For twin juniors Bryan and Eddy Sanchez of Shepard, the soccer field has long been a place to bond.

“Ever since we were 5 or 6, we’ve been playing and he’d always be by my side no matter what,” Bryan Sanchez said. “Every team, every game, we’d play together. It’s made us so much closer.”

This season, the twins have played key roles as Shepard won its first South Suburban Red championship since 2013. The Astros (12-5-4, 9-1-1) clinched the title with Tuesday’s win over Tinley Park.

Eddy Sanchez has been a dependable goalkeeper, recording seven shutouts and allowing just one goal nine other times.

Bryan Sanchez has been invaluable with his flexibility, playing defender and midfielder and scoring some key goals.

“Bryan and Eddy will be captains next year,” Shepard coach Frank Marek said. “They’re great leaders on and off the field, and they’re just great kids. It’s great to have them on our team.”

For Eddy Sanchez, winning a conference title was even more special because he was able to do it with his brother by his side.

The two were briefly separated last year. Eddy Sanchez was moved up to varsity midway through the season, while Bryan Sanchez remained on the sophomore team before joining varsity for the playoffs.

“It’s so cool,” Eddy Sanchez said. “Having him on the team with me is great. When he’s played defender, it’s helped me a lot having him back there because we know how each other thinks.”

Like most siblings, the Sanchez twins have moments when they don’t get along, but Eddy Sanchez said soccer helps end any beefs the two may have.

“When we’re on the pitch, nothing’s wrong,” Eddy Sanchez said. “Even if we’re fighting off the field, once we’re on the field, everything is good and we have that connection.”

After Shepard’s sophomore team went 22-0 last season, the Sanchez twins knew this year’s varsity could be special.

“We lost a couple games early in the year and that was rough on us,” Bryan Sanchez said. “We were so used to winning every game.

“We got rolling, though, and now we’re conference champions. It’s a great feeling.”

On the rise:Argo (11-6, 9-2) has won six straight games, including a 4-0 rout Thursday over rival Reavis and a big 2-0 win Saturday over Bremen.

The Argonauts finished second in the South Suburban Red, just a half-game behind Shepard.

“In the beginning, it was a little bit rough, but as the season progressed we started to merge as a team,” senior midfielder Sami Madoui said. “Our chemistry is building every day. We’ve worked hard to improve every day in practice.”

The play of senior goalkeeper Ivan Guerra has been key as he’s allowed just one goal during the winning streak.

“Our coaches always tell me not to underestimate any ball, to always be ready and work with my defense,” Guerra said. “The defense does most of the work for me, but when I need to make a save, I just do my job.”

Depth perception: Mount Carmel, Lincoln-Way East, Thornton co-op and Sandburg are the top four seeds in the Class 3A Sandburg Sectional, but one of the deepest sectionals in the state features several teams capable of knocking off the favorites.

Conference champions Bloom, T.F. United co-op and Shepard are seeded sixth, seventh and ninth respectively. Stagg, the No. 10 seed, still has a shot to win a share of the SouthWest Suburban Red title.

Twelve teams in the sectional have records of .500 or better.

“It’s wide open,” Lincoln-Way East coach Ryan Decker said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.