By Vincent Lombardi
SoAz Hoops Review
When I was the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Cholla High School, I had the opportunity to compete against Nogales and Coach Yahaira Sanchez on multiple occasions. What stood out to me immediately was that her players responded to her and were listening to every coaching point that she directed at them. They loved her and they respected her. And they still do.
Coach Sanchez attended Nogales High School and played in the program that she loves so dearly. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of a program that meant so much to me as a kid. I started coaching the Freshman team in 2013, and became the Head varsity Coach in 2017. I take a lot of pride in giving back to the community. It’s been a beautiful experience to continue building this program the way many great coaches before me did,” said Sanchez.
She has had several very good teams since taking over the program, but this year’s team looks to be one of her strongest teams yet. They return several starters from last year’s 5A Sonoran Region Championship team which includes last season’s Region Player of the Year Cecy Burruel and First Team All Region guard Johanna Simpson. “This is one of the most selfless teams I’ve ever had. The way they support each other is something I haven’t seen before. Some of these girls have been playing together for 4 years now, and have developed great chemistry. We are well aware of the challenges in reaching our goal of winning a State Championship, but our girls are ready and putting in the work needed to get there.” says Sanchez
Coach Sanchez also has two of the top incoming Freshmen in Southern Arizona. Arlette Munoz and Lexi Chavez will be counted on to make a huge impact for the Varsity team this year, and both are locked in and ready for the challenge in front of them. “They both have put in so much work to get where they’re at. Lexi’s impact will be on the defensive end and giving us much needed depth. Arlette will have the ability to score and create scoring opportunities for others. She has great ball control and court vision. The sky’s the limit for both of them.” said coach Sanchez.
Coach Sanchez is the pride of Nogales High School and her passion and drive has been passed on to her players. She has worked so hard at building this program and when you play or compete against her teams you know you will be in for a tough day. Most importantly, her players love her and respect her, and the community of Nogales loves and respects her. Look for Nogales to be one of the top 5A Teams in Arizona this season.
