Pojoaque Valley Elks 2024 Season Preview
NMPreps Preseason Ranking: #59
NMPreps continues to release our early New Mexico high school football preseason rankings to get you ready for the 2024 season. We will rank all 89 teams scheduled to play in the newly aligned 6A-2A classifications, competing in 11-man football. #nmpreps
2023 Season Review
Record: 3-7 overall, 0-3 district
Class: 5A (District 1)
Playoffs: Missed
Points Scored: 178
Points Given Up: 293
Streak into 2024: 5-game losing streak
Pojoaque Elks 2023 Recap: A Step Forward
The Pojoaque Elks football program took a step forward last season under first-year head coach Zeke Villegas. The Elks, who went 0-9 overall in 2022 before Villegas' arrival, achieved three wins in his first season. The Elks quickly ended their nine-game losing streak in week one with a 48-6 win over Navajo Prep. They fell in week two to Bloomfield 50-0 before defeating Santa Fe Indian 50-0 in week three.
The Elks lost to Los Alamos 45-7 in week four, followed by a 50-0 win over Cloudcroft. However, they dropped their final two non-district games to Robertson 45-0 and Highland 28-6, starting a five-game skid to end the season. They dropped all three district games to Moriarty 34-6, Taos 35-6, and Española Valley 50-0. The Elks ended the season 3-7 overall and 0-3 in the district, missing the playoffs.
2024 Season Outlook
Offensive & Defensive Players to Watch
The Pojoaque Elks welcome back an experienced group, something head coach Zeke Villegas lacked before his arrival. Nineteen of twenty-two starters return for the Elks to start the season, bringing valuable continuity to the team.
On offense, the Elks face a quarterback battle between Joshua Gonzales (Class of 2027) and Mario Baros (Class of 2025). However, the true engine of this offense will be sophomore running back Jonah Villegas. In his freshman year, Jonah amassed over 700 rushing yards, led the team in receiving yards, and was a key player in kick returns. Other key offensive players include Killian Medina (Class of 2025), Andrew Martinez, and Serafin Mendez, who will create targets for whichever quarterback wins the starting job.
Defensively, the Elks will be guided by Luke Pacheco (Class of 2025) and Matthew Romero at the linebacker position. Additionally, Medina, Villegas, and Joaquin Baca will form a dangerous secondary, aiming to shut down opposing offenses and create turnovers.
The Elks' non-district schedule includes an opener against Crownpoint, followed by games against Hot Springs, 4A's Los Alamos, Dexter, and 2A's Hozho Academy. Additionally, they will face Santa Fe Indian School (Independent) in mid-district play.
With a solid core of returning starters and young talent stepping up, the Pojoaque Elks are poised for a competitive 2024 season. The NMPreps early projection has the Elks going 4-6 overall.
Related: 2024 Preseason Rankings
Also read: 2024 Best & Worst Case Scenario for the Pojoaque Valley Elks
NMPreps Preseason Ranking: #59
NMPreps continues to release our early New Mexico high school football preseason rankings to get you ready for the 2024 season. We will rank all 89 teams scheduled to play in the newly aligned 6A-2A classifications, competing in 11-man football. #nmpreps
2023 Season Review
Record: 3-7 overall, 0-3 district
Class: 5A (District 1)
Playoffs: Missed
Points Scored: 178
Points Given Up: 293
Streak into 2024: 5-game losing streak
Pojoaque Elks 2023 Recap: A Step Forward
The Pojoaque Elks football program took a step forward last season under first-year head coach Zeke Villegas. The Elks, who went 0-9 overall in 2022 before Villegas' arrival, achieved three wins in his first season. The Elks quickly ended their nine-game losing streak in week one with a 48-6 win over Navajo Prep. They fell in week two to Bloomfield 50-0 before defeating Santa Fe Indian 50-0 in week three.
The Elks lost to Los Alamos 45-7 in week four, followed by a 50-0 win over Cloudcroft. However, they dropped their final two non-district games to Robertson 45-0 and Highland 28-6, starting a five-game skid to end the season. They dropped all three district games to Moriarty 34-6, Taos 35-6, and Española Valley 50-0. The Elks ended the season 3-7 overall and 0-3 in the district, missing the playoffs.
2024 Season Outlook
Offensive & Defensive Players to Watch
The Pojoaque Elks welcome back an experienced group, something head coach Zeke Villegas lacked before his arrival. Nineteen of twenty-two starters return for the Elks to start the season, bringing valuable continuity to the team.
On offense, the Elks face a quarterback battle between Joshua Gonzales (Class of 2027) and Mario Baros (Class of 2025). However, the true engine of this offense will be sophomore running back Jonah Villegas. In his freshman year, Jonah amassed over 700 rushing yards, led the team in receiving yards, and was a key player in kick returns. Other key offensive players include Killian Medina (Class of 2025), Andrew Martinez, and Serafin Mendez, who will create targets for whichever quarterback wins the starting job.
Defensively, the Elks will be guided by Luke Pacheco (Class of 2025) and Matthew Romero at the linebacker position. Additionally, Medina, Villegas, and Joaquin Baca will form a dangerous secondary, aiming to shut down opposing offenses and create turnovers.
Realistic Expectations
The Pojoaque Elks showed significant improvement last season under head coach Zeke Villegas. Building on that momentum, they aim to take further steps forward after a successful off-season. Numbers are up, excitement is high, but the task ahead remains challenging. Despite moving from 4A to 3A, the Elks are set to compete in one of the tougher districts, featuring the 3A defending state champion St. Michael's Horsemen, state runner-up Robertson, West Las Vegas, and fellow newcomer Hope Christian, who also moved down from 4A.The Elks' non-district schedule includes an opener against Crownpoint, followed by games against Hot Springs, 4A's Los Alamos, Dexter, and 2A's Hozho Academy. Additionally, they will face Santa Fe Indian School (Independent) in mid-district play.
With a solid core of returning starters and young talent stepping up, the Pojoaque Elks are poised for a competitive 2024 season. The NMPreps early projection has the Elks going 4-6 overall.
Related: 2024 Preseason Rankings
Also read: 2024 Best & Worst Case Scenario for the Pojoaque Valley Elks
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