While the high school football season was closing at AT&T Stadium for the state title games, there was another close out game going on in El Paso on Saturday afternoon.
The 25th Greater El Paso Showcase Game represented one final opportunity for high school football players in El Paso to play in their high school uniforms and in front of college scouts.
Both teams are selected after the season and go through a scouting combine during the week for colleges across the country. They are divided into East and West based on how the population is spread out in El Paso. That line has moved further east to accommodate the growth of El Paso’s east side.
And on a windy day at the Sun Bowl, the East squad dominated the West squad 58-2.
The star of the game for the East was Bel Air’s Marco Sanchez. The running back/linebacker was on defense the whole way in this game and made the most of his opportunity on that side of the ball. Late in the first half, Sanchez picked up a fumble by West quarterback Kaleb Hatch (Franklin) and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown to make it 12-2.
Later in the game, Sanchez would intercept a pass from quarterback Danny Alvarez (Canutillo) and return it 70 yards for a touchdown.
“The two scores were special,” Sanchez said, “It’s something you dream of. It was a great experience the past two weeks playing with my teammates and we put it all together.”
As a linebacker, Sanchez hopes that his performance gives him an opportunity to play at the next level.
“I’m ready for whatever happens and if I get the opportunity to play college football, I will try and make the best of it,” Sanchez said. “I feel like I grew as a player at Bel Air. I learned a lot during my high school career.”
Del Valle receiver Jamiel Garcia also had a big game for the East team, catching two touchdowns from Eastlake quarterback Keith Tarango-Lopez and was named the offensive player of the game.
“We executed the game plan really well,” Garcia said. “Everyone chipped in and did a great job.”
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