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Cleveland Storm Overview
It’s obvious that this year’s Cleveland Storm team has giant potential. Of course saying it and doing it are two different things. Speaking with Head Coach Heath Ridenour on Tuesday, June 16th he knows just like everyone else that they have the horses to run the show, but they still haven’t won any games on their schedule. In-fact, Cleveland enters the 2015 season riding a two-game losing streak following an ugly 1st round playoff loss to district rival Cibola.
I will say this: I strongly doubt there is a team in New Mexico that has better skill position players and linemen that this group. Their linemen remind me of Las Cruces’ 2012 team when the Dawgs had Rudy Guerra, Lane Cummings, Taylor Tisby, Jacob Banegas, and Oscar Guzman. This Cleveland Team has 3, maybe 4 D-1 prospects. Henry Hattis one of the best linemen in the west and Quarterback Gabe Ortega who was just offered by UNM. The other two are Marcus Williams a 6-foot-4 receiver and 6-foot-4 junior receiver Adam Cook.
Three Year Starter Gabe Ortega
Gabe Ortega shined throwing the football at last weekend’s New Mexico Lobo Football Camp and was offered by the Lobos shortly after. At 6-foot-2, and 190 pounds Ortega has tons of natural football instincts and is a proven gamer. His sophomore year he started all over the field returning kicks, catching passes, making plays on defense, even served as the field goal kicker. “He’s a good Christian man, does a good job in the classroom, and he’s a good football player. Ran a 4.5 at Kansas State a few weeks ago and has all the intangibles you want your quarterback to have. I think people are really starting to see in Gabe what we’ve known for a very long time,” said Cleveland Football Coach Heath Ridenour.
Last year as a junior Ortega threw for 1,639-yards and 14 touchdowns and also ran for 729-yards and 7 touchdowns.
Offensive Skill Guys
Cleveland’s skill position players looked sharp today and three of their starters were not in attendance. Quarterback Gabe Ortega was at a Texas A&M Camp and
Marcus Williams along with
Adam Cook were at a Texas Tech Camp. Williams is a 6-foot-4, 200 pound receiver that caught for over 600-yards during his junior year and one that is getting attention from a few D-1 colleges. Cook started as a sophomore last year at Cleveland hauling in 507-yards and 3 touchdowns. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Cook is one of the state’s top Class of 2017 prospects that is likely Cleveland’s next D-1 guy. Taking over at running back for Jesse Neito (1,200-yards last year) will be
Landry Hays (Pictured), a 6-foot-1, 185 pound running back. We could also see
Niko Papadopoulos a junior prospect get some reps. Two receivers that stood out today were 6-foot-5, 175 pound Justice Jackson who caught everything thrown his way and
Ryan Anderson who is a multi purpose player with good varsity experience.
Henry Hattis Is One of the Best in the West
6-foot-7, 265 pound
Henry Hattis is one of the top offensive linemen in the West. He’s ranked no. 45 overall at the position in the Nation by Rivals.com and currently has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Missouri, New Mexico, New Mexico State, San Diego State, Texas Tech, UCLA, and Washington State. He’s visiting Stanford this weekend and also just returned from Oklahoma. Hattis is just massive and his athletic ceiling is sky high. I watched him throw a 30 pound medicine ball today nearly 25 feet in the air with ease, again, and again. “His maturity has really changed year over year. His ability to work in the weight room, knowing what’s important, to push himself on every lift, every drill, and when these college coaches come in to see him, they leave really impressed with that aspect,” said Ridenour in an earlier interview conducted back on May 21st, 2015.
Watch interview with Henry Hattis Here
The Big Boys, likely the best in the State
“We are really proud of our linemen. they are really committed to the grind as they say, doing the right thing every single day. We are anchored by
Nate Garcia our Center, left guard is
Demtry Rodriguez a 300 pounder who has some nasty to him, big hang cleaner and big bench guy, at right guard is
Santos Taylor at 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, at left tackle is 6-foot-7, 265 pound
Henry Hattis, and at right tackle is
Daimon Altamirano at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, who is also our heavyweight wrestler here at Cleveland. The competition aspect for this group is big,” commented Ridenour on a seriously large group of offensive linemen.
Starting Offensive Linemen In the 1,000 Pound Club at Cleveland
Nate Garica - Center - 1,260, 300 pound hang clean
Demetry Rodriguez - Guard - 1,220, 315 pound hang clean
Santos Taylor - Guard - 1,195, 255 hang pound clean
Daimon Altamirano - Tackle - 1,085, 265 pound hang clean
Henry Hattis - Tackel - 1,135, 300 pound hang clean
New Defensive Names To Watch In 2015
Sean Davis (pictured) is one to watch at nose guard, he hang cleaned 365 pounds during Cleveland’s 2015 Night of Champions. Last year as a junior he had 54 total tackles. Cleveland returns 5 starters on defense, a lot of the secondary.
Ryan Anderson had 41 tackles and 3 interceptions,
Marcus Williams will go both ways, and even quarterback
Gabe Ortega will see time on defense at the safety position. 6-foot-4, 180 pound
Roope Henry and
Landry Hays at 6-foot-1, 190 return at the outside linebacker position. Brendon Amsted at 205 pounds returns, Hayden Wilson, and watch for Demetry Rodriguez, Henry Hattis, Daimon Altamirano could also go both ways depending on game situation. Cleveland is also working in three new defensive backs this year: Sean Nieto, Darren Gonzales, and Desmond Gutierrez who is their lock down corner.
Breaking It Down
This is my 10th season covering New Mexico High School Football and sometimes I get it right picking the preseason No. 1 and sometimes I don’t. I’m very confident that this year’s Cleveland Storm team is at the top of the 6A list and I’ve only been to two programs so far, that is the impression I left Cleveland with. They have talent, great talent at pretty much every position and its going to be difficult for anyone in New Mexico to deal with their size up-front. Let’s circle that week 2 game against El Paso Del Valle and their week 3 game against a hard hitting Onate. If this team gets hot and stays healthy, it’s going to be hard to prevent this team from achieving the ultimate goal come December.
These programs from the City of Rio Rancho are really setting themselves apart from the pack.
2015 Schedule
La Cueva *Scrimmage
@ Manzano
@ Del Valle
Onate
Clovis
@ Sandia
Eldorado
Open
Santa Fe
@ Volcano Vista
Cibola
@ Rio Rancho
2015 Returning Stat Leaders
Gabe Ortega - Class of 2016 Quarterback - Threw for 1,639-yards and 14 touchdowns, ran for 729-yards and 7 touchdowns
Marcus Williams - Class of 2016 Receiver - Caught for 639-yards and 9 touchdowns
Adam Cook - Class of 2017 Receiver - Caught for 507-yards and 3 touchdowns
Landry Hayes - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 62 total tackles
Sean Davis - Class of 2017 Defensive Linemen - 54 total tackles
Roope Henry - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 41 total tackles
Ryan Anderson - Class of 2016 Defensive Back - 41 total tackles, 3 interceptions
Marcus Williams - Class of 2016 Defensive Back - 39 total tackles, 2 interceptions
Brian Amsted - Class of 2017 Defensive Linemen - 3.0 sacks
2014 Schedule
W - Manzano 40-21
L - Del Valle 27-7
W - Onate 35-24
W - Clovis 35-24
W - Sandia 31-7
L - Eldorado 57-56
W - Santa Fe 47-0
W - Volcano Vista 38-0
W - Cibola 43-7
L - Rio Rancho 24-22
L - Cibola 42-28 *6A first round playoffs
2014 Stat Leaders
Jesse Nieto - Class of 2015 Running Back - Ran for 1,17-2yards and 19 touchdowns
Matt Romo - Class of 2015 Linebacker - 72 total tackles
Angel Castillo - Class of 2015 Linebacker - 54 total tackles
Matthew Cook - Class of 2015 Defensive Linemen - 49 total tackles