Rank It

Top 5 Pre-Game Songs

Will it happen? Should it happen?

Darius Garcia -VV -Texas Tech/Pima
Hayden Walker - St. X - Pepperdine
Noah Brewer - Rio Rancho - Incarnate Word
Gunner Gouldsmith - Rio Rancho/Reno - Washington State
Mason Ashcraft - St. X - UNM
Roy Jennings - Cleveland - UNM/Trinidad
Chase Weissenborn - Academy - UNM
Isaiah Ural - Volcano Vista - UNM
Mason Caperton - Eunice - NMSU
Rooster Williams - Alamogordo - ENMU
Matthew McNanny - Academy - Trinity University
Jay Alhouse - Farmington - Midland University
Ethan Collins - Cleveland - NMHU
Alec Stanfield - Rio Rancho - South Mountain
Clayton Kempski - Rio Rancho - South Mountain
Diego Cortez - VV -Lamar
Dante Caviggia - Sandia - Lamar
Ryan Lovato - VV - Lamar
Damien Roddy - Cleveland - Lamar
Colin Kirk - Alamogordo - Eastern AZ
A.J. Ferguson-Artesia-Eastern AZ
Max Chapman - Las Cruces - Eastern AZ
Eli Fairbanks - Goddard - Luna CC
Logan Birch - PV - Paradise Valley
Tristan Copeland - Sandia - NMMI
Emilio Pardo - Farmington - NMMI
Julian Lopez - Rio Grande - NMMI
Abraham Ramirez - Valencia - Otero JC
Ethan Silcox - Rio Rancho - Cochise
Austin Hall - Grants - Trinidad
Isaac Gallegos -Grants - Trinidad State
Isaac Cordova - La Cueva - Pima
Kade Benevidez - Los Lunas - NMJC
X Polanco - Centennial - Ventura College
Fernie Munoz - Deming - Ventura College



***I am sure I am missing quite a few. If you add below I will update. I know there are a few guys making visits and will make decisions before Signing Day.

Favorite Shoe of all time or best shoe of all time.

HATCH VALLEY BEARS

2019 Record: 1-9 overall, 0-3 in District
Head Coach: Louis Howell
Points For: 134
Points Against: 242
2019 Post Season: Missed Playoffs

Reviewing the 2019 Bears

Playing one of the toughest schedules in 3A football provided the Bears with a season of some growing pains. The Bears won their opening game 50-0 over Estancia but then dropped the final nine games on the schedule. The good news for the Bears is that they only had nine graduates from last season with a big junior group.

Previewing the 2020 Bears

As mentioned the Bears return a a very good core this season. Oscar Gonzales (QB/2021) is a key player to watch on the Bears and in the classification this season. He passed for 545-yards and rushed for another 242-yards with a total of eight touchdowns.

Final Analysis

The Bears are 13-20 under coach Howell and in 2019 it was the first time going under .500 in his three years. Like many will say it takes time to develop the program how you see it. I believe last season was a one time deal and could see them with 4 wins this coming season.

Preseason State Top-20 Ranking: Unranked
Preseason 3A Ranking: No. 10
Projected District Standing: 3rd
Projected 2020 Record: 3-7/4-6 overall

2020 Schedule

8/21 at Estancia
8/28 at Silver
9/4 at Tularosa
9/11 ANTHONY (TX)
9/18 MOUNTAIN VIEW (Clint, TX)**
9/25 HOPE CHRISTIAN
10/9 at Portales
10/16 at Hot Springs*
10/23 SOCORRO
10/30 COBRE

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2020 Team Previews
Centennial Hawks

ALBUQUERQUE BULLDOGS
8.22 at Onate (1PM)
8.28 at Highland
9.3 vs Del Norte (7pm)
9.11 vs Rio Grande (7pm)
9.17 at Manzano (7pm)
9.24 at Eldorado (7pm)
10.2 vs Clovis (7pm)
10.8 at Sandia (7pm)
10.16 - BYE
10.23 vs Santa Fe (7pm)
10.29 vs La Cueva (7pm)

ARTESIA BULLDOGS
8.21 Carlsbad
8.28 @Hobbs
9.4. Belen
9.11 Deming
9.18. @Cleveland
9.25 @Lovington
10.2 Ruidoso
10.9 Open
10.16 Roswell*
10.23 @Goddard*
10.30 @Alamogordo*

ATRISCO HERITAGE JAGUARS
8.21 at Del Norte (7pm)
8.29 at Rio Grande (1pm)
9.4 vs Piedra Vista (7pm)
9.10 vs Valley (7pm)
9.19 at Centennial (1pm)
9.25 - BYE
10.3 vs Cleveland (1pm)
10.9 at Volcano Vista (7pm)
10.16 vs Rio Rancho (7pm)
10.23 at Cibola (7pm)
10.30 vs West Mesa (7pm)

BELEN EAGLES
8.22 at West Mesa (1pm)
8.28 vs Farmington (7pm)
9.4 at Artesia (7pm)
9.11 vs Miyamura (7pm)
9.18 at Piedra Vista (7pm)
9.25 vs Capital (7pm)
10.2 vs Valley (7pm)*
10.9 at Del Norte (7pm)*
10.24 at Highland (1pm)*
10.31 vs Los Lunas (1pm)*
*District Game

CLEVELAND STORM
(x-denotes District 1-6A)
Aug. 21, Centennial, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28, at EP Franklin, 7 p.m.
Sept. 3, at Manzano (W), 7 p.m.
Sept. 12, at Las Cruces (FOD), 1 p.m.
Sept. 18, Artesia, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25, OPEN
x-Oct. 3, at Atrisco Heritage (C), 1 p.m.
x-Oct. 9, Cibola, 7 p.m.
x-Oct. 16, Volcano Vista, 7 p.m.
x-Oct. 24, at West Mesa (C), 1 p.m.
x-Oct. 30, Rio Rancho, 7 p.m.

CLOVIS WILDCATS
8.21 at Hobbs
8.28 vs El Paso-Ysleta
9.4 at Frenship (Wolfforth, TX)
9.11 vs Rio Rancho
9.25 at La Cueva*
10.2 at Albuquerque*
10.9 vs Santa Fe*
10.16 vs Manzano*
10.23 at Sandia*
10.30 vs Eldorado*

ESTANCIA BEARS
8/21 vs Hatch
8/28 @ Eunice
9/4 @ Capitan
9/11 vs Lordsburg
9/18 @ Socorro
9/25 @ McCurdy
10/2 vs Santa Rosa
10/9 @ Laguna
10/16 vs Questa
10/23 vs Escalante

HATCH VALLEY BEARS
8/21 at Estancia
8/28 at Silver
9/4 at Tularosa
9/11 ANTHONY (TX)
9/18 MOUNTAIN VIEW (Clint, TX)**
9/25 HOPE CHRISTIAN
10/9 at Portales
10/16 at Hot Springs*
10/23 SOCORRO
10/30 COBRE

LAS CRUCES BULLDAWGS
Aug 21 - at Volcano Vista
Aug 28 - Cibola
Sept 4 - at La Cueva
Sept 12 - Cleveland
Sept 18 - Mayfield
Oct 2 - at Carlsbad
Oct 9 - Hobbs
Oct 16 - Centennial
Oct 23 - at Gadsden
Oct 30 - @ Onate

LA CUEVA BEARS
Aug 20th @ Cibola 7pm
Community stadium
Aug 28th @ Rio Rancho 7pm
RRHS Stadium
Sept 4th vs Las Cruces 7pm
Wilson stadium
Sep 12th vs Volcano Vista 1pm
Wilson stadium
Sep 18 @ Sandia 7pm
Wilson stadium
Sep 25 vs Clovis 7pm
Wilson stadium
Oct 2 vs Eldorado 7pm
Wilson stadium
Oct 9 BYE
Oct 16 @ Santa Fe 7pm
SFHS stadium
Oct 22 Manzano 7pm
Wilson stadium
Oct 29 @ Albuquerque High 7pm
Milne stadium



What are some new games happening in 2020?

Post schedules here.

Baseball and Softball are back in Iowa.

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29251102/high-school-baseball-softball-return-play-iowa

2020 Coaching Carousel

Atrisco Heritage
Out: Patrick Johnson has resigned at Atrisco Heritage Academy. Johnson was at AHA for eight seasons with an overall record of 40-44.
IN: Howard Knezevich (former Rio Rancho assistant).

Aztec High School
Out: Matthew Steinfeldt (Resigned)
IN: Eric Stovall (former Newcomb Head Coach)

Del Norte High School
Out: Bruce Binkley (took HC job in Arizona)
In: Bruce Langston (former DN assistant)

Escalante High School
Out: Dusty Giles (took HC job at Jal)
In: Open

Espanola Valley High School
Out: Delfin Quintana (interim)
In: Nick Williams

Hope Christian School
Out: Gary Beck (Retired)
IN: Fernando Salinas (former Sandia HS assistant)

Jal High School
Out: Caleb Aldridge
In: Dusty Giles (former Escalante HC)

Loving High School
Out:
In: Tyler Finch

McCurdy High School
Out:
In: OPEN

Miyamura High School
Out: John Roanhaus (fired)
IN: Sean Reeves (??)

Newcomb High School
Out: Eric Stovall - (left for the Aztec opening)
In: Bill McLaughin - (Assistant at Newcomb/HC of the girls BB team)

Rio Rancho High School
Out: David Howes - left to become an assistant at the University of New Mexico.
In: Gerard Pannoni - Former coach from Virginia

Santa Fe Indian School
Out
In: Open

ASSISTANT JOBS OPEN

Highland - DC
Eldorado - DC
Del Norte - Assistant
Sandia - Assistant
Cibola - Freshman Football
Atrisco Heritage - Freshman Football
Del Norte - Freshman HC

CENTENNIAL HAWKS
2019 Record: 10-1 overall, 5-1 in District
Head Coach: Aaron Ocampo
Points For: 492
Points Against: 157
2019 Post Season: Quarterfinals (Lost to Cleveland, 21-16); First Round (Beat Cibola, 37-7)

Reviewing the 2019 Hawks

Centennial won 10 games last season and returned to the state playoffs reaching the quarterfinals losing to eventual state champion Cleveland High School.

Gone are Ocampos all-state players in Jordan Mendoza, Gabe Acostas, and Aiden Trujillo. Trujillo was one of the top quarterbacks in the state of New Mexico last season throwing for over 1,700-yards.

Previewing the 2020 Hawks

Moving forward the Hawks will have a battle for the quarterback one spot and things are leading to athlete Karsten Rueckner, a 5-10/155 player that could be one of the biggest "newcomers" this coming season.

Final Analysis

The Hawks have won 21 games in two years and have reached the playoffs in both years. Considering the high-end talented head coach Aaron Ocampo has to replace, I feel the Hawks will be in the middle of the district race again.

State Preseason Ranking: No. 10
6A Preseason Ranking: No. 8
Projected District Standing: 2nd/3rd
Projected 2020 Record: 5-5 overall/6-4 overall

2020 Schedule
at Cleveland
vs Sandia
at West Mesa
at Mayfield
vs Atrisco Heritage
vs Onate - District
at Hobbs - District
vs Las Cruces - District
vs Carlsbad - District
at Gadsden - District

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Oldest active Football Coach (Head or Assistant) in New Mexico?

Youngest Head Coach in New Mexico?

Who has the longest active coaching career (head coach and also altogether)? Feel free to post how many years you've coached.

Who has been a head coach at different HS, how many? Any take two or three to a semifinal or state championship?

NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings for 2020
Grine

Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 New Mexico High School football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands. You can expect several tweaks to this NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings from now until August and before the 2020 season officially starts. However, here is our 2020 outlook for every program is coming into focus.

SILVER COLTS

2019 Record: 6-6 overall, 1-2 in District
2019 Post Season: Quarterfinals
Head Coach: Raul Diaz
NMPreps 4A Spring Ranking: No. 2
NMPreps Top 20 Rankings: coming soon

With quarterback Walker Wenzel (2021) returning this season, Silver should be a contender in 4A football and will play this season in the toughest district in the classification with the likes of Portales, Ruidoso and Lovington. In addition to Wenzel, the Colts bring back Matt Peru (2021/WR) and Jacobi Lockett (2021/DT).

The Colts lose some significant pieces from last season and this could be a bit high for a team losing that much. The defense must replace a handful and the offense will need the OL to protect Wenzel. Wenzel led the team in rushing yards in 2019 as well as passing for 1,400 yards.

The Colts won 6-games last season and won a playoff game, keep in mind they had to travel from Silver City to Taos in the opening round and then turnaround the next week and travel to Portales. They'll also need to challenge in district, they went 0-2 against their new district opponents (Ruidoso and Portales).

Too high? Too low? 4A football wouldn't surprise many if the top 12 are placed in any order. This could be one of the most wide open races in the state.

NMPreps.com 4A Spring Rankings
No. 3 Lovington Wildcats
No. 4 Grants Pirates
No. 5 Ruidoso Warriors
No. 6 St. Pius X Sartans
No. 7 Bloomfield Bobcats
No. 8 Kirtland Central Broncos
No. 9 Aztec Tigers
No. 10 Taos Tigers
No. 11 Valencia Jaguars
No. 12 Moriarty Pintos
No. 13 Bernalillo Spartans
No. 14 Albuquerque Academy Chargers
No. 15 Gallup Bengals
No. 16 Espanola Valley Sundevils
No. 17 Pojoaque Valley Elks
No. 18 Shiprock Chieftains

Grine: Rapid Fire with Sandia DE/TE Sam Carrell

NMPreps.com site manager Joshua Griñe chats with another one of our top prospects in New Mexico high school football. Baylor commit Sam Carrell sits down with us today.

Grine: Full Name
Carrell: Sam Enrique Carrell

Grine: Number
Carrell: #81

Grine: Why 81?
Carrell: I liked Randy Moss growing up.

Grine: Who is/was your favorite player?
Carrell: Khalil Mack

Grine: Favorite football team?
Carrell: Chicago Bears

Grine: Which player does your game resemble?
Carrell: James Lunch who played at Baylor and just got drafted by the Vikings.

Grine: Nicknames?
Carrell: Big Sam.

Grine: Who got you into football?
Carrell: My Dad.

Grine: If you had a super power, what would it be?
Carrell: Teleportation.

Grine: Favorite cartoon or tv show growing up?
Carrell: Backyardigans.

Grine: If you won the lottery, what would you buy?
Carrell: A house for my parents and brother.

Grine: Looking at college, what are you looking for in a school?
Carrell: Good football program, excellent academics and a coaching staff that cares about my future, on and off the football field.

Grine: Do you think your team is a state contender in 2020?
Carrell: Anything is possible, but I know we will make a repeat to the playoffs. Teammates to watch out for are David Mapalo, Kevin Jackson, Orion French, and Draven Carbajal.

Grine: Favorite memory playing for Sandia?
Carrell: Beating Manzano for Coach Adcox.

Grine: What is it like playing for Sandia?
Carrell: Great bond of friends on the team.

Grine: Why Baylor?
Carrell: My family is from Texas, it's a great school and coaching staff. The motto they have of "Faith, Family, and Football".

Grine: Any final words?
Carrell: Good luck to Coach Salinas and Barker at Hope Christian.

Grine: Thanks Sam for taking the time to share your story with us!

Similiar Content
Grine: Rapid Fire with Zach Vigil (Rio Rancho High School)
Grine: Rapid Fire with Tyler Kiehne (Los Lunas, NM)
Grine: Rapid Fire with Chance Harris (Clovis, NM)

Signed with Central Wyoming Community College

Grine: Rapid Fire with Rio Rancho RB Zach Vigil

Today, NMPreps.com's site manager Joshua Grine chats with another one of our top prospect in New Mexico high school football. Rapid fire asks quick questions that allow athletes to share their story.

Grine: Full Name
Vigil: Zachary Kieth Vigil

Grine: Number
Vigil: #21

Grine: Why 21?
Vigil: I chose this number because over the past two years at Rio Rancho the starting running backs have worn #21 and I wanted to keep that tradition going.

Grine: Who is/was your favorite player?
Vigil: My favorite football player is Christian McCaffrey.

Grine: Favorite football team?
Vigil: My favorite team is the Denver Broncos.

Grine: Which player does your game resemble?
Vigil: My game resembles a dual threat of running the ball and catching the ball effectively just like Christian McCaffrey, so I based my game similar to him.

Grine: If you had a super power, what would it be?
Vigil: My super power would be to teleport to anywhere because it would be faster and I would have more time to do stuff.

Grine: Favorite cartoon or tv show growing up?
Vigil: My favorite show to watch growing up would be blues clues.

Grine: If you won the lottery, what would you buy?
Vigil: I wouldn’t buy anything, I would pay off any debt/bills my family has then split the rest with them.

Grine: Looking at college, what are you looking for in a school?
Vigil: What I look for in a school is where I fit in and feel welcomed and to know that I’m cared for outside of just football.

Grine: Do you think your team is a state contender in 2020?
Vigil: I think my team is going to be a state champion contender next year with all the pieces coming back and work we have been doing individually during quarantine. Some of my teammates to watch would be Cayden Romero, a massive offensive tackle that will be a junior next season. Darrius Gregory on the offensive line, Tommy Lujan returning ATH that plays both sides of the ball. Fabiano Valdez, Josh Howes, Deven Dyer. I could really mention most of the team.

Grine: Favorite memory playing for Rio Rancho?
Vigil: My favorite memory of playing for Rio Rancho doesn’t come from on the field but rather the sleep outs we have every year. It gives us the opportunity to bond with each other and to become more of a team rather than be individuals.

Grine: What is it like playing for Rio Rancho?
Vigil: I grew up in Belen and Los Lunas but we moved to Rio Rancho. Rio Rancho caught my eye by playing at the highest level of competition. Playing for Rio you are going to go up against the best of the best. Last year, we had the toughest schedule by far and it only made us better. Also, with that you get to play teams out of state like this year we are going to Flagstaff to play in the NAU dome. When you come to Rio you will play high level competition.

Grine: Have you talked with new Ram head coach Gerard Pannoni?
Vigil: We’ve talked to our new coach and he has done a lot for the program already. He has talked in meetings, over the phone every week and has us doing workouts as a team on zoom meeting calls. He’s a great man and a great coach that knows a lot coming from Virginia.

Grine: Any final words?
Vigil: I want to shout out my family for doing everything for me especially moving up to Rio, that was a huge that they did for me. I want to shout out my older brother who is in the Navy stationed in Guam he has done a lot for me and has provided me with so many things that kids don’t have. Last just want to thank God for everything he has done for me I truly couldn’t be here without him and can not thank him enough for the opportunities he has given me.

Grine: Thanks Zach for taking the time to share your story with us!

Similiar Content
Grine: Rapid Fire with Tyler Kiehne (Los Lunas, NM)
Grine: Rapid Fire with Chance Harris (Clovis, NM)

If we don't have football in the fall (or volleyball/cross country) could we move the start of the season to January? Play January to March? Basketball March to May. Baseball May to July? What are some ideas to make sure we have a season.

Do you agree with Oklahoma opening everything June 1st, for athletics?

NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings for 2020
Grine

Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 New Mexico High School football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands. You can expect several tweaks to this NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings from now until August and before the 2020 season officially starts. However, here is our 2020 outlook for every program is coming into focus.

LOVINGTON WILDCATS

2019 Record: 7-5 overall, 2-1 in District
2019 Post Season: Semifinals
Head Coach: Anthony Gonzales
NMPreps 4A Spring Ranking: No. 3
NMPreps Top 20 Rankings: coming soon

Yes, Lovington will be good again, and no, it likely won't be that good again. They need to replace their leader in quarterback Casey Perez who had 2,704 passing yards but also led the team in rushing with 1,092 yards. That alone could be detrimental for the Wildcats but head coach Anthony Gonzales has a killer workout-developmental program and will play under the radar (ish) in 2020.

Who is QB-1? Tony Cabello (2022) had limited chances but had 107 yards on his mark as he looks to take the lead under center this coming season. The good news for the new quarterback is the returning receiving core of Adam Aguilera (2022) and Isaac Hinson (2022); both sophomores led the team in receiving yards last season. Aguilera led the way with 734-yards and Hinson close behind with 521-yards.

The strong side of the ball could be on defense this coming season. Yes, they lose a pair of top players but they have a talent core returning in 2020 and the player to keep an eye on is DT Alexander Tramell (2021). A talented 2022 group looks like the strength of the Wildcats this coming season.

They'll play in the difficult district with the likes of Portales, Ruidoso and now Silver could make things interesting. Don't settle on what the W/L record could be with the schedule strength as they will be a team playing late into the season.

NMPreps.com 4A Spring Rankings
No. 4 Grants Pirates
No. 5 Ruidoso Warriors
No. 6 St. Pius X Sartans
No. 7 Bloomfield Bobcats
No. 8 Kirtland Central Broncos
No. 9 Aztec Tigers
No. 10 Taos Tigers
No. 11 Valencia Jaguars
No. 12 Moriarty Pintos
No. 13 Bernalillo Spartans
No. 14 Albuquerque Academy Chargers
No. 15 Gallup Bengals
No. 16 Espanola Valley Sundevils
No. 17 Pojoaque Valley Elks
No. 18 Shiprock Chieftains

Centennial RHP/OF has signed to play at Ventura College.

NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings for 2020
Grine

Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 New Mexico High School football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands. You can expect several tweaks to this NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings from now until August and before the 2020 season officially starts. However, here is our 2020 outlook for every program is coming into focus.

GRANTS PIRATES

2019 Record: 10-3 overall, 5-0 in District
2019 Post Season: Semifinals
Head Coach: Rio Thompson
NMPreps 4A Spring Ranking: No. 4
NMPreps Top 20 Rankings: coming soon

The Grants Pirates have some reworking to do in the backfield but it shouldn't be a far fall for a program that is experiencing some of it's best two-year spans. The talent is there, the development continues, and a district title for the first time in over 20-years.

The looming question will be replacing Isaiah Johnson who rushed for over 2,000 yards and 34-touchdowns. Well, the Pirates, although Johnson was a stud, should not fall much with TJ Hocker (2021/RB) who rushed for 533-yards but also had 336 receiving yards, both ranked second on the team. The dark horse prospect you have to like on the Pirates and could be somewhat of an x-factor is Bryan Hernandez (2021/ATH).

Next level prospect and one that could have the biggest year on the Pirates is quarterback Brandon Furbee (2022) who made our list of top ten quarterbacks to watch in 2020. Furbee, at 6-foot-3, has the size, smarts and more mobile this year could make the Pirates a threat to get back to the semifinals or more. He tossed for 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore.

NMPreps.com 4A Spring Rankings
No. 5 Ruidoso Warriors
No. 6 St. Pius X Sartans
No. 7 Bloomfield Bobcats
No. 8 Kirtland Central Broncos
No. 9 Aztec Tigers
No. 10 Taos Tigers
No. 11 Valencia Jaguars
No. 12 Moriarty Pintos
No. 13 Bernalillo Spartans
No. 14 Albuquerque Academy Chargers
No. 15 Gallup Bengals
No. 16 Espanola Valley Sundevils
No. 17 Pojoaque Valley Elks
No. 18 Shiprock Chieftains

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/s...cle_b5291a28-9c83-11ea-aa10-ef8ed8aba0b3.html


Will not play at Santa Fe High this season because of treatment from community.

1st Round: Go to song this summer for the lake, bbq, or road trip.
2nd Round: Best grill item - marinade, how it's made, etc.

NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings for 2020
Joshua J Grine

You can expect several tweaks to this NMPreps 4A Spring Rankings from now until August and before the 2020 season officially starts. However, here is our 2020 outlook for every program is coming into focus.

No. 5 Ruidoso Warriors

The Warriors are just three years removed from winning the State Championship. The Warriors are coming off a 5-7 season and will need to replace a quarterback that passed for nearly 3,000 yards. The good news is the return of running back Bracxton Hall (2022) who rushed for 635-yards as a sophomore. Having Hall back will alleivate pressure on a new quarterback. The Warriors also return a top prospect in Grant Oberheu (2021) who had 669-receiving yards and 6 touchdowns last season. The Warriors will play in the toughest district top down again with Silver, Lovington, and reigning state champ Portales.

No. 6 St. Pius X Sartans

The Sartans are coming off a 4-7 season and will need to replace a handful of key players from the 2019 season. Head coach David Montoya took over the program for the 2017 season and has gone 19-16 in three years. Year four becomes a make or break type of season at the helm. The Sartans will need to replace quarterback Derek Rivera, running back Trebor Toledo, and SS Ryan McCormick. The good news is the Sartans will have running back Marco Ybarra (2022) back this season, who looked sound in the opening three games before an injury kept him out. The defense takes a hit as well and CB Dominic Sais (2021) takes the lead for the Sartans. The new district should come back down to Pius and Grants with other new district members Albuquerque Academy, Bernalillo, and Valencia behind.

No. 7 Bloomfield Bobcats

No matter where he goes head coach Bob Allcorn wins. The Bobcats played for the state championship in 2019 after winning 12 straight games; They finished with a 12-1 record, their lone loss came against Portales in the championship game. Bob Allcorn has to find a new quarterback after Vincient Marquez's very successful senior season in the four corners. Marquez tossed for 3,387-yards last season. Allcorn must also replace 1,000-yard rusher in Kevin Mosley and top returning receiver Noah Gurule. A lot to replace but the foundation for this program has been set, even if they take a drop back, but it won't be far. Bryce Perez (2021), Raymundo Alcantar (2021) and Ethan Beevers (2021) give a strong trio of receivers for the next QB-1. The defense also takes a hit but Emilio Candelaria (2021) looks to take full leadership, he led the team in total tackles in 2019.

No. 8 Kirtland Central Broncos

Coach Greg Jenks team must replace several key players from last year's 8-win, quarterfinal team, but the Broncos have top returning player on offense for 2020 in Troy White-David (2021). Filling some of the voids around the senior will be crucial to winning the district. Zakk Thomas (2022) will provide some immediate help out of the backfield as the running back had some nice touches as a sophomore. He'll also anchor the defense for the Broncos this season. The district for the next two-year block features Aztec, Shiprock, Gallup and last year's district champ Bloomfield.

No. 9 Aztec Tigers

Aztec is coming off a very successful head coach tenure under Matthew Steinfeldt who stepped down after the 2019 season. The Tigers will be an interesting team to watch in 4A football in 2020. They are coming off a state playoff win, 8-4 overall record (1-2 district) and a chance to win the district. They have hired Eric Stovall as head coach who brings a 37-19 record to Aztec. Stovall spent the last two seasons as the head coach of the Newcomb Skyhawks going 17-6 overall, the best coming in 2018 going 10-2 overall. Prior to Newcomb, Stovall went 20-13 (2017-2015) at nearby Shiprock High School. Looking forward Stovall has a young QB in Marcquis Henry (2023) that passed for 1,245-yards and 13-touchdowns as a freshman; Henry rushed for another 400-yards and 3-touchdowns. Look for receivers Mason Rios (2021) and Austin Jaime (2021) to be on the rise in 2020.

No. 10 Taos Tigers

The Tigers went 6-5 overall and finished as district runner up in their championship defending season. The Tigers won it all in 2018 and actually played well down the stretch to get over .500 in 2019. They had to replace key players last season and will do so again this year with quarterback Noah Armijo graduating along with 1,300 yard rusher Armando Valerio. In the backfield they are looking to Matthew Suazo (2021) to carry the ball, a year after he rushed for 500 yards as a sophomore. The Suazo name is one to know in Tiger country and he could be one of the next. The new district sets things up perfectly for the Tigers and they'll be heavy favorites; Espanola Valley, Pojoaque Valley and Moriarty round out the district.

No. 11 Valencia Jaguars

The Valencia Jaguars were clearly in rebuild mode under second-year head coach Wesley Shank in 2019. His first season the Jaguars came out the gate with an experienced group and won 6-games reaching the playoffs. Last season was a rebuild and with the realignment they moved down in classification to 4A from 5A. Improving on last season's 2-7 record (1-2 district) will require a quarterback to emerge after using three last season. 2022 Nate Rodriguez passed for 311-yards and rushed for another 168-yards last season. Although both of those numbers are low for a Shank offense that requires a mobile QB, they will improve greatly as the team was overall a young one. Daniel Selvera (2021) is another athlete to look at for the Jaguars this coming season and could create a spark to a quick rebound season. The new district will feature Grants, St. Pius, Bernalillo and Albuquerque Academy.

No. 12 Moriarty Pintos

The Moriarty Pintos are coming off a 2-9 (0-3 district) overall season that did result in a playoff bid. The good news looking forward is the new district alignment being in their favor with a new district with Taos, Espanola Valley, and Pojoaque Valley. The new district will be a huge improvement for them and they could enter as a favorite to contend for the district championship. The Pintos return Cayden Dunn (RB/2022), Andres Lopez (RB/2022), and Justin Carmona (RB/2021) to their backfield; Dunn the leading returning rusher with 791-yards. A majority of the defense returns, led by Carmona. This could be one of the best of the dark horse teams in the classification this season and could float between 12 to 7 in the rankings.

No. 13 Bernalillo Spartans

The Spartans are coming off a 6-5 (2-3 district) season with a playoff bid to state. Head coach John Cobos took over in 2015 and has steadily built the football program back up each season. Quarterback Adam Salazar (2021) returns after tossing for 915-yards and rushing for another 366. He is partnered with running back AJ Madrid (2021) who rushed for 927-yards with 15-touchdowns. Madrid also led the team with 233-receiving yards and led the team in tackles and topped it off with 5-sacks. The new district for the Bernalillo Spartans will have more of a challenge for the Spartans with St. Pius, Valencia, Grants, and Albuquerque Academy.

No. 14 Albuquerque Academy Chargers

The Chargers will be an interesting team to watch in 4A football in 2020. They are coming off a 4-6 overall in the first season under head coach Shaun Gehres, the Virginia native who has this program trending back up. After a solid freshman season AJ Rivera (2023) returns at quarterback for the Chargers after tossing for nearly 1,500-yards and 12-touchdowns. The Chargers love to let it fly under Gehres and they were super young last season as Rivera's top target was also a freshman last season in Kellan Gehres (2023). Gahres had 554 receiving yards (6 TDS), Mike McIntosh, (2022) with 220 yards, and Tyler Wilson (2022) had 190 yards (3 TDs). They return from playing independent this season and join the district with Bernalillo, Grants, St. Pius and Valencia; they lost to Bernalillo 40-10 last season.

No. 15 Gallup Bengals

Head coach Nick Winkler inherited a football program that has been sitting in the cellar for many years. The Bengals are coming off back-to-back 2-8 seasons; they are riding a 7-game losing streak after starting the season 2-1 in 2019. The good news: The Bengals return 6-foot-2 quarterback Kody Touchine (2022) who showed some good signs early in his sophomore season. Is this the make-or-break season for Winkler as head coaches rarely last more than two seasons? Get to four wins and he stays?

No. 16 Espanola Valley Sundevils

The Sundevils have a steep climb out of the cellar but they do have some intrigue in the signs of 6-foot-5 quarterback Ollie Fell (2021) returning for his junior season. The Sundevils went 2-8 last season and 1-4 during district play but had to make quick adjustments with a late head coach change.....again. Fell will have a go-to target in Matthias Garcia (2020) at WR and the two could create something special.
Note: Early May the Sundevils have hired former Grants and Shiprock HC Nick Williams as their head coach to replace their interim HC.

No. 17 Pojoaque Valley Elks

Pojoaque Valley isn't an easy job, and coach Pat Mares is clearly in the midst of a build job coming off a 2-8 season. The Elks head man has been here before with a previous stop at nearby Espanola Valley High School. Some highlighting news is the return of ATH Devonn Leyba-Holmes (2020) for the Elks after being a do-all from the backfield from passing to rushing the football. Overall, both sides of the ball need marked improvement in order to get into the 4/5 win range.

No. 18 Shiprock Chieftains

Winning at Shiprock isn't easy, but head coach Anthony Clah led the Chieftains to a 5-5 season, playing an independent schedule. They return to a district in 2020 with Gallup, Kirtland Central, Miyamura, Aztec and Bloomfield. The bad news: they graduate one of their better football players in recent time in Kaleo Clah who rushed for 350 and passed for another 1,000. The good news: Andre King (2020) returns at receiver but the focus could be a wave of young defensive players returning that could be the make-up for a few years in maroon. Jayson Ayze (2020) is the anchor on that defense with 5-sacks last season.

NMPreps.com will release a new team each day until we complete our entire Spring Rankings.

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Top QB-WR Duos in 2020
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NMPreps.com lists the top quarterback and wide receiver duos for New Mexico high school football in 2020.

Aden Chavez & Elijah Spalding (Cibola High School)

If we are looking for new duos to watch in 2020, this is that dup. Aden Chavez (QB/2023) is coming off a phenomenal freshman season which contributes to the program Rod Williams has built at Cibola. Chavez tossed for nearly 1500 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Looking to take on the role as the go-to WR is Elijah Spalding (WR/2021) who had 531-yards and three touchdowns last season.

Caleb Carrillo & Chance Carrillo (Farmington High School)

The older of the two Carrillo's returns this season after throwing for 2,992 passing yards and 36 touchdowns as a junior. Both numbers rank in the top five in the state for Caleb Carrillo (2021/QB). Chance Carrillo (2022/WR) was on the receiving end of 810 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Scorpions.

Chance Harris & Jaden Phillips (Clovis High School)

This rapport should continue to grow as Jaden Phillips (WR/2021) will now take on the role of first option after the graduation to Malik Phillips. This duo in eleven games still went for nearly 500-yards and this number could go for over 1,000. Harris (QB/2021) tossed for over 2,200-yards and 22-touchdowns last season and enters 2020 as the top ranked QB in New Mexico.

Dylan Quartieri & Matthew Quartieri (Raton High School)

Another duo that share the same last name on our list of the top quarterback and receivers duos for 2020. Dylan Quartieri (2022/QB) threw for 1,288-yards and 12-touchdowns last season as a sophomore. His top target was Matthew Quartieri (2022) with 429-yards and 5 touchdowns. The Tigers went 6-6 overall last season and could be a sneaky good team in 2020, dark horse type.

Jarren Lewis & Demitrius Frausto (Hobbs High School)

The unknown on the list at this point is between Lewis and Frausto of Hobbs High School. Jarren Lewis (2021/QB) threw for 1,974 yards and 18 touchdowns in year one as quarterback for the Hobbs Eagles. The Eagles graduate the top three receiving yard leaders from last season but Frausto (2021/WR) was a solid fourth with 435-yards and a pair of TDs. The Eagles went 2-8 overall in year one under head coach Ken Stevens but the former Eunice head coach should have them on the uptrend in season two.

Jeff Davison & Luke Wysong, Trevon Dennard, Tre Watson (Cleveland High School)

Jeff Davison will be able to just throw the ball up in 2020 with three of the top receivers lining up for the Storm. Luke Wysong (2021/WR) led the way with 525 receiving yards last season, Trevon Dennard (2021/WR) was the leader with 6-touchdowns, and in only three games Tre Watson (2021/WR) had 216 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wysong has committed to the University of New Mexico while Watson has several offers from UNM, NMSU, Texas State and others. Davison threw for 1,169-yards in six games for the Storm.

Marcquis Henry & Mason Rios, Austin Jaime (Aztec High School)

New head coach Eric Stovall will throw the ball, making this marriage a perfect fit for him. The Tigers return Marcquis Henry (2023/QB), who is coming off a freshman season tossing for 1,245-yards and 13-touchdowns. He does lose his top two targets from a year ago but returns a pair of 2021 receivers in Mason Rios and Austin Jaime who had 432 yards between the two, each with around 220.

NMPreps.com will continue to update the list of top quarterback-wide receiver duos in 2020.