Derek Sanchez is the kind of football player everyone wants on their team, and the 2-0 Sabino Sabercats are thankful he’s on their side.
His head coach, Ryan McBrayer, labels him a “stud.”
“Damn good athletes,” McBrayer says, do great things with the football in their hand and it’s his job to make sure they get the ball. Sanchez’s quarterback AJ Skaggs calls him “a dawg” who brings intensity on the field every single day.
In two games this season, the junior cornerback/wide receiver has embodied those characteristics with five touchdowns, one of which was a game-winning score he said is among the best feelings he’s ever had playing football.
It’s easy to enjoy watching No. 20 suit up on Friday nights. He’s everywhere. Sanchez notched the rare hat trick against Empire last week with a receiving touchdown, a pick-six and a kickoff return for a score in the team’s 61-7 win.
But what makes Sanchez an integral part of the team is that his teammates rally around him.
“He’s a great person to have on the team,” Skaggs said. “He always gets the guys moving around, hyped up.”
Sanchez leaves the Empire special teams unit in his wake on a short kickoff return for a touchdown last week. The week before, his two late TD catches burned rival Sahuaro.
Sanchez is one of the loudest guys on the team, without question. Six days out of the week, he likes to joke around, dance and make sure everyones having a fun time.
On Fridays, Sanchez sheds the happy, go-lucky personality for the team’s intense tone-setter.
“Yeah I am a dawg on the field,” Sanchez said, referencing Skaggs’ earlier description. “As soon as I see the other team on the field, I’m mad. I’m ready to go off.”
Simple as that.
“He likes to talk,” McBrayer said. “I’m sure I’ll hear about those three touchdowns.”
His head coach embraces that fiery spirit, though and isn’t afraid to give Sanchez a dose of his own medicine once and while.
McBrayer joked after the Empire win that Sanchez was looking tired and sucking wind late in the game, meaning he isn’t as in-shape as he claimed.
“Now I’m going to make fun of him for that,” he laughed.
Sanchez’s boisterous nature on the field isn’t a display of cockiness or a grab for attention; he just wants to make his presence felt on the football field in a way that fits his personality.
“His talk matches his game,” Skaggs said. “He’s loud but he does it in such a positive way.”
Added Sanchez, “I just try to keep the team’s energy the same from start to finish. Even if I come out of the game, I’m on the sidelines hyping everybody up.”
The junior’s emergence is a main reason why the Sabercats are 2-0 this year. He’d been viewed as among Sabino’s best cornerbacks, but he’s been a revelation on the offensive side lining up at wide receiver.
Sanchez got thrown into the mix week one against cross-town rival Sahuaro only to have one of the most memorable sequences of the Southern Arizona high school football season.
Down by 10 with 50 seconds left, Skaggs connected with Sanchez for 50 yards to cut the deficit to three points.
Miraculously, the Sabercats recovered the onside kick and moments later Skaggs found the streaking Sanchez over the middle of the field for another 50-yard score.
Sabino won 27-23.
“It was amazing,” he said. “One of the best feelings I’ve had.”
Sabino takes on 3-0 Walden Grove this week in a battle of unbeatens. What does Sanchez have planned for an encore?
Wait and see, he said.
“I’m a playmaker,” he said. “So I’m just going to go out and try to make plays out there.”
