Appearances can be deceiving.
For Exhibit A, take a look at Johnny Sanchez. At 5-foot-6 and 200 pounds, Sanchez isn’t going to scare anybody on the football field. Add in the fact that the San Benito High senior nose guard has a baby face, and it’s no wonder many opposing offensive linemen underestimate Sanchez when they take the field.
That’s when Sanchez shows why you can’t make judgments off appearances alone. Despite being severely undersized for a nose guard, Sanchez has been one of the Haybalers’ most consistent players since the start of the 2013 season.
Physically, Sanchez more than holds his own, rarely allowing opposing linemen to push him off his position. Sanchez has been nothing but a stalwart the last two years, playing with a vigor and ferocity belying his size.
“I don’t necessarily think playing football is all about height and weight,” Sanchez said. “It’s more about how hard you play and how hard you’re willing to work.”
San Benito (3-3 overall, 0-2 in league) faces what coach Chris Cameron calls a “must win” game on Friday against Alvarez (5-1, 1-1). That’s because for the second straight week, the Balers lost a game in excruciating fashion.
Two weeks ago, San Benito saw Salinas hit the go-ahead field goal with 55 seconds left, then misfired on the potential game-tying 23-yard field goal as time expired in a 17-14 loss.
Last week, the Balers appeared to be headed for victory when they successfully completed a 2-point conversion, giving them a 15-14 lead over Monterey with 28 seconds remaining.
But the Toreadores, led by quarterback Carter Aldrete, marched swiftly down the field, going 76 yards on five plays to score the game-winning touchdown with 7 seconds left in a 21-15 win. Realistically, the Balers will have to run the table if they want to win the Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division championship.
“Right now the game performance results are not reflecting the effort we’re putting out,” Cameron said.
One thing is certain: Win or lose, Sanchez will make an impact. Sanchez will never be mistaken for a great pass rusher, but then again, he’s not being asked to record a ton of sacks. Football coaches ask their players to complete a specific assignment, and a lot of that means playing the position and not trying to develop a hero mentality, where one tries to do more than they’re capable of doing.
Perhaps no player on the team consistently does his job as well as Sanchez, who stays in his gap and holds up the opposing center or guard so the San Benito linebackers can have free rein to make plays.
Sanchez displays strength, power and intensity when he clashes pads with opposing linemen. He excels in run defense, and consistently makes tackles around the A-gap, or between the center and guard.
“As soon as a big guy gets his hands on me, I hold him up,” Sanchez said. “I’m a lot stronger than I was last year, and a bit faster.”
Along with tackles J.J. Melo and Jose Perez, Sanchez anchors a defensive line that has proved to be one of the team’s best units this season. Cameron applauded the play of his defensive line this season.
“They’ve really done a nice job just in terms of their consistency,” Cameron said.
Sanchez admitted he had anger issues as a kid. Growing up, fellow students would call Sanchez “Johnny boy,” which, by playground insults, would rank near the bottom of the list.
However, Sanchez allowed the taunts to get the best of him.
“I got in trouble in elementary school when people called me that nickname because I didn’t like it,” he said. “It’s not really bad, but I just didn’t like it. So I’d throw a fit and start crying and yelling and run around before the principal would come get me. I was chubby and everyone made fun of me.”
Sanchez doesn’t allow any name-calling bother him today; instead, he plays with a controlled aggression that allows him to maximize his abilities.
“I’ve always had a passion for defense because I like hitting people,” he said. “I’m not as emotional as I used to be because my dad (James) taught me a loss is not the end of the world. The important thing is to maintain your composure even when things aren’t going your way.”
After games, Sanchez tends to receive compliments from his opponents.
“I get a lot of ‘You’re short but pretty good,’” Sanchez said. “And some guys will tell me that they thought I’d be one of those kids who they could just throw and toss aside easily, but it didn’t work out that way.”
When the Balers take the field on Friday, they can count on Sanchez to not only give a great effort, but to play smart as well.
Sanchez prides himself on his ability to stay level-headed after a game. What a rich irony: The kid who once had anger-management issues has channeled that energy into positive production on the football field.
