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North Shore's Devin Sanchez
THE NEXT BIG THING: Sanchez could be the best in program of alphas
Over the past decade, North Shore High School has been a hot bed for national defensive recruits, especially in the secondary.
From Chykie Brown (Super Bowl Champion), Eric Monroe (LSU/Texas Tech) and Denver Harris (LSU) to most recently Jayven Anderson (UNT), Jacoby Davis (Kansas) and Evan Jackson (UNT), the list goes on and on.
Junior five-star corner Devin Sanchez could be the best of them all.
With his Dad playing college ball at UTEP, his Mom running track at UTEP and older brother playing football, Sanchez has a lineage of elite athletes.

“Football has run in my family,” Sanchez said. “From my Dad, uncles and brother, I’ve always been around the game. I remember watching my brother play when I was three years old and immediately fell in love with it. I started playing Little League early on.”
Fast forward to high school, Sanchez burst onto the scene his freshman year getting playing time on the 2021 Mustang State Champion. He followed up starting as a sophomore with a veteran group in the secondary, which finished State Runner-Ups.
That game experience and insight from the upperclassmen has been paramount in his development.
“I was the young one in the group,” he said. “There were five of us in that DB group… me and four seniors. Playing 16 games with those guys gave me the ability to mature and step up into that starting role when they needed me.
“Not many sophomores get to start on varsity, especially here in Texas where the ball is the best in the country. Playing in a State Championship against Duncanville last year was eye-opening. After that, I realized I could be one of the top DBs in the country.”

Now a junior, Sanchez is ready to be the undisputed leader on a team full of alphas.
“It’s my time now,” Sanchez said. “I’m looking to build my legacy here. Everyone knows North Shore, wherever you are in Texas. There’s nothing like playing in front of that Eastside community. For anyone who’s doubting if we can continue on that legacy, just wait… just wait.”
North Shore's 2018 team with Tony Bradford (No. 97) and Zach Evans (No. 3) face off tonight as opponents in the Tax Act Bowl
Former North Shore stars face-off in Tax Act Bowl in NRG Stadium
The 2022 Tax Act Texas Bowl pits the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Ole Miss Rebels tonight at NRG Stadium.
It also pits a pair of old teammates from one of the best high school teams in Texas High School Football history.
Texas Tech defensive lineman Tony Bradford Jr. and Ole Miss RB Zach Evans headlined the 2018 North Shore Mustangs, which won the UIL Class 6A DI State Title in one of the most historical games in Texas high school history, which ended on a last-second Hail Mary over state-power Duncanville 41-36. That team was named the National Champions by MaxPreps.
Bradford would go on to win the coveted Defensive Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Houston, and Evans would become a five-star recruit by all the national services.
On the way to their State title, North Shore would win three playoff games in NRG Stadium.
Now, they meet again as opponents.
“It’s exciting to watch two guys who played together in that stadium to get to compete against one another on the same turf,” North Shore coach Jon Kay said. “Both of those guys are immensely talented, and I know the community is pulling for both of them.”
Bradford has anchored the Texas Tech defensive line since his freshman season and is a team captain. Off the field, he has been even more impressive. He has earned a double major, served as a volunteer with the Texas Tech security department and is involved in countless community service organizations in Lubbock, which has earned him a position on the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. He is also a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy – college football’s premier award for community service.
He will be back in Texas Tech black and red next year for his final year of eligibility.
On the other side of the ball, Zach Evans continues to build his legacy. Evans was the No. 2 RB in the country in 2019 and was the MaxPreps Junior National Player of the Year in 2018. Evans played well at TCU for two seasons before transferring to Ole Miss last year. The uber-talent is set up for a breakout senior year and could be an NFL prospect this time next year.
As tonight's game carries on, don't be surprised if there is a faint chant heard throughout the stadium that is very familiar to the city of Houston.
The North Shore mantra... "Eastside... Eastside... Eastside."

































