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To say Lazarus Chavez’s best lacrosse is ahead of him would be hard to argue.

“The sky’s the limit for his game,” said former Yorktown High School (NY) and Johns Hopkins defensive standout Chris Watson of Chavez, a junior defender at Rye High School (NY).

Lazarus, an athletic, on-ball defender who excels in transition, verbally committed to Syracuse, as we told you yesterday.

The 6-foot,. 195-pound Chavez said playing football has helped him develop his aggressive, takeaway style of play in lacrosse.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Lazarus on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
Size of the school, proximity to home, academics, and the prestige of the lacrosse program.

Syracuse fits my needs for a big school and it’s relatively close to home which gives my family and friends more opportunities to come see me play.

The Newhouse Communications School at Syracuse really appealed to me as well and playing lacrosse at a top tier school has always been a dream of mine.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I strongly considered Bucknell, Lehigh, Michigan, St. Joe’s and Colgate.

I visited all the schools mentioned, but Colgate.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My biggest strengths are my athleticism and aggressiveness. I use my speed to create fast breaks and transition defense to offense.

My aggressive style of play helps me succeed in causing turnovers and havoc.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I started lacrosse in fourth grade and was talked into playing by my friends.

I was always a baseball player, but when I got called up to JV in eighth grade, I stuck with lacrosse ever since.

Football has always been a close second because I come from a football family. My dad, uncles and  cousins have all played football at the collegiate or NFL level.

Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
My biggest influences have been my coaches. Chris Watson and Mike McCall of the Westchester Predators and Brian and Scott Dooley at Rye High School.

I learn something new every day in the spring at practice from Brian or Scott and over each summer I see myself getting better and better learning from Chris and Mike.

All of my coaches have helped me tremendously throughout my long recruiting/commitment process.

What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in last summer?
I played on the Westchester Predators last summer and participated at MVP, the Long Island Classic and the Mid-Summer Classic.

I also participated in the Nike Blue Chip Camp this past summer and past fall.

This coming summer, I will be playing for the Predators, SweetLax and the Connecticut Chargers. A few of the big showcase events I will be going to are Nike Blue Chip, Champ Camp and Crab City Challenge.

* For more info on Lazarus, check out his player profile by clicking here.

Have a recruiting commitment to report? Email us at info@laxlessons.com.

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