Headed North: Sam Cavazos Signs Letter of Intent To play for T-Ducks

By Jake Berry on May 31st, 2012 @ 11:24pm

By Reynaldo Leal

Sam Cavazos stood up to thank his parents and coaches at the ENHS Performing Arts building before signing his letter of intent to play for the Richland College Thunderducks next year. The Cougar captain, who led the team to an 11-12 record and 2012 playoff berth, spoke to the importance of realizing one’s potential.

“If this is what you want to do, it’s not impossible,” he said to the underclassmen and fellow Cougar ballers, who had come to see the senior make history for the basketball program. “You need to work hard for it.”

He sat down, his family and coaches smiling from ear to ear, and picked up the pen.

Cavazos (213 PTS, 24 AST and 38 STL) is the first ENHS basketball player to sign on to play ball at the next level. He had contemplated playing for other schools, but after meeting with a Richland coach at a showcase in Hidalgo and visiting the junior-college campus in Dallas, the 17-year-old decided to pursue his basketball career a little closer to home.

“I like the school and I’ll be able to come home more than if I played further away,” Cavazos said. “My family will get to see me play more too. I saw an opportunity in Richland and I took it.”

The 2012 graduate said he always knew he wanted to play college ball, and envisioned himself surrounded by his family before signing a letter of intent – he just didn’t know which school it would be.

“This has always been my goal,” he said. “I knew I had the potential and now I want to keep working hard and make an impact at Richland.”

His coach Rudy Garcia is not surprised.

“He’s always been strong willed and has a great work ethic,” said the six-year coach about Cavazos. “He knows it’s not going to be easy, but he has the potential to go on further.”

Garcia, who said he would like to see these kinds of signings become tradition at ENHS, is confident that although Cavazos is his first player at the school to continue his career after graduation he won’t be the last.

“We have great players coming up who have just as much potential,” he said. “Sam is going to be a great example for them.”

Cavazos plans to continue to work on his game throughout the break, before reporting in to Jon Felmet and the rest of the Thunderduck coaching staff in the fall.

“This summer is going to be all about basketball,” he said, “but then again, it always is.”