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WR Zack Sanchez leads upstart Keller Central to key win over Guyer

Sanchez leads the way with five catches for 206 yards, 2 TDs

KELLER — Guyer head coach John Walsh knew there was a possibility for a hangover after last week’s blowout of defending District 7-5A champion Coppell.

On Friday night at Keller ISD Athletic Complex, the Wildcats showed no signs of the ailment, but it didn’t matter as Guyer was topped by an upstart Keller Central team, 21-14, after the teams played to a scoreless tie at halftime.

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The game was decided by the teams’ athleticism at the skill positions, and Guyer failed to make big plays while Keller Central made one after another.

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The leader of the pack was Keller Central senior Zack Sanchez, a starting wide receiver and safety who is committed to Baylor. Sanchez finished the night with five catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns. He added three interceptions, including an 85-yard return to the end zone to seal the game with less than two minutes to play.

“He’s stinkin’ good,” Walsh said of Sanchez. “He covers ground. He’s advertised as 4.3 [in the 40-yard dash] and he sure looks it. He’s a great player.

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“Here’s what it comes down to. We played good enough up front to win the game. Our skill players didn’t make plays when they had to, and Sanchez made plays when he had to. That was the difference.”

Sanchez caught two long touchdown passes from quarterback Tanner Tausch, answering Guyer’s opening score four minutes into the third quarter with an 81-yard scoring strike when he outran Guyer’s entire secondary.

Then, three minutes into the fourth quarter, Sanchez gave the Chargers (6-0, 3-0) the lead on a 66-yard touchdown pass when he executed a double-move to find himself open with a path to the end zone.

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The game featured two powerful offenses that entered the game both averaging over 30 points per game.

Guyer quarterback Jerrod Heard drove Guyer (4-2, 2-1) into Central territory three times in the first half with one drive ending with an interception by Sanchez at the Central 4-yard line and another ending at the Central 25 when Heard was stuffed on a fourth-and-5 run attempt to turn the ball over on downs.

Heard finished the night 11-for-26 passing with two interceptions and two touchdowns — one to Conner Crane and one to Ellis Jefferson with 33 seconds remaining in the game to pull Guyer within a touchdown before the ensuing onside kick failed to go the required 10 yards.

“I think we had protection [up front],” Walsh said. “The balls were getting out of his [Heard’s] hand. The running game was positive yards when we executed it well; we just found ourselves behind the chains a lot.”