It was an eventful day for Mingus Union High School graduate Isaac Sanchez as he signed a letter of intent with Arizona Christian University on Dec. 21.
“I really enjoyed their faith-based background as well as the campus atmosphere
at ACU,” Sanchez said. “They have a really good soccer program and have done a great job at developing their players.”
Flanked by his friends, his former Mingus coach in Calvin Behlow and MUHS Athletic Director Yancey DeVore, Sanchez put pen to paper on a scholarship valued at $12,000.
Sanchez visited ACU on Dec. 1 and said he instantly felt a connection while on campus.
“The campus was really nice and the students were great, so I am pretty excited for what the future holds,” Sanchez said. “The team has an excellent coaching staff so I am excited to get going on the field.”
ACU is one of only two four-year programs in Arizona that offer boys soccer at the collegiate level.
“When you get an academic scholarship of $28,000, it is hard for you to go to a junior college and play soccer instead of attending Northern Arizona, Arizona State or University of Arizona on a full-ride scholarship,” Behlow said.
ACU went 15-5-2 last season en route to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament appearance.
“Isaac fits ACU perfectly because their athletic program is offering him an opportunity to go to a four-year college,” Behlow said.
Last season, Sanchez helped lead Mingus to a 6-5-1 record.
Behlow said he believes Sanchez has come a long way from his freshman year.
“Isaac is the perfect example of knowing what you want to do and applying yourself in that specific area,” Behlow said. “He was always a talented athlete but through hard work he was able to stand out on the soccer field.”
Behlow said his favorite aspect of Sanchez was his versatility and ability to play multiple positions on the pitch.
“He was definitely more of a center midfielder than a defender but we already had many center mids on the roster,” Behlow said. “Isaac either had to sit the bench or learn another position and he stepped up big his senior year and did a great job in a spot that wasn’t truly his natural position.”
Sanchez’s offensive potential from a defensive position was crucial to the Marauders’ success during his tenure.
“We had better defenders but when we had the ball, he stepped up in a big way as our third center mid on the field,” Behlow said. “You get more guys involved on offense and control the ball more that way and Issac was a big help in those areas.”
Behlow coached during Sanchez’s entire Mingus career and pushed Sanchez further than any other coach he played under.
“I think Behlow and the coaches at Mingus have helped me develop immensely since my freshman year on the team,” Sanchez said. “He used to tear many holes into me during practice and that is what pushed me to where I am today.”
Sanchez started off in the shadow of his brother Hector Zapata, who helped lead the Marauders to a state quarterfinals appearance during Sanchez freshman year.
“His freshman year was his brother’s senior year when we made the quarterfinals
so Isaac had to start off on junior varsity,” Behlow said. “We had many seniors so there was not enough minutes but Isaac was moved up his sophomore year and never looked back.”
Zapata earned first-team all-region recognition at midfielder during the 2014-2015 season.
The Marauders return to the field on Tuesday, Jan. 8, when Mingus hosts Saguaro High School.
Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
