His time to shine
Camarillo senior quarterback Marcus Sanchez went from the sidelines to the starting lineup
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers BORN LEADER- Teammates and coaches say they respect quarterback Marcus Sanchez's work ethic.

Last season Camarillo High senior quarterback Marcus Sanchez did a lot of watching from the sidelines.

Whether it was Samson Szakacsy or Trevor Gavin playing ahead of him, the chances of Sanchez getting into a game were pretty slim.

Now, a year later, Sanchez has learned a lot from his contemporaries and is getting a chance to start for the 2-2 Scorpions.

"We knew he would be a good quarterback during his sophomore year at the junior varsity level," Camarillo head coach Dennis Riedmiller said.

"But we knew his junior year he wouldn't play much, and he knew that too, as we never heard a word from him asking us to play him more. The whole time he was busy learning and taking reps with his eyes."

Riedmiller went on to say that Sanchez started to make huge improvements over the summer at passing camps.

"He did a great job of getting ready for this season over the summer," Riedmiller said. "He has a major, major will to win. I'd like to say that everyone that ever plays football has that, but they don't. Some people are satisfied with being mediocre football players. Marcus doesn't know the meaning of the word mediocre."

Marcus Sanchez

According to the Scorpions' coach, Sanchez doesn't have the strongest arm and is a little undersized for a typical quarterback. Knowing this himself, Sanchez dedicated himself on getting better in the offseason. "I knew I had to work harder than anyone in the offseason," Sanchez said. "I studied a lot of film and worked hard in a lot of passing camps because I wanted to be a real good leader on this football team."

So far this season the hard work has paid off for Sanchez. He has completed 68-of-122 pass attempts for 835 yards and six touchdowns. He's thrown for an average of 208 yards per game. Sanchez was especially effective the last two weeks, where he threw for 301 yards against Thousand Oaks and 167 yards vs. Agoura.

"The Agoura game was very good for him and his confidence because he proved to himself that he could lead the offense to scores when we really needed them," Riedmiller. "And to do it against Agoura- a team we usually struggle against- was also outstanding."

One of the receivers that has benefited from Sanchez's strong start is senior Anthony Pinedo, who has caught 18 balls for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

"I played with Marcus my sophomore season, so I know him pretty well," Pinedo said. "We watch film together sometimes at lunch and try to figure out what we can do better on offense. I like him because he has a lot more faith in our receivers and our whole offensive system than past quarterbacks had."

Although Sanchez is making the grade now, four years ago he hadn't ever played football and rarely played any sports.

After watching quarterbacks like ex-Oakland Raider Rich Gannon and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady perform on television, Sanchez decided to give football a try. Since then, Sanchez has come a long way at his position, and he gives a lot of credit to his coaches, such as quarterbacks coach Damian Wilkerson and offensive coordinator Tony Pinedo.

"Guys like Coach Wilkerson and Coach Pinedo have helped a lot because they prepare our whole team to the fullest," Sanchez said. "We go into all our games ready to execute, and we are all in the best shape of our lives."

Sanchez also has a lot of praise for his fellow teammates.

"Our offensive line is doing a great job, and so are our receivers," Sanchez said. "Sometimes I don't think people realize just how good of athletes we have here. They make my job a lot easier."

Camarillo has a bye this week before playing Oak Park on Oct. 5. Sanchez spent the offweek trying to improve, noting that he has thrown too many interceptions.

"We aren't a long passing team," Riedmiller said. "We don't want to run the fade pass five of 10 plays. We need to do a better job of running combo routes where Marcus looks at the No. 1 receiver, then the No. 2 and the No. 3. If we can do that, I think Marcus will be more effective, and so will our team."