St. John Bosco QB Caleb Sanchez seeing patience, loyalty pay off

Caleb Sanchez has thrown for 18 touchdowns and just one interception in eight games as a first-year starter at St. John Bosco

BELLFLOWER, CALIFORNIA - Maridel Sanchez didn't watch the first half of Friday night's nationally televised game between St. John Bosco and Mater Dei.

"I was in the car praying," she said. "I didn't go into the stadium until the second half. I was listening to Caleb's favorite music, praying."

Meanwhile, her husband, Armando Sanchez, was texting updates from inside the stadium.

"There's a lot of pressure on Caleb," Maridel said. "The coaches, the media, it makes me nervous for him."

Caleb Sanchez is their son. He's the starting senior quarterback at St. John Bosco after waiting three full years to claim the position. His patience and loyalty seem rare nowadays amid a transfer-happy era in prep sports that sees athletes and families seek greener grass elsewhere.

That patience and loyalty to St. John Bosco was even tested by his parents, but with love and positive intentions.

St. John Bosco senior QB Caleb Sanchez has 18 touchdown passes and just one INT through 8 games / Heston Quan

"The conversation even started when he was a freshman. There was no guarantee he'd even play his senior year," Maridel said. "When he finished this junior year, we talked about going somewhere else where we knew he would play."

Armando felt the same.

"I knew what (Caleb's) potential was," Armando said. "I wanted to see him go somewhere else."

Nope.

"I told them no," Caleb said. "I told my parents that all I needed was one year. I told them to trust me."

Once Maridel and Armando heard Caleb's wishes, the discussion never came up again.

"He told us what he wanted to do, and it was just our job to support him," Maridel said.

Said Armando: "He bet on himself. He had a vision that was hard for us to see, but it was very clear to him."

When Maridel finally walked into Panish Family Stadium, home of St. John Bosco's football team, Caleb had the Braves up 14-0 in the second half and on their way to an eventual 28-0 stunner over rival Mater Dei (7-1), which was ranked No. 1 in the country.

"The wait was worth it. The patience paid off. Bosco has gotten me ready, and it showed tonight," Caleb said.

St. John Bosco stuns Mater Dei

The first-year starter tossed for 112 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers to help St. John Bosco move to 7-1 this season and likely into the No. 1 or 2 spot nationally with Bishop Gorman (NV). 

Sanchez is now up to 1,968 yards and 18 touchdown passes through eight games with just one interception in 225 attempts.

"The patience he plays with is no different than the way he's been with his approach to be the quarterback here," St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said.

St. John Bosco will likely go on to win the Trinity League and be the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. The road to repeat as Division 1 champions is intact, and Caleb Sanchez could be the quarterback to lead the Braves to it, and it may take beating Mater Dei again.

"Our defense was huge tonight," Caleb said Friday night after St. John Bosco delivered Mater Dei its first shutout loss since 2011. "We could've scored just one touchdown and won the game."

Caleb waited and worked, committed and competed, and earned his role while his parents supported his will to be the starting quarterback for the Braves.

More parents should heed the message the Sanchez family supports Caleb with. Win or lose, the patience and loyalty earned him an opportunity.

That's a life lesson.

VIDEO: Jason Negro credits rivalry for rise to national prominence