Carlos Banales knows Waukegan needs to ‘believe in ourselves’ to win. He had to believe in himself first.

Waukegan senior midfielder Carlos Banales looks back and calls it a transition season. In Banales’ varsity debut last year, the Bulldogs’ tough nonconference and North Suburban Conference schedules were a lot for him to handle. “The first couple of games, it was really hard for me,” he said. “The game was faster, and the players were bigger and stronger than me. I remember being scared at the midfield to get on the ball. I knew they would get on me right away. I was even scared to make mistakes. Indeed, Banales, who also goes by “Charlie,” has become a different player for the Bulldogs. “He’s scoring more this year,” Waukegan coach Julio Farfan said. “He’s on the attack more and involved offensively more. Last year, he was more defensive-minded. “He’s in better physical condition. He put in the work in the offseason, which allowed him to be better on both ends and work harder.” Brown has also emerged as a leader for the 15th-seeded Bulldogs (4-10-2, 1-5-1), who will play 18th-seeded Highland Park (6-13) in the Class 3A Rolling Meadows Regional quarterfinals at Waukegan Sports Park on Friday. Waukegan beat Highland Park 3-1 in the regional quarterfinals last year and then lost to Palatine. “He’s leading by example, being at every single practice, meeting and event, and is always the first one there and the last one to leave,” Farfan said of Brown. “That’s something we need for our juniors and sophomores to have as an example, a good role model to show them how to do it.” “He communicates very well and is a positive person and motivates his teammates to be better players,” Waukegan senior midfielder Axel Perez said. “Charlie is a team soccer player who doesn’t just play for himself,” Mejia said. “He also has a good work ethic. He puts consistent effort into games and practices.” Farfan said some of Banales’ struggles last season were related to the Bulldogs’ positional-possession style of play. “He was learning the system and responsibilities, which was probably causing him to play with caution,” Farfan said. “The difference in physicality and talent from the sophomore level to varsity can take some adjusting, but he’s adapted really well this season.” Banales’ older sister Marlene, a 2022 Waukegan graduate, was a four-year varsity player for the girls soccer team and also played at College of Lake County. Banales said she inspired him and pushed him to contribute more to the Bulldogs. “I think I’ve grown so much and gotten better from last season,” he said. “I practiced a lot, worked on my touch and passing and everything in general to improve. I think I’ve shown a lot of growth from my junior year to now. I feel more calm on the ball.” Banales, who has scored three goals this season, said his solid play has drawn interest from a few semiprofessional teams in Mexico. “When I started playing more aggressive, I saw a lot of improvement,” he said. “After our loss to (Palatine) last year, it sparked something that I knew I had to work harder for us to be successful.” Banales said the Bulldogs are aiming for a longer playoff run this time. “It’s been a rough season, but we’ve learned a lot,” he said. “I think going into the playoffs that we are a good team. We could do a lot of good things and accomplish a lot. “I think we can get far in the playoffs. We have to play as a team and believe in ourselves and trust each other.”