Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week: Christ Keleba, Plano, soccer, junior

Name: Christ Keleba

School: Plano, junior

Sport: Soccer

Why he was selected: Keleba recorded his fourth hat trick in a win over Coal City, giving him 15 goals on the season. Keleba was voted by readers as the Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is his interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Welge: How do you feel about the season so far? It looks like the team is on pace to set a school record for wins.

Keleba: It’s amazing, coming from what we did last year, it’s a bounce back. I feel like I switched roles. I play more of an attacking role. I have a bigger role, basically.

Welge: Are you surprised at all by your individual success?

Keleba: Yes, kind of. I used to play soccer back in the day. I lost my touch, but it’s coming back, been doing good with that. I feel like teamwork is a big thing, knowing where to be on the field. I put in a lot of work in practice.

Welge: Any goals of yours stand out?

Keleba: I have to say my header from Coal City. I didn’t think I would get up there like I got up there.

Welge: So you’re pretty tall (6-foot-2) for a soccer player. Does that height make a difference on the field?

Keleba: It’s cool. Once I’m on the field people tend to guard me more; they see I’m tall. I think height plays a little bit of a role with my success but it’s more skill-based.

Welge: When did you start playing soccer?

Keleba: I started playing in eighth grade of middle school. I had a pretty good season, but then freshman year I didn’t play because of COVID. Then I came back sophomore year. I lost my touch a little bit, but I got it back.

Welge: How do your skills correlate with your two sports, soccer and basketball?

Keleba: Basketball, too, I use my legs a lot. That helps with my bounce, getting in the air for soccer.

Welge: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

Keleba: I hope that we can keep doing what we’ve been doing. We’re doing a good job right now, working with the new system. I think we’re having a pretty good season.