WR Dane Sanzenbacher (official thread)

[utgrad73]

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Dane as QB1_edited.jpg

[utgrad73]

The Toledo Blade Article from Nov. 21, 2006

ALL-DISTRICT
Whitmer, St. John's, Central well represented
Sanzenbacher repeats as district's best on D-II offense
http://toimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pb...ef=AR&MaxW=240

Central's Dane Sanzenbacher caught 49 passes for 884 yards and 10 touchdowns despite facing defenses that concentrated on him.

The three City League teams that tied atop the league standings with 6-1 records - Central Catholic, St. John's Jesuit and Whitmer - were each well represented on the Associated Press northwest Ohio all-district selections for the 2006 season.

In Division II, Ohio State recruit Dane Sanzenbacher of CL-champion Central (9-2) repeated his honor as the district's offensive player of the year. The 6-0, 180-pound senior - who helped lead the Fighting Irish to a D-II state championship in 2005 when he scored nine touchdowns and intercepted six passes in the playoffs alone - caught 49 regular-season passes for 884 yards and scored 10 TDs to make the first team at receiver. He added 12 catches for 195 yards and scored a TD in Central's first-round playoff loss to Piqua.

Joining Sanzenbacher on the D-II first unit were teammates Josh Dixon, a junior offensive lineman, Chris Dominiak, a senior defensive lineman, and Greg Hammond, a junior linebacker.

The teams were chosen by a nine-member media panel last week in Findlay.

Congratulations to Dane, Josh, Chris, and Greg!

[Buckskin86]

Central Catholic?s Dane Sanzenbacher, who will play at Ohio State, had 151 career receptions for 2,808 yards and 24 touchdowns. He helped the Irish win 22 straight games and a state title.
( THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH )

Article published Thursday, November 23, 2006
SIDELINES: PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Central's Sanzenbacher consistently came through at the right place, right time
By STEVE JUNGA
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

If there is a consistent theme to Dane Sanzenbacher's athletic career, it's that the Central Catholic football player always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

When opportunity has knocked, Sanzenbacher has not only opened the door, but invited good fortune in for dinner and dessert.

For his consistently superb play this year coming off a banner 2005 season, Sanzenbacher, is the player of the year on the 2006 All-Blade football team. He has committed to Ohio State University

The team is selected by The Blade's staff who cover high school sports.
"Somebody said a long time ago, an old coaches thing, 'Luck is when preparation meets opportunity,'?" Irish coach Greg Dempsey said. "That's Dane. He prepares so well and, when the opportunity is there, he never wastes it. That's the biggest thing about him, he's never wasted an opportunity. He has no regrets.

"A lot of people don't get to where they should because they don't do the little things, and he is where he is because of everything he's done. Six months ago he was not an Ohio State recruit. He made himself an Ohio State recruit."

Sanzenbacher's sense of timing was most evident on six consecutive Friday nights last fall when the 6-0, 180-pound receiver/cornerback/return man helped lead the Fighting Irish to their first City League title in 23 years, and their first-ever state playoff championship.

His 25-yard TD catch provided the winning points in Central's City championship-clinching 27-21 victory over St. John's Jesuit in the regular-season finale.

Then came the playoffs.

"It was one of the weirdest stretches I've ever seen," Dempsey said. "As a team we were going through some great things and really doing well against some great competition. But, to see a guy go out and have the individual achievements he did.

"They weren't just good games, they were ridiculous feats. They weren't your average run-of-the-mill catches and interceptions and touchdowns. There was something great about them. It was one of the more amazing stretches you're ever going to see an individual have."

In the first playoff win over Tiffin Columbian, Sanzenbacher set up two Irish TDs with catches and runs, and intercepted two passes while covering the Tornadoes' star wideout, Josh Moore. In the second round, he scored on TD catches of 11 and 59 yards, set up a score on a 77-yard catch-and-run and had an interception.

The regional final against top-ranked Avon Lake saw Sanzenbacher score on catches from 47 and 11 yards, and add a TD on a 97-yard return after a leaping, one-handed interception.

"The great thing about him as a player is that he's done it on offense, defense, and special teams," Dempsey said. "And, where you really look at him as being a great football player is that he steps up the best in the big games."

In a 24-21 state semifinal win over Dayton Carroll, Central trailed 14-7 and 21-14 before Sanzebacher evened things each time with TD catches of 32 and 15 yards, both in the fourth quarter.

Finally, in the come-from-behind 31-29 win over Canfield in the state championship, Sanzenbacher scored on a 47-yard hook-and-lateral play just before halftime, then added a 60-yard TD catch early in the third quarter to put Central up 24-16. He later made a tackle to deny Canfield's two-point conversion try, recovered a Canfield onside kick attempt, and ended the game with an interception.

"Last year, our main focus was just winning the city championship because we hadn't done that here in a while," Sanzenbacher said. "After that, it all just started to come together. It wasn't something we thought was even within our reach when it first started, and then it just got closer and closer. When you step back and look at it, it was like 'Wow!' That season was amazing."

Picking up where he left off in 2005, Sanzenbacher scored the winning TDs on catches in Central's season-opening wins against Detroit Catholic Central and Hilliard Darby.

He also scored the game-winning points on a TD catch in Central's 28-7 Oct. 20 win over Whitmer, which clinched a second straight city championship and enabled the Irish to set a CL record with their 22nd consecutive victory.

In seven career playoffs games, Sanzenbacher caught 40 passes for 842 yards and nine TDs, added seven rushes for 46 yards and a TD, and made 40 tackles and eight interceptions.

"Dane is obviously a great talent, someone who can run, catch, has great ball skills," Dempsey said. "But nobody can imagine how hard he works.

"In today's society, it's amazing to have the kid on your team who's going to Ohio State also be the guy who's winning every sprint. To be the one who shows up before school to run sprints the week of playoff games. To be the guy who's in a car accident on a Monday night and is dressed for practice the next day because it's an important game and he wants to practice."

This year, in a career-ending 33-14 first-round playoff loss to Piqua, Sanzenbacher went out in style with 12 receptions for 195 yards, a touchdown run, a 37-yard interception return and a blocked kick.

"That's a pretty good [31-6] overall record and you can't really be disappointed about it," Sanzenbacher said of his career. "We didn't want it to end so soon this year, but looking back on everything we were able to accomplish, not having been considered an area powerhouse, I think we did a nice job of turning that around."

During the summer, Sanzenbacher, who carries a 3.3 grade average and scored 27 on his ACT, perhaps made the best use of an opportunity.

Given a last-minute chance to be a part of the Ted Ginn Sr. "Road to Opportunity" Division I combine bus tour - which took 49 Ohio prep football players to camps or workouts at 12 midwestern college programs - Sanzenbacher delivered solid workouts throughout the tour, including at Ohio State.

He was reportedly highly recommended to the OSU coaching staff by Ginn, the coach at Cleveland Glenville High School and the father of junior Buckeyes receiving star Ted Ginn Jr.

A day after his workout at the OSU camp, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel offered a scholarship to Sanzenbacher, who had also been offered one by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

"That's probably meant everything to my future, to get on that bus," Sanzenbacher said. "I actually wasn't aware of how much being seen at camps could do for you before I got on the bus. I thought, if they wanted you, they'd come to see you. But once we started to tour all the schools you see how it all works."

Perhaps none of this would have been possible without Sanzenbacher's first timely move as an Irish player.

After sharing quarterback time on the freshman team in 2003, Sanzenbacher was asked by Central offensive coordinator Mike Donnelly early in the 2004 season if he wanted to make a switch to receiver.

Wanting some varsity time, Sanzenbacher said yes, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Contact Steve Junga a: sjunga@theblade.com or 419-724-6461.

COACHES ON SANZENBACHER
?He?s tremendous. The thing with Dane is, when the chips are down, he takes his game to the next level, and not many people can play at that level.?
? Doug Pearson, St. John?s

?I wouldn?t know where to play him at Ohio State because he?s exceptional both ways. I don?t know Dane personally, but I?ve never heard anyone say a negative thing about him.?
? Pat Gucciardo, Start

?When he touches the ball and gets into the second level [of defense], he?s as good as gone. He?s got great acceleration in the open field. I also think he?s underrated
defensively.?
? Joe Palka, Whitmer

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[utgrad73]

" He's tremendous. The thing with Dane is, when the chips are down, he takes his game to the next level, and not many people can play at that level."
Doug Pearson, St. John's

" I wouldn't know where to play him at Ohio State because he's exceptional both ways. I don't know Dane personally, but I've never heard anyone say a negative thing about him."
Pat Gucciardo, Start

" When he touches the ball and gets into the second level [of defense], he's as good as gone. He's got great acceleration in the open field. I also think he's underrated defensively."
Joe Palka, Whitmer

Maybe the comment we should address is the last one from Coach Palka. I know Dane was recruited as a WR at tOSU. Dane may find that he could play defense and bring those WR hands and field awareness into play next year.

I trust Coach Tressel will realize his defensive abilities as CB or FS are as strong as his offensive skills once they test him at those positions. He did move to WR from QB in HS, maybe tOSU will find the next level for Dane.

[jwinslow]

toledo HS coach observation on Mario

Was reading about everyine talking about Manningham's double moves and made me think about Sanzenbacher. He does not have MMs pure speed or explosive burst. But does excellent head and shoulder fake. He comes up on DB and is able to freeze him with fake and then uses his nice exceleratioin out of fake to gain separation and make cut. He may never burn defenses like MM does, but will definitely get enough separation/space to get those chain moving catches that keep drives moving.