A blocked extra-point kick can mean the difference between victory and defeat, but there’s much more to it than meets the eye, according to St. Laurence’s Cesar Chavez.

He should know.

The senior defensive end put the kibosh Saturday on Wheaton Academy in the second overtime for a win that may very well have changed the trajectory of the program.

While the actual, physical block wasn’t exactly pleasant, it was worth it.

“Usually for blocks, you get a fingertip block or a palm block,” Chavez said. “I felt it in the palm of my hand. That’s one of the most painful moments I’ve had in football.”

But at the moment of truth, he realized what he had accomplished.

“I knew it wasn’t going through the uprights,” he said.

It clinched a 31-30 victory for the Vikings in a Class 4A semifinal thriller, but after the ensuing jubilation in Burbank, coach Adam Nissen preferred to look back and then forward.

Nissen mentioned what happens after St. Laurence (10-3) takes on Rochester (13-0) at 7 p.m. Friday in the state championship game at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium in Normal.

That’s how big he feels Chavez’s block was.

“We were talking about it in the office,” Nissen said. “I’m not the best historian, but that’s going to go down as a top-three moment in St. Laurence football history. A monstrous play.

“It changed the trajectory of the program and what we’re trying to do.”

Getting to state is something the 5-foot-11, 225-pound Chavez has thought about since he was an eighth grader at St. Daniel the Prophet School in Chicago.

He watched the high school kids vie for a trip to state, and he made up his mind to make it a reality for himself. He started out at St. Rita, but then transferred to St. Laurence as a sophomore and hasn’t regretted one moment.

“It wasn’t the football,” he said. “I always knew St. Laurence was the place to be. I believe it’s the best decision I’ve made in my life up to now. It was a gut feeling.”

But when it came to football, he had a big influence. His neighbor, Tommy Fus, went to St. Laurence and became a solid player for the Vikings. Fus, who graduated in 2022, also played defensive end.

The two grew up and played youth football together. Fus encouraged Chavez to work out with him and hone his skills. To that end, Chavez has become a beast in the weight room, holding school records for bench press (340 pounds), power clean (275) and dead lift (600).

There’s also the mental aspect of his game, pointed out St. Laurence special teams coordinator Tony DeCarlo.

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“We really preach, ‘Don’t give up on any play,’” DeCarlo said. “On Saturday, the game plan was to get to another overtime, but Chavez didn’t give up or give in.

“He made a great inside move in the A gap. He made a fantastic play.”

By his own admission, Chavez might not be the most vocal guy on the field, but nevertheless, St. Laurence defensive coordinator Dan Green said his teammates look up to him because of the example he sets.

“He’s been a leader all year,” Green said of Chavez. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He wants to help the team every way possible.”

After high school, Chavez would like to play football, but he wants to do so where the weather is warmer all year long. He also has one more big thing he wants to get done.

“Without a state championship, that block means nothing,” Chavez said. “It means nothing to me until we win a state championship.”

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.