Chavez clicks for City

IOWA CITY - It didn't take long for Tyler Chavez to get back into the swing of things.After missing the previous three games because of injury, the Iowa City High senior returned to action and scored twice Saturday as second-ranked City High (16-2) defeated No. 13 Muscatine (18-5), 5-0, in a Class 3A substate final at Longfellow Elementary School in Iowa City to advance to the state tournament. City High, seeded second, plays West Des Moines Valley at 5 p.m. Thursday.The Little Hawks were the aggressors from the start, and it didn't take long to pay off when Chavez drilling one into the back of the net five minutes into the game. He added another goal seven minutes later when he sneaked a header just past the outstretched arms of the Muscatine keeper.“I wasn't in the greatest shape or anything, but it worked out fine,” said Chavez, who has been battling an injured groin muscle the past month. “It was good to get back out there.”City High Coach Jose Fajardo had been holding Chavez out but felt today was the right time to get him back on the pitch.“It was extremely important to get him into the game,” Fajardo said. “Physically and mentally, just for the other players to know that you can count on that player. To know that even if he's only at 60 percent physically, he can still go out and do things that other players can't. Tyler's not 100 percent yet, but if he can do that now, watch out.”Chavez wasn't the only one doing damage. Junior Fernando Pacheco slid one into the net at the 25-minute mark, and freshman Peter Larsen followed that four minutes later with a goal to give City High a commanding four-goal lead after one half.The Little Hawks kept up the attack. Sophomore Alejandro Pacheco launched a perfectly placed shot off a free kick seven minutes into the second half to finish the scoring. By the time the ball hit the back of the net, it was all but over.“It was important for us to put the game away as soon as possible and rest our legs,” Fajardo said. “We have some guys banged up, but now we have five days to rest and get ready for the tournament.”