Three Huskies sign with four-year schools
Facey, Reynolds, Pacheco eager to play at next level
For the second year in a row, Sutter High’s football program held a signing ceremony where three of its players inked National Letters of Intent to continue their playing careers at fouryear schools.
And for the second straight year, UC Davis and Dordt College were more than happy to bring some Huskies into the fold.
Surrounded by family, friends and coaches, running back Trever Facey, quarterback Tyler Reynolds and defensive back Julian Pacheco each made their decisions final on Wednesday and chose their schools of the future with Facey signing with UC Davis, and Reynolds and Pacheco both signing with Dordt.
It was the culmination of a life-long goal for Facey, who had always dreamed of playing Division-i football and could soon get his chance with the Aggies.
“Davis was the right decision and where I was supposed to end up,” Facey said. “Their coaching staff was the deciding factor. They’re always texting me and coming to my house, and you could tell you were wanted. That was important to me.”
Facey was named first-team All-northern Section and was the Appeal-democrat All-area Most Valuable Player last fall when he became the first player in section history to top 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving.
He finished the year with 1,797 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground, and led the Northern Section in receiving with 70 catches for 1,034 yards and nine additional scores. In the process, he broke Sutter’s records for most rushing yards in a season and a career.
Overall, his 4,148 career rushing yards ranked ninth in section history, and his 69 total touchdowns moved him up to third in the all-time list.
Facey said he got on UC Davis’ radar when he earned MVP honors during a camp at the school Courtesy photo
last summer. He said 85 percent of his schooling will be paid for through various scholarships and FAFSA, and he’s looking forward to earning his spot on the field as a hybrid running back/slot receiver.
“I’m going to go in there looking for (an athletic) scholarship my first year. I’m going to work hard and keep doing what I’m doing, and God willing, I will be able to achieve that goal,” he said. “It may be smarter to redshirt and get a free year getting used to the school and program. It’s up to the coaches, so who knows.”
Facey will have a teammate and friend with the Aggies in 2017 Sutter alum Logan Hungrige, while Reynolds and Pacheco will join the Defenders one year after former Sutter wideout Ben Heuvelhorst signed with Dordt.
Reynolds had an offer on the table since last summer after the school recruited Heuvelhorst and liked what they saw from the quarterback. He visited the campus in Sioux Center, Iowa, a few weeks ago and was excited about what the institution had to offer.
“When I went out there it was the deciding factor. That’s what sold me,” Reynolds said. “I got to see everything about the school and the program, and all of the guys were awesome. They have great academics and an awesome coaching staff. Their coaches have a vision to be great, and that was important to me.”
Reynolds was named All-northern Section first team and was the AppealDemocrat All-area Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season last fall after completing 74 percent of his attempts for 2,587 yards and 24 touchdowns. As a dualthreat quarterback, he also rushed for an additional 970 yards and 11 TDS.
His 8,974 total yards over his three varsity seasons at Sutter were the most in Northern Section history, and his 6,695 career passing yards and 68 touchdown passes are both second in the section record books.
At Dordt, an NAIA school located near the boarder between Iowa and South Dakota, Reynolds will have a chance to play right away with the Defenders looking for a dynamic quarterback to make their offense go. Their offense is similar to Sutter’s in that they expect a lot from their signal caller, and he received an 85 percent academic and athletic scholarship to come aboard.
“I’m just going to have go out there and perform,” said Reynolds, who added that having Pacheco and Heuvelhorst on the team will add a nice connection to home. “I definitely have a long ways to go, but I think I have a shot.”
Pacheco started receiv- ing emails and text messages from Dordt at the beginning of his senior season and also visited the school in January. He finished with 25 tackles and two passes defended last fall as the Huskies’ starting cornerback, and received a partial scholarship from the Defenders.
“Ever since I was little, it’s been a dream of mine to play after high school and then this opportunity came. The entire campus was welcoming, and I just loved it over there,” Pacheco said. “I’m looking forward to starting a whole new brotherhood for the next four years. It’s going to be very exciting.”
That excitement wasn’t contained to just the players.
“I’m elated for them,” Sutter coach Ryan Reynolds said. “All of these kids not only excelled on the field, but in the classroom, too. It all goes hand in hand.”