They call him 'The Seatbelt.' This athlete racked up DI offers while winning a state title
The nickname had a nice ring to it, but Saxton Suchanic knew it would be a lot to live up to.
As a freshman at Central York, Suchanic's younger teammates began calling him "Seatbelt Saxton." Soon all the seniors started calling the young defensive back by that moniker.
"I just took it and ran with it," Suchanic said. "I love to compete. It's amazing to line up one-on-one knowing it's my job to take this dude out of the game."
Suchanic spent the last two seasons locking down opposing receivers as one of the top cornerbacks in Pennsylvania. And colleges have started to take notice. Eight Division I football programs have extended him opportunities to play for them since February.
But Suchanic didn't spend this winter solely on the recruiting trail. The three-sport athlete played a key role for Central York's state championship basketball team — providing the same lockdown defense he's known for during football season. He's currently visiting more schools while competing for Central York's track and field team.
"Things are still setting in for me," he said when interviewed about his whirlwind winter three days after the Panthers 53-51 win over Parkland in the PIAA Class 6A final. "It's an unreal feeling. These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I'm just so blessed. I can't believe I'm in the position I'm in today."
It's no surprise that Suchanic is finally getting recognition for his play on the football field. He's 6-foot-3, fast enough to run the 100 and 200-meter dashes and confident enough to guard Division I wide receivers and shooting guards — making him a perfect fit at defensive back. He didn't give up a single touchdown this past fall.
And he's getting recognized just as much for his intelligence as his athleticism. His first offer came from Dartmouth and five other Ivy League colleges (Cornell, Penn, Harvard, Princeton and Yale) have extended roster opportunities since. Ivy League schools don't offer athletic scholarships but often provide financial aid to prospective student-athletes.
The U.S. Naval Academy, which technically doesn't offer athletic scholarships but fully covers tuition and expenses, has also offered Suchanic a roster spot. Monmouth, a Division I FCS program in New Jersey, has offered him a scholarship.
Suchanic, who holds a 4.1 GPA, said he's open to all opportunities and is still hoping to earn a scholarship from a power FBS conference this summer. He's had numerous visits to Penn State, Pitt and West Virginia over the past year.
"Do I think he can play at the Power Five level? Yes," Central York head football coach Gerry Yonchiuk said. "I don't know if he'll choose that because it's hard to turn down Harvard and Yale. Other schools are going to see him on (a college) campus this summer going one-on-one with top receivers. If he shuts those guys down? He'll get those offers as well."
'He's not afraid:' The mindset of a defensive back
Yonchiuk noticed Suchanic's skillset when the corner was in eighth grade, but he got a glimpse into his demeanor two years later.
The head coach knew Suchanic had grown up playing quarterback but realistically wouldn't line up behind center at the varsity level. But when he saw a "big kid flying" at a middle school track meet in 2021, Yonchiuk knew he could find a spot for him somewhere.
Fast forward to fall 2022. Central York was preparing to play Spring Grove when Yonchiuk heard an unfamiliar voice giving a fiery pregame speech. It seemed odd because the Panthers didn't have a "very vocal" senior class.
"And it was Saxton," Yonchiuk recalled. "And he wasn't just like, 'Hey guys let's go' He had everyone circled up and was presenting all the leadership. I was pleasantly surprised because he was just a sophomore. Where did that come from? Maybe it was his inner confidence.
"He's just not afraid to step up."
That fearlessness has arguably been Suchanic's most important athletic trait. He's got long arms, great footwork and the ability to stop and go quickly. But playing corner is just as much about thick skin and supreme self-confidence as it is about speed and agility.
If a cornerback has a great game, there's a good chance fans won't notice him. Suchanic intercepted three passes as a sophomore — including a 90-yard pick-six against Hempfield — and opposing teams rarely threw at him this past fall as a result. He finished with a paltry stat line of 31 tackles, 11 passes defended and zero interceptions.
But make one mistake? Then everyone notices the guy who got burned. That rarely happened to Suchanic in 2023, but he did surrender a number of catches to 6-foot-4 Red Lion senior Damien Cedrone, who finished with seven grabs for 98 yards in a 35-27 Central York win in Week 8.
Suchanic said he would get frustrated if he gave up a catch when he was younger, but has "matured" enough to let it go quickly.
"If a corner dwells on (giving up a catch) he's done," Yonchiuk said. "If I see that (from an opponent) as an offensive coach, I would go right back at that player and attack them. But Saxton loves to compete, and that's what makes him such a great prospect."
The start of a run? Central York's state basketball title was historic. It doesn't have to be the last
'Gonna be a Saxton game:' Learning from a mistake to become a champion
Suchanic's competitive nature is what made him an integral part of Central York's basketball team this season. His role was to rebound, defend and bring a swagger and tenacity that the mild-mannered Panthers often needed.
But in the District 3 quarterfinals against Red Lion, Suchanic learned an important lesson about controlling his emotions.
Late in the first half, he took a charge and responded by yelling at the player who knocked him over. He took things too far and was given a technical foul.
Central York head coach Jeff Hoke had instituted a rule earlier in the season: Any player given a technical would be benched for the rest of the game. Suchanic watched as the top-ranked Panthers were stunned by one point in a game they were badly out-rebounded in.
"That moment humbled me and helped me find my place," Suchanic said. "I stepped into the role of being the high-energy, emotional guy, but I needed to find the right balance. That moment was uncalled for. That was a mistake I made that I'm not proud of. Coach Hoke knows I'm better than that, and I wouldn't make that mistake again."
Suchanic responded by playing his best basketball of the season during Central York's run to the state championship. In the title game against Parkland, he blanketed 2,000-point scorer Nick Coval and held him to a 7-for-22 shooting performance. His defense was so important, he was on the court nearly the entire second half.
He finished with two points but three key steals and four rebounds. On the final possession, Parkland didn't even look for Coval to shoot the potential game-winning 3-pointer because Suchanic had him completely locked up.
"He changes games every night," Hoke said shortly after having the gold medal draped around his neck. "My coaching staff and I talk about it all the time: 'This is gonna be a Saxton game.' We called it tonight. He works so hard, he smiles, he's the most selfless kid who does anything for anyone.
"And every Division I football coach in the world is ridiculously stupid if they don't offer him. Because they've got a flat-out winner with a great attitude."
Suchanic doesn't know what the next calendar year has in store for him. He's expected to play more snaps at wide receiver in the fall. He hopes to play basketball his senior year for another stacked Panthers team, but acknowledged certain top football programs could want him to enroll early next January.
As exciting as the past few months have been, he has more goals to reach.
"I've been waiting for this time," he said. "My effect on both sides of the ball is gonna be seen a lot more than in the past. I have the potential to step up even more."
Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on X at @bad2theallibone.