Sacramento Republic FC sign academy products Mario Penagos and Hayden Sargis

Sacramento Republic FC announced on Wednesday they have signed two players, midfielder Mario Penagos and defender Hayden Sargis, to their first professional contracts. Both players, 17, are products of SRFC’s academy system.

The players signed together at a special event with families, friends and locals on Tuesday.

“Mario and Hayden have been with our academy since the very beginning and epitomize what our club is all about. Mario is a dynamic attacking playmaker and Hayden is a natural leader on the backline,” said Republic FC general manager Todd Dunivant in a team statement. “Developing talent through the academy pipeline is a priority for us and these signings are a testament to the continued great work of our academy staff. We’re thrilled to have these guys here, at home in Sacramento, for many years to come.”

The duo joined Republic FC’s academy when it was created in 2015. They’re the second and third players to be signed to professional deals, after eight players were previously signed to USL academy deals, allowing them to retain their amateur status to play collegiate soccer.

Penagos hails from Elk Grove and Sargis from Turlock, so some local cooking will give fans even more reason to root for these two youngsters. Sac Republic kick off the 2020 USL Championship season on March 7 against FC Tulsa.

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