The 2020 season saw an 18-year old Hayden Sargis prove himself as a pro with Republic FC, starting all but one match in his first full season with the first team. This past year, the academy product made a statement with his reliability, showing he’s more than ready to remain a constant contributor to first-team success.
After signing a professional contract with Sacramento out of the club’s academy ranks, Sargis broke out in 2020, earning a nomination for USL Young Player of the Year. He started every match during the abbreviated 2020 regular season, logging 1,237 minutes and starting 14 contests.
Sargis’ second professional season saw him set career highs in appearances (18), starts (16), and minutes played (1,474), as well as tally his first career assist as a constant presence in Republic FC’s back line. En route to becoming the first Academy product to log 1,000 minutes in consecutive seasons, he also set a new record for starts in a season from a current or former academy player (16). He also finished second on the squad with 62 clearances, blocked eight shots, and emerged successful in just under half his one-on-one duels.
Alongside fellow returners Dan Casey and Duke Lacroix, the now third-year back looks to keep strong a Sacramento defensive unit that finished in the top half of the league in goals conceded (42) and logged six clean sheets. Even with part of his season spent recovering from an injury in September, his constant presence in 2022 should allow Sacramento to improve upon defensive excellence- Republic FC conceded more than one score just 12 times on the year.
As the calendar turns to 2022, Sargis appears set to continue proving the capability of both himself and other Academy products, who recorded record-setting success in 2021 by logging just under 4,000 first team minutes and combined for 121 selections. Looking forward to his second full season, his ceiling remains high.
