Catalina Foothills beat North Canyon 45-6 Friday at home on a night that turned emotional for those who knew what head coach Daniel Sainz and his extended family had been going through since March of 2023. His father-in-law was none other than legendary Tucson High baseball coach Oscar Romero and word came down that Romero passed away sometime after all the equipment was collected, all the pompons were gathered and all the fans were safely home.

Romero was diagnosed with non-Alcoholic Cirrhosis of the Liver and liver cancer on that March day, almost five years to the day when Romero retired from the Badger dugout with 488 wins to help coach his son Orlando at Adams State. A former standout as a player, Romero was the head coach of the Badgers from 1990 to 2018 and he still holds almost one third of the program’s victories dating back to the dawn on the 20th century.

Sainz married Romero’s daughter Casanndra in 2021 and they gave Romero and his wife Jo Ann a granddaughter, Orelia Cianna. Sainz thanked those who sent prayers and warm wished to the family this past week when the reality of life started to set in this past week when Romero was placed in hospice care.

We use athletics to draw our attention away from the realities of life, if only for a moment, if only for four quarters, and in that world, Sainz has the Falcons clicking with a 2-0 record for the first time in over a decade. A difficult opponent in 3A power Pusch Ridge (3-0) will be waiting for the program next Thursday night but that will be for another night.

The Falcons built a 45-0 lead in the first half which meant a running clock the rest of the way and Sainz used that time to help get his second team ready for a long season. AJ Garcia put the Rattlers on the board with 9:18 left in the game on a 31-yard run and that was the final score.

North Canyon (0-2) travels to Glendale (0-1) next Friday night.

 

THE PLAYS

OSCAR ROMERO