The Star is counting down the top high school football players in Southern Arizona. Up today: Sunnyside cornerback Eddie Lopez.
Name: Eddie Lopez
Rundown: Lopez is a 6-foot-1-inch senior cornerback for the Sunnyside Blue Devils.
Who he is: In addition to balancing a hectic schedule as a high school student and football player, Lopez recently added another challenge to juggle.
βI have a job,β Lopez said. βI am here and there going back and forth to school and work.β
Weekdays are for school and football. Then on the weekends, Lopez works eight-hour shifts at a QuikTrip near his home.
The workload is a lot but youβll never hear Lopez complain about it. His desire to handle it stems from his close relationship with his grandmother.
βMy grandma means everything to me,β Lopez said. βShe wants to see me be the best version of myself. She thinks I can do a lot more than Iβm doing now, so I just have time to prove myself.β
Lopez gives half of the money he earns to his mother to cover meals and bills.
βEverything I do is for my family,β Lopez said. βI see this as my time to become a better man.β
Lopez also happens to be one of the better cornerbacks in Southern Arizona. Sunnyside coach Glenn Posey has seen the defensive back blossom over the last several seasons.
βHeβs so athletic,β Posey said. βHe just makes play after play after play.β
Lopez broke out as a sophomore in 2019, recording 112 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups. Because the pandemic limited the Blue Devils to just one game last season, Lopez felt robbed of the opportunity to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
βAs a team, we used this offseason to get better and closer,β Lopez said. βWe had last year taken away from us and now weβre ready.β
Proof heβs good: Posey has the ultimate confidence in his corner, feeling that any ball thrown his way could wind up in his hands β or at the very least be knocked away from the receiver.
βItβs impressive to watch his ability when he makes a break on a ball,β Posey said. βHe gets there and closes down the window.β
Lopez credits the Blue Devils' one-on-one drills for his shutdown skills, along with training techniques that focus on strength and footwork. Both Posey and Lopez agreed that itβs hard to get by him now in the open field.
βHe might be the best corner in town,β Posey said.
In addition to handling duties in the secondary, Lopez is expected to play a major role in kickoff returns and punt returns.
βHe really can do it all,β Posey said.
He said it: βI believe in myself, I believe in Coach Posey. The coaches have just done a really good job of helping me build on and off the field.β β Lopez
