Chavez rejoined the team during the Christmas break and practiced for more than a month before he was allowed to play in a match. He returned to the starting lineup in time for the Centurions’ league opener against El Dorado.

It was a successful return. Chavez scored late in the match and was mobbed by his teammates.

Chavez had shown a lot of promise through his 2 1/2 years at Cypress. He had been named first team all-league as a freshman and sophomore.

Last season, Chavez was the focal point of Cypress’ offense. He had scored 13 goals through the first 12 matches.

In the second league game of the season, Chavez and an Esperanza player chased after a loose ball. They collided and the Esperanza player landed on Chavez’s right knee.

“I heard something pop and then it started to burn,” Chavez said. “I knew it was bad.”

The knee had extensive damage. Two ligaments had been torn and Chavez had to undergo reconstructive surgery.

He was in a cast for six weeks, which left his leg locked at a 30-degree angle. A second operation was needed to give the knee flexibility.

Chavez went to a physical therapist everyday for four months. During that time, he again underwent surgery to remove scar tissue.

During the operation, the doctor discovered that one of the ligaments that had been reconstructed had been severed.

“It must have happened during therapy, but I hadn’t even felt it,” Chavez said. “They took it out. It was then that the doctor started telling me I would never play again. So I went to get a second opinion.”

The second doctor was more positive about the situation, but hardly confident that Chavez could return. Chavez began working harder in therapy, going three hours a day for three days each week.

In June, Chavez again had surgery to remove scar tissue. Afterward, he was told that he would be able to play again, although probably not for another year.

“I thought it was going to be a long progress,” Chavez said. “I really had no range of motion (in the knee) at first. I didn’t think the therapy was helping much. All the pushing and bending just hurt. But one day I noticed I wasn’t limping quite as bad. It was then I started to believe.”

Chavez, who has played soccer since he was 5, may never be the player he once was because he has lost a step. He is also slowed by the cumbersome brace that he has to wear.

Still, Chavez has even surprised himself with his play.

“At first, I never thought I would be able to kick the ball as hard as I had in the past,” he said. “Then one day in practice, a loose ball bounced right in front of me. I didn’t have time to think about the knee. I really let loose and the knee felt fine.”

Chavez hasn’t worried about the knee since. After his return, the Centurions went 7-1-3 in league play, losing only to Esperanza.

“I really feel that I’ve been able to help the team,” Chavez said. “That’s all I’m concerned about. That’s all I wanted to do. It’s made all the work worth it.”

In the other 2-A semifinal matches:

Orange (19-0-3) at La Serna (15-4)--The Panthers have played well offensively during the playoffs, scoring 10 goals in two games. Rick Heimer has four goals in the playoffs and 16 for the season. Goalie Tres Martin has nine shutouts, but none in the playoffs. La Serna was the fourth-place team in the Whitmont League, but upset Central, the fourth-seeded team, in the first round.

In the 4-A semifinals:

Palos Verdes (27-2-2) at Edison (15-5-5)--This will be a rematch of last season’s 4-A championship game, won by Palos Verdes, 2-0. Edison goalie Taylor Marcus has 10 shutouts, including seven in the last 12 games. Darin Courter has 10 goals to lead the Chargers. Palos Verde is the second-seeded team.

In the 3-A semifinals:

El Toro (13-3-2) at Redlands (21-4-2)--The Chargers have a balanced attack, led by Ian Doleman, Ali Akjol and Doug Barry. Goalie Kevin Rowe, who was first-team All-South Coast League last season, has given up only two goals through three playoff games.

In the Small Schools semifinals:

La Salle (13-4-3) at Orange Lutheran (16-6-2)--The Lancers have a veteran team, led by senior goalie David Hopper (10 shutouts). Forward Jason Haynes keys the offense and his brother, Travis, is the Lancers’ top defensive player.