Soccer players Kassandra Flores and Johan Jimenez, and basketball player Janae Pritchett were all honored Thursday as athlete of the month at Sunnyside High School.
Kassandra Flores
—Oliver Lopez – AllSportsTucson
Sunnyside athletic director Casey O’Brien talked during the athlete of the month ceremony about how Flores is not just a soccer player, but she is involved in many other things, like the cheer program, student council, and so much more, including flag football.
“She’s a huge advocate for everything we’re doing on campus, not just athletically, but academically and school-wise,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s really, really impressive to have somebody that’s up here that’s able to have all these things in her back and being able to represent all of us on a daily basis.”
Flores will attend the University of Arizona on a full academic scholarship.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my mom and my sister for being my biggest supporters, attending every game, for my girls and my teachers sticking with me, and last but not least, for Coach O’Brien for being the coach I never had,” Flores said.
Johan Jimenez
O’Brien talked about how he trained Jimenez beginning when Jimenez was in the eighth grade before becoming a four-year starter on the soccer varsity team.
“He’s been an incredible player along the entire journey of moving positions, being able to play as a 14-year-old kid against 18-year-old grown men at (Phoenix) Brophy and hold his own. I mean, it’s just been an impressive Journey for him,” O’Brien said.
“He’s been honored every single year that he’s played here. This year, he’s a second-team All-6A player, which makes him part of the top 22 players in the entire state of Arizona. He’s been a top-three scorer in the 6A for the last two years.”
Additionally, O’Brien mentions that Jimenez has scored more than 20 goals two straight years, which in the 6A conference is not something that comes easily.
“He is an incredible leader for our team and our program,” O’Brien said. “He was also a student advocate and has a GPA of around 4.3 to 4.4.”
He will attend Northern Arizona University on a full academic scholarship, studying dentistry.
Jimenez talked about how he is grateful that he was given this opportunity by the “Lord Our Savior and (sponsor) Villa’s Market for this wonderful opportunity.” He also thanked O’Brien for coaching him and always being there for him.
Janae Pritchett
Pritchett was honored to be selected the athlete of the month.
O’Brien said that she is “the embodiment of the girls basketball team. Despite being smaller (as a guard), she can play 10 times harder, with 10 times more passion than everyone else on the team.”
“I can’t think of somebody else who really embodies like the spirit of Sunnyside like Janae does, somebody that’s willing to give everything to every game because she wants it for herself or her team or her family,” O’Brien added.
“And honestly, for our team to be able to push to the 6A semifinals this year, it takes leadership like this to have a team that can make it this far, and I think that she deserves all the recognition in the world for being the leader of that charge.”
Pritchett will continue to play sports when she is in college. She is undecided of what college to attend at this time.
O’Brien finished by saying that Sunnyside is “very often overlooked and undervalued,” because people don’t understand what’s going on at the school, including the Blue Devils’ state titles, trips to the semifinals, and the playoffs, etc.
He congratulated the students and sponsor Villa’s Market for making the athlete of the month honor possible.
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