Robertson’s Cardinals were preparing to travel to Thoreau for a District 1-3A game Friday as questions remained about the team’s leadership after head coach Lucas Sanchez’s arrest. Sanchez, 38, is a hometown product who once quarterbacked Robertson to its first state championship and has spent much of his career with the program.
Sanchez was arrested Sunday, Oct. 11, and remained at the San Miguel County Detention Center as of Monday night, according to jail records cited by the Santa Fe New Mexican. The newspaper reported that a Las Vegas police dispatcher said officers were unavailable to provide further information Monday afternoon because the state was observing Indigenous Peoples Day.
Javi Marco told the newspaper that the incident took place Saturday night at his Las Vegas home, where a dog-sitter was staying while Marco’s family camped at Conchas Lake. Marco said the dog-sitter’s male friend was visiting and that security footage showed a man he later identified as Sanchez taking the young man outside by the neck and beating him.
Neighbors Drawn by the Noise
Marco said neighbors were drawn by the noise, and that he asked the dog-sitter to call police and later gave officers the surveillance footage. He told the newspaper he had been told the confrontation stemmed from the young man sending text messages to Sanchez’s wife. Marco said he did not personally know either man.
School Leaders Stay Quiet on Coach’s Status
David Gonzales, the Las Vegas Robertson athletic coordinator, told the newspaper he had no comment on Sanchez’s employment status because there were, in his words, no facts out there yet. Melissa Sandoval, superintendent of Las Vegas City Schools, was unavailable for comment Monday morning and did not return a phone message left that afternoon, the outlet reported.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding its coach, the program intends to carry on. Gonzales said coaches will be in place and the team will play the game, with the Cardinals set to travel to Thoreau for a District 1-3A matchup Friday regardless of Sanchez’s situation.
Who can coach the team?
The New Mexico Activities Association handbook states that head coaches, assistant coaches and volunteer coaches must be licensed. It does not specify whether a particular assistant may lead Friday’s game.
A Hometown Coach With Deep Program Roots
Sanchez graduated from Robertson in 2006 and was the starting quarterback on the school’s first state championship team in 2005. He later built a long tenure on the Cardinals’ coaching staff before taking over as head coach in 2025 — the Santa Fe New Mexican reported he spent 11 seasons as offensive coordinator under Leroy Gonzalez, while an earlier santafenewmexican.com profile put his time as offensive coordinator at 13 years; the discrepancy has not been independently resolved.
In his first season as head coach in 2025, Robertson went 7-5 and reached the Class 3A quarterfinals. This season, the Cardinals have posted a 5-2 overall record and a 3-1 mark in district play, sitting tied with Pojoaque Valley for second place while holding the tiebreaker over the Elks thanks to a 35-27 win on Sept. 25.
What Remains Unknown
No charging documents, booking records or direct law-enforcement confirmation detailing the specific allegations have been made public. It has not been established whether Robertson or Las Vegas City Schools has changed Sanchez’s employment status, and no response from Sanchez or an attorney representing him has been provided. Bond information, a detention hearing date and his current custody status likewise remain unclear as the Cardinals prepare to take the field Friday without knowing what comes next for their coach.
