Whether he’s knocking down the outside jumper or posting up defenders and battling for boards in the paint, Righetti High School center Nick Sauer is a force to be reckoned with.
The 6-foot-6 senior is the Warriors’ not-so-secret weapon in 2010, as evidenced by his recent 20-point, 17-rebound performance in a 63-37 blowout win over Lompoc.
“I just try to make my team better and do what it takes to win,” he said.
In just his second year on the varsity squad, Sauer has stepped into his new role as a starter and co-captain nicely, leading the Warriors to a 2-2 overall start going into the Dec. 15 contest against Dos Pueblos.
“I think I’m expected to help the team a little more [this year]” Sauer said. “I’d rather finish a game than start it.”
Righetti head coach Kevin Barbarick said he’s counting on Sauer, one of his five returning players, to be the Warriors’ top rebounder and one of the team’s leading scorers.
“Nick’s the backbone of this team,” Barbarick said. “He’s a big part of who we are, and usually when he comes to play, the rest of the team comes to play.”
Sauer, also a top relief pitcher for Righetti’s baseball team, plays a finesse style on the hardwood a la San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan. So far this season, Sauer is also sporting Duncan-esque double-doubles in the stat column.
“At this point, that’s what he’s doing,” Barbarick said. “He put up great numbers this summer, so hopefully he’ll continue his excellent play.”
The Warriors begin their league schedule against Paso Robles on Jan. 6, and right now, Sauer has dreams of taking his team to the California Interscholastic Federation title.
“We have really good chemistry,” he said. “We just need to keep on playing together as a team. Sometimes we play a little selfish, and that’s when we lose.”
This article appears in Dec 17-24, 2009.