5A Review: What to Expect in 2022
Today, we look at the 2021 season and give some early looks at 2022 season. #nmpreps
5A FOOTBALL - 2021 Preseason (Finished)
1. Farmington (11-1 overall; 1-seed; Semifinals)
2. Goddard (7-5 overall; 6-seed; Semifinals)
3. Los Lunas (13-0 overall; 2-seed; State Champion)
4. Artesia (9-4 overall; 4-seed; State Runner Up)
5. Roswell (5-6 overall; 3-seed; Quarterfinals)
6. Mayfield (7-5 overall; 5-seed; Quarterfinals)
7. Deming (5-6 overall; 10-seed; 1st Round)
8. Piedra Vista (6-5 overall; 8-seed; 1st Round)
9. Alamogordo (2-8 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
10. Del Norte (1-8 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
11. Valley (4-7 overall; 11-seed; 1st Round)
12. Belen (7-4 overall; 7-seed; Quarterfinals)
13. Santa Teresa (9-3 overall; 8-seed; Quarterfinals)
14. Highland (3-8 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
15. Capital (4-6 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
16. Miyamura (2-7 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
17. Los Alamos (5-6 overall; 12-seed; 1st Round)
18. Chaparral (0-10 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
What we did right: Farmington was the 1-seed although they fell in the semifinals. We did go 4 for 4 on the four teams making the semifinals. For the most part our top-8 was within the 2/3 range of their final spot.
We we did wrong: Alamogordo, Del Norte, Belen, and Los Alamos. Okay, so we did do so hot in 5A. Alamogordo and Del Norte dropped far out and missed the playoffs. Belen and Los Alamos improved from their projection and a huge turnaround from the previous season.
New Champ in Town: With Los Lunas potentially moving up to 6A we are likely to have a new champion in 5A football for the 2022 season. Who are the likely contenders? Artesia should return in the top four although they will graduate a core group from this season. Roswell is going to be good and returns some of the top talent from this season. Goddard will need to replace, Farmington (if they stay in 5A) should be okay with a solid number 2 QB from this season.
Early 2022 Rankings: We will release when the December 2nd alignment comes out.
Top Offensive Stat Leaders Returning in 2022: QBs - Caeden Jojola (2023/QB) of Valley was fifth in passing in 5A football with 994-yards and 12-touchdowns. Trel Griego (2024/QB) of Farmington will likely move into QB one next season. RBs - Teke Nieto (2023/Los Alamos) rushed for 637-yards in 2021. Diego Avila (2024/Belen) rushed for 584-yards last season. WRs - Javier Martinez (2023/Capital) with 463-yards and 5-touchdowns, Peyton Greathouse (2024/Artesia) had 335-yards and 5-touchdowns.
Top Defensive Stat Leaders Returning in 2022: Teke Nieto (2023/Los Alamos) returns after having 98-total tackles. Ricky Henderson (2023/Valley) returns with 73-total tackles. Bobby Orona (2023/Belen) had 5-sacks last season. Rylee Jarratt (2023/Artesia) had 3-sacks last season. Jesse Vasquez (2023/Belen) with 4-interceptions last season. Ezakiel Ramos (2024/Valley) with 3-INTs last season.
Alignment Talk: There will be changes this coming season, not major ones, but the landscape could appear different. Two things that could work that won't be on the alignment - 2 Regions, instead of Districts. A North vs South 18-teams, 9 teams in each region. Top-four from each region would make the playoffs with a potential ninth team as a play-in team. Or six, three team districts. DC is an automatic bid and the other 3/4 are at large bids. What should happen - with only 18-teams it is likely that we should only have 9 or 10 teams making the playoffs (51%) on the high end.
Awards, Players to Watch in 2022, and More: We will continue the chatter all season until August.
Today, we look at the 2021 season and give some early looks at 2022 season. #nmpreps
5A FOOTBALL - 2021 Preseason (Finished)
1. Farmington (11-1 overall; 1-seed; Semifinals)
2. Goddard (7-5 overall; 6-seed; Semifinals)
3. Los Lunas (13-0 overall; 2-seed; State Champion)
4. Artesia (9-4 overall; 4-seed; State Runner Up)
5. Roswell (5-6 overall; 3-seed; Quarterfinals)
6. Mayfield (7-5 overall; 5-seed; Quarterfinals)
7. Deming (5-6 overall; 10-seed; 1st Round)
8. Piedra Vista (6-5 overall; 8-seed; 1st Round)
9. Alamogordo (2-8 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
10. Del Norte (1-8 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
11. Valley (4-7 overall; 11-seed; 1st Round)
12. Belen (7-4 overall; 7-seed; Quarterfinals)
13. Santa Teresa (9-3 overall; 8-seed; Quarterfinals)
14. Highland (3-8 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
15. Capital (4-6 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
16. Miyamura (2-7 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
17. Los Alamos (5-6 overall; 12-seed; 1st Round)
18. Chaparral (0-10 overall; Missed the Playoffs)
What we did right: Farmington was the 1-seed although they fell in the semifinals. We did go 4 for 4 on the four teams making the semifinals. For the most part our top-8 was within the 2/3 range of their final spot.
We we did wrong: Alamogordo, Del Norte, Belen, and Los Alamos. Okay, so we did do so hot in 5A. Alamogordo and Del Norte dropped far out and missed the playoffs. Belen and Los Alamos improved from their projection and a huge turnaround from the previous season.
New Champ in Town: With Los Lunas potentially moving up to 6A we are likely to have a new champion in 5A football for the 2022 season. Who are the likely contenders? Artesia should return in the top four although they will graduate a core group from this season. Roswell is going to be good and returns some of the top talent from this season. Goddard will need to replace, Farmington (if they stay in 5A) should be okay with a solid number 2 QB from this season.
Early 2022 Rankings: We will release when the December 2nd alignment comes out.
Top Offensive Stat Leaders Returning in 2022: QBs - Caeden Jojola (2023/QB) of Valley was fifth in passing in 5A football with 994-yards and 12-touchdowns. Trel Griego (2024/QB) of Farmington will likely move into QB one next season. RBs - Teke Nieto (2023/Los Alamos) rushed for 637-yards in 2021. Diego Avila (2024/Belen) rushed for 584-yards last season. WRs - Javier Martinez (2023/Capital) with 463-yards and 5-touchdowns, Peyton Greathouse (2024/Artesia) had 335-yards and 5-touchdowns.
Top Defensive Stat Leaders Returning in 2022: Teke Nieto (2023/Los Alamos) returns after having 98-total tackles. Ricky Henderson (2023/Valley) returns with 73-total tackles. Bobby Orona (2023/Belen) had 5-sacks last season. Rylee Jarratt (2023/Artesia) had 3-sacks last season. Jesse Vasquez (2023/Belen) with 4-interceptions last season. Ezakiel Ramos (2024/Valley) with 3-INTs last season.
Alignment Talk: There will be changes this coming season, not major ones, but the landscape could appear different. Two things that could work that won't be on the alignment - 2 Regions, instead of Districts. A North vs South 18-teams, 9 teams in each region. Top-four from each region would make the playoffs with a potential ninth team as a play-in team. Or six, three team districts. DC is an automatic bid and the other 3/4 are at large bids. What should happen - with only 18-teams it is likely that we should only have 9 or 10 teams making the playoffs (51%) on the high end.
Awards, Players to Watch in 2022, and More: We will continue the chatter all season until August.
