Michael Sanchez keeps the Kowboys’ offense humming

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

One of the luxuries a basketball coach at any level wishes for is a sure-handed point guard.

Although often the smallest players on the floors point guards largely determine their team’s success.

Former Osceola High Coach Steve Mason said one of the best high school point guards wears Kowboys blue and gold – junior Michael Sanchez.

“He’s not only one of the best players in Osceola County, he’s one of the best point guards in all of Central Florida,” Mason said. “He was the glue that held our team together.”

Sanchez, the Osceola News-Gazette Boys Basketball Player of the Year and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s Class 5A District 10 Player of the Year, averaged 14 points and 5.5 assists per game.

Those numbers, Mason said, do not tell the impact that Sanchez had on the OHS program.

“When you have a point guard who can handle any pressure they put on you, that’s invaluable,” Mason said. “At Kathleen (for a regional playoff game in February), a lot of the time they had two guys on him, and he beat the pressure every time.”

Sanchez said he likes the dual role of scorer and playmaker, but admits it can be challenging.

“I want to be a scorer and contribute to our team winning,” he said. “But, it can be hard. I like to try to be a good point guard.”

Sanchez has been a member of the Kowboys varsity since he was a freshman, something that didn’t surprise Mason.

“I knew that he had that (ball-handling) ability after I saw him play at Kissimmee Middle School,” Mason, who resigned in March, said.

Sanchez said he didn’t spend much time during the off-season working on his ball-handling.

“Not that much,” he said. “I plan to do a lot more this year.”

But, Mason said, Sanchez already possesses next-level skills.

“There isn’t much more for him to learn, really,” Mason said. “The thing we have spent some time working on with him is his shooting, on getting the ball away in a hurry. He has a great variety of shots that he can use, and with his size (5-8) it’s amazing that he can get it away the way he does.”

Sanchez sprained his ankle late in the season, during a game against Winter Haven, and he was hampered by his injury through the postseason.

“I was most of the way back during the playoffs,” he said.

Defense is a big part of his game. Sanchez often dives after loose balls.

“I just love to play basketball,” he said. “That’s part of my game.”

Mason said Sanchez is a non-stop contributor.

“You’ve heard of guys who will take a play off, or miss a game, but that’s not Michael,” Mason said. “He never leaves a game. He never gets tired. I tell him that he has the heart of a lion, and he does. His motor never stops.”

Even though the Kowboys lose two of their leading scorers, J.J. Jackson and Antonio Benitez, to graduation, Sanchez is confident that the team’s success will continue under new coach Nate Alexander.

“We have four of our top seven back,” he said. “We think we can be successful in the new district.”

Osceola will join Gateway, Poinciana, Liberty, East Ridge and Lake Minneola in 7A District 5 next year.

Several other Osceola County basketball players were considered for the player of the year honors, including Jackson and Benitez.

Poinciana’s high-scoring quartet of Osanto Marc, Stefan Moody, Lex Curry and Sherwood Vinson led the team to its first district championship. Moody, a junior, returns.

State champion Heritage Christian guard Maynard Rowe was the county’s leading scorer (26.2 ppg.) and finished with 2,260 career points. He was the Florida Christian Conference state tournament MVP.