Corcoran reeling after teen killed in Hanford. ‘Epitome of a great teammate’
Lorenso Sanchez meant a lot to the Corcoran High football program. Even as a sophomore, he found his way to connect with his teammates.
Coach Grant Kapigian noticed that when they would get together on-and-off the field.
“Lorenso was a good kid,” he said. “He had an infectious smile, a great sense of humor, and had a very positive attitude. There was never a dull moment with him.”
Sanchez was killed at 5:30 p.m. April 26 when he was stabbed outside of Kohl’s at the Hanford Mall. Officers responded and found Sanchez with a stab wound to his neck.
He was pronounced dead.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old, who was booked into the Kings County Juvenile Center on suspicion of murder.
Family and friends of Sanchez gathered in Corcoran on Sunday for a vigil.
Corcoran Superintendent Andre Pecina called the death of Sanchez a “tragic loss for our community.”
“It sends a ripple effect throughout the entire Corcoran community, which is family oriented,” Pecina said. “Our priority is to make sure we have support services for the students on (Monday) and throughout the week.”
Last fall, Sanchez led the Corcoran football team with 95 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. He also had a sack and forced a fumble. Sanchez would’ve been a junior this fall.
“He was the epitome of a great teammate,” Kapigian said. “He worked his butt off to become a starter as a freshmen on the varsity football team, and then became a second-team all conference player his sophomore year in the 2024 season. He was bound to do better things this year, and he had dreams of playing college football.
“On the football field, Lorenso played defensive tackle for the Panthers. He played 100 mph all the time. Whether it was in practice or in our semifinal playoff game, he was relentless. He would often chase opposing team players down the field after being in the backfield on a play. That’s the kind of motor he had.
“I’m going to miss the heck out of him and seeing him wear the Royal Blue and Athletic Gold.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 10:30 AM.
