Mayfield once again is a State Title Contender
- By kyle h
- New Mexico High School Football
- 2 Replies
Mayfield once again is a State Title Contender
By: Kyle Henderson of NMPreps.com
Login to view embedded media
Overview
Knocking on the door of Coach Michael Bradley’s office you could tell he was tired. Likely hadn’t slept much in the last few days, he’s supposed to have surgery in a few days (non serious), his mother’s birthday is this weekend, he’s got a cold, he had been fighting off mosquito bites, and if any coach I spoke with during my prep football tour needed to be in the Bahamas sipping Mai Tai’s watching the surf roll in it was him. However, despite his weariness he kept it professional during the interview and of course while at practice. He spoke to his kids about leadership after their Friday practice.
He never once complained about his current state or showed self pity, because as he’s said many times to the Trojans, “Life is hard, but you move forward, you get tired, you move forward,” if you want your son to be a good man after he graduates high school, Bradley has got to be your selection because of attitude and poise and that sort of character spills onto the field of the athletes at Mayfield. The Trojan Program aka the Green Machine has won three state championships over the last 9-seasons, been state runner ups 4 times, been to the semifinals once, and been to the quarterfinals once, no other program in (6A) can say that. The Trojans have been to the state championship game two-years running, they lost both games by a total of 3 points, both special teams errors late in the game.
The 2014 Trojans although headlined by UTEP Quarterback Commit Kavika Johnson were a good mix of seniors and juniors, thus they return quite a bit of veteran players into the 2015 season. Can they really win more than 10 or 11 games again for a third year in a row? Likely, could this year’s team be better than last year’s? Likely. If you have never been to Mayfield and you just think they’ll full of high caliber athletes and it’s easy, you’re dead wrong. It starts when these kids enter 8th and 9th grande, being a Mayfield Trojan is a way of life that exists no where else in New Mexico.
What To Expect
“This is probably one of the best senior leadership groups that we have had and that is saying a lot. These kids, they’re just fantastic kids. They are hard workers, they are committed to what they do, and they get along with everybody. Leadership is a funny thing. Either you have it or you don’t. You can try to develop it and sometime that works, but these guys came into the program as born leaders and I think that starts with the parents. Sometimes you don’t get that nowadays, but these are great kids and I expect great things out of them this year,” Said Bradley on his seniors.
Taking over at quarterback for the Trojans will be Joeray Valencia at 5-foot-11 and 146 pounds. He’s got quite big shoes to fill replacing Kavika Johnson who scored 30 touchdowns in 2014, but Valencia has been playing behind Johnson for the last three seasons and knows the offense in and out. We’ve been impressed with him this summer and he has some very good targets and backs to get the football to. In the backfield is Isaac Vance at 5-foot-8 and 152 pounds who just picked up an offer from New Mexico State. Vance is only a junior, but accounted for close to 1,000-yards and scored over 15 touchdowns during his sophomore year on varsity last season. He has a great burst of speed, excellent hands, he’s a game breaker and Mayfield’s next big time offensive threat.
At the tight end position, the Trojans will look to 6-foot-2, 228 pound Noah Pierce who will be a two-year starter and a guy that is big, strong, and has good hands. He can block as well, but don’t be surprised if he scores or causes mismatches inside the red-zone. At the receiver position watch for 6-foot-3, 187 pound Gaven Swinson who is part of the Franzoy bloodline and every bit as good as his relatives to go through the Trojan program, he’ll impress you this year. Up front in the trenches for the Trojans will be Colton Evans who was named the 2015 NMPreps Combine Linemen MVP. At 6-foot-0 and 225 pounds Evans is technically sound and very aggressive and smart. Also watch for James Noe at 282 pounds and Jalen Guerrero at 6-foot-5, 282 pounds.
On defense the Trojans return quite a bit of starters, up front at defensive end watch for Noah Pierce at 228 pounds, their linebacking corps will be led by Louis Lombardi. Lombardi shined at the recent NMPreps Elite Combine and checks in at 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds. The City of Las Cruces has a ton of big time linebackers this year, Lombardi is at the top and had a monster junior year, expect him to be making plays all over the field in 2015. The Trojans secondary is loaded with talent: Watch for Riley Folkman at 5-foot-11, 163 pounds, very good in man coverage, Ethan Alvarado at 5-foot-11, 162 pounds, he’s a playmaker, and sophomore Chris Mar-Yuen who had a 10-feet-2 inch broad this summer, and looks like a dynamic play-maker to add to the secondary.
The Trojans also have a loaded coaching staff and according to Bradley it’s one of the best he’s ever had, “They really care about the kids and they know their trade and are excellent coaches of football. They are very great to work with and as a head coach you should not have tell coaches what to do all the time and they know their place and position and it’s a family.”
Key Returners
Isaac Vance - Running Back - 5-8, 152, Junior
Louie Lombardi - Linebacker - 5-11, 202, Senior
Riley Folkman - Defensive Back - 5-11, 163, Senior
Ethan Alvarado - Defensive Back - 5-11, 152, Senior
Colton Evans - Offensive Linemen - 6-0, 225, Senior
Noah Pierce - Tight End - 6-2, 228, Tight End, Senior
New Names To Know
Gaven Swinson - Receiver - 6-3, 187, Junior
Joray Valencia - Quarterback - 5-11, 146, Senior
Jalen Guerroro - Offensive Linemen - 6-5, 236, Junior
James Noe - Offensive Linemen - 6-1, 282, Senior
Chris Mar-Yuen - Defensive Back - 5-9, 145, Sophomore
2015 Schedule
“That is going to be a tough one in Hobbs. It’s a long drive, it’s going to be a hot night and we always tell our kids, we got a target on our backs and everyone knows that if they pull one out against Mayfield it’s going to be big. Hobbs always has the capability of doing that. We have El Paso Franklin and we’ve beat them two-years running and you know they are going to be hungry. Then we got Carlsbad, where my brother is now the head coach and you know they are going to be hungry, it don’t matter what type of team you have, our kids have got to step up every single week,” said Bradley regarding the 2015 schedule.
Aug. 28 @ Hobbs, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 El Paso Franklin, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 @ Carlsbad, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 @ Alamogordo, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 Eldorado, 1 p.m.
Oct. 2 @ Manzano, 7 p.m. (At Wilson Stadium)
* Oct. 8 Oñate, 7 p.m.
BYE
* Oct. 23 Deming, 7 p.m.
* Oct. 30 @ Gadsden, 7 p.m.
* Nov. 6 @ Las Cruces, 7 p.m. (At Aggie Memorial Stadium)
* District 3-6A
The Past 9-Seasons
2014 - 11-2 State Runner Up
2013 - 11-2 State Runner Up
2012 - 7-5 Quarterfinals
2011 - 10-3 State Runner Up
2010 - 9-4 State Champs
2009 - 11-2 State Runner Up
2008 - 9-3 Semifinals
2007 - 12-1 State Champs
2006 - 13-0 State Champs
Our Take
Look at what the Trojans have done over the last two seasons. They have a combined record of 22-4 and have reached the state title game in 2013 and in 2014. More and more we hear that the days of Las Cruces and Mayfield Football are going to dwindle because of Centennial High School opening, not the case at all. These two programs have a forever foundation, Mayfield Football is as rich as it’s ever been.
This year’s team is going to be very dangerous and while it’s going to be tough to lose an athlete like Kavika Johnson, the Trojans have replaced D-1 talent before and won without D-1 talent before. After a few games this Mayfield Trojan roster is going to be very comparable to the last few years at Mayfield and they’ll be very good again next year and the year after that. There is a reason Mayfield has a continued target on their back, it’s the model program that everyone wants to be, but few can put into the effort or dedication it takes to get on their level. Green Machine is polished and ready for another state title run.
By: Kyle Henderson of NMPreps.com
Login to view embedded media
Overview
Knocking on the door of Coach Michael Bradley’s office you could tell he was tired. Likely hadn’t slept much in the last few days, he’s supposed to have surgery in a few days (non serious), his mother’s birthday is this weekend, he’s got a cold, he had been fighting off mosquito bites, and if any coach I spoke with during my prep football tour needed to be in the Bahamas sipping Mai Tai’s watching the surf roll in it was him. However, despite his weariness he kept it professional during the interview and of course while at practice. He spoke to his kids about leadership after their Friday practice.
He never once complained about his current state or showed self pity, because as he’s said many times to the Trojans, “Life is hard, but you move forward, you get tired, you move forward,” if you want your son to be a good man after he graduates high school, Bradley has got to be your selection because of attitude and poise and that sort of character spills onto the field of the athletes at Mayfield. The Trojan Program aka the Green Machine has won three state championships over the last 9-seasons, been state runner ups 4 times, been to the semifinals once, and been to the quarterfinals once, no other program in (6A) can say that. The Trojans have been to the state championship game two-years running, they lost both games by a total of 3 points, both special teams errors late in the game.
The 2014 Trojans although headlined by UTEP Quarterback Commit Kavika Johnson were a good mix of seniors and juniors, thus they return quite a bit of veteran players into the 2015 season. Can they really win more than 10 or 11 games again for a third year in a row? Likely, could this year’s team be better than last year’s? Likely. If you have never been to Mayfield and you just think they’ll full of high caliber athletes and it’s easy, you’re dead wrong. It starts when these kids enter 8th and 9th grande, being a Mayfield Trojan is a way of life that exists no where else in New Mexico.
What To Expect
“This is probably one of the best senior leadership groups that we have had and that is saying a lot. These kids, they’re just fantastic kids. They are hard workers, they are committed to what they do, and they get along with everybody. Leadership is a funny thing. Either you have it or you don’t. You can try to develop it and sometime that works, but these guys came into the program as born leaders and I think that starts with the parents. Sometimes you don’t get that nowadays, but these are great kids and I expect great things out of them this year,” Said Bradley on his seniors.
Taking over at quarterback for the Trojans will be Joeray Valencia at 5-foot-11 and 146 pounds. He’s got quite big shoes to fill replacing Kavika Johnson who scored 30 touchdowns in 2014, but Valencia has been playing behind Johnson for the last three seasons and knows the offense in and out. We’ve been impressed with him this summer and he has some very good targets and backs to get the football to. In the backfield is Isaac Vance at 5-foot-8 and 152 pounds who just picked up an offer from New Mexico State. Vance is only a junior, but accounted for close to 1,000-yards and scored over 15 touchdowns during his sophomore year on varsity last season. He has a great burst of speed, excellent hands, he’s a game breaker and Mayfield’s next big time offensive threat.
At the tight end position, the Trojans will look to 6-foot-2, 228 pound Noah Pierce who will be a two-year starter and a guy that is big, strong, and has good hands. He can block as well, but don’t be surprised if he scores or causes mismatches inside the red-zone. At the receiver position watch for 6-foot-3, 187 pound Gaven Swinson who is part of the Franzoy bloodline and every bit as good as his relatives to go through the Trojan program, he’ll impress you this year. Up front in the trenches for the Trojans will be Colton Evans who was named the 2015 NMPreps Combine Linemen MVP. At 6-foot-0 and 225 pounds Evans is technically sound and very aggressive and smart. Also watch for James Noe at 282 pounds and Jalen Guerrero at 6-foot-5, 282 pounds.
On defense the Trojans return quite a bit of starters, up front at defensive end watch for Noah Pierce at 228 pounds, their linebacking corps will be led by Louis Lombardi. Lombardi shined at the recent NMPreps Elite Combine and checks in at 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds. The City of Las Cruces has a ton of big time linebackers this year, Lombardi is at the top and had a monster junior year, expect him to be making plays all over the field in 2015. The Trojans secondary is loaded with talent: Watch for Riley Folkman at 5-foot-11, 163 pounds, very good in man coverage, Ethan Alvarado at 5-foot-11, 162 pounds, he’s a playmaker, and sophomore Chris Mar-Yuen who had a 10-feet-2 inch broad this summer, and looks like a dynamic play-maker to add to the secondary.
The Trojans also have a loaded coaching staff and according to Bradley it’s one of the best he’s ever had, “They really care about the kids and they know their trade and are excellent coaches of football. They are very great to work with and as a head coach you should not have tell coaches what to do all the time and they know their place and position and it’s a family.”
Key Returners
Isaac Vance - Running Back - 5-8, 152, Junior
Louie Lombardi - Linebacker - 5-11, 202, Senior
Riley Folkman - Defensive Back - 5-11, 163, Senior
Ethan Alvarado - Defensive Back - 5-11, 152, Senior
Colton Evans - Offensive Linemen - 6-0, 225, Senior
Noah Pierce - Tight End - 6-2, 228, Tight End, Senior
New Names To Know
Gaven Swinson - Receiver - 6-3, 187, Junior
Joray Valencia - Quarterback - 5-11, 146, Senior
Jalen Guerroro - Offensive Linemen - 6-5, 236, Junior
James Noe - Offensive Linemen - 6-1, 282, Senior
Chris Mar-Yuen - Defensive Back - 5-9, 145, Sophomore
2015 Schedule
“That is going to be a tough one in Hobbs. It’s a long drive, it’s going to be a hot night and we always tell our kids, we got a target on our backs and everyone knows that if they pull one out against Mayfield it’s going to be big. Hobbs always has the capability of doing that. We have El Paso Franklin and we’ve beat them two-years running and you know they are going to be hungry. Then we got Carlsbad, where my brother is now the head coach and you know they are going to be hungry, it don’t matter what type of team you have, our kids have got to step up every single week,” said Bradley regarding the 2015 schedule.
Aug. 28 @ Hobbs, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 El Paso Franklin, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 @ Carlsbad, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 @ Alamogordo, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 Eldorado, 1 p.m.
Oct. 2 @ Manzano, 7 p.m. (At Wilson Stadium)
* Oct. 8 Oñate, 7 p.m.
BYE
* Oct. 23 Deming, 7 p.m.
* Oct. 30 @ Gadsden, 7 p.m.
* Nov. 6 @ Las Cruces, 7 p.m. (At Aggie Memorial Stadium)
* District 3-6A
The Past 9-Seasons
2014 - 11-2 State Runner Up
2013 - 11-2 State Runner Up
2012 - 7-5 Quarterfinals
2011 - 10-3 State Runner Up
2010 - 9-4 State Champs
2009 - 11-2 State Runner Up
2008 - 9-3 Semifinals
2007 - 12-1 State Champs
2006 - 13-0 State Champs
Our Take
Look at what the Trojans have done over the last two seasons. They have a combined record of 22-4 and have reached the state title game in 2013 and in 2014. More and more we hear that the days of Las Cruces and Mayfield Football are going to dwindle because of Centennial High School opening, not the case at all. These two programs have a forever foundation, Mayfield Football is as rich as it’s ever been.
This year’s team is going to be very dangerous and while it’s going to be tough to lose an athlete like Kavika Johnson, the Trojans have replaced D-1 talent before and won without D-1 talent before. After a few games this Mayfield Trojan roster is going to be very comparable to the last few years at Mayfield and they’ll be very good again next year and the year after that. There is a reason Mayfield has a continued target on their back, it’s the model program that everyone wants to be, but few can put into the effort or dedication it takes to get on their level. Green Machine is polished and ready for another state title run.
