I've personally been to 18 New Mexico High School Football Practices this summer and have spoken with 18 different head coaches. Today, we kick off the week with key quotes from my 2015 New Mexico High School Football Summer Tour.
Preseason Football Page Here
Key Quotes Going Into The Season
Rio Rancho
“We had a great spring and we are really looking forward to seeing how these younger guys step in. We got some seniors that want to prove themselves and we’re excited for the challenge.” said Head Rio Rancho Football Coach David Howes.
Cleveland
“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.
Volcano Vista
“It's been a good summer to start, the attitude is a lot better and the kids are just working hard. It’s a very senior dominate group and that is where the leadership starts for us," said Head Volcano Vista Coach Chad Wallin.
Manzano
“We got some new names like: Orlando Perez, Jordan Byrd, and Antonio Padilla, and skill wise overall I liked the way we competed at the UNM 7-On. It’s all about learning right now in the summer time, for right now I think we are where we need to be,” said Manzano Head Football Coach Chad Adcox.
Sandia
“Our seniors are pretty darn good and have led all the way through our spring and summer workouts. We’re led by Seniors Jimmy Gallegos, Dominic Baca, Jeremiah Loya, and Isaiah Lowery. We return 11 starters overall and we’re excited about the 2015 season,” said Head Sandia Football Coach Kevin Barker.
Eldorado
“I think when you have a program with tradition, kids want to win. These seniors want to win, just like last year’s seniors, and hopefully they continue their bond this year,” said Head Eldorado Football Coach Charlie Dotson entering his 8th year at the helm.
Valley
“Our senior class this year is really small this year, luckily they are all pretty good. We got guys like Teton Saltes, Noah Santistevan, Michael Barboa, and Elijah Naranjo who are all going to make plays. Last year was up and down a little bit, but I think we’ve learned from that, we lacked a little bit of senior leadership, over the summer we have worked on that,” Said Enrico Marcelli.
Albuquerque
“There has been a significant amount of change in these young men, now they are very much accountable and up for the challenge to take care of their responsibilities. We are still building a foundation, it’s an every day commitment, it’s a process, it’s going to take some time, but as from a coaching perspective and from the players we are all excited about it,” Commented Flakes.
Clovis
“The attitude of this group is real good, our kids work real hard in the off-season. Attitude and leadership are usually problems we do not have here in Clovis, we’re a little undersized this year, we lost all 11 of our defensive starters, but we do return 6 starters on offense including our quarterback, running back, X, and our tight end. We got a lot of competitions for these positions, in-fact there are 17 positions open and that competition makes for good practice because no one has it made. Kids have to work everyday to earn a position and keep that position,” Said Legendary Clovis Head Football Coach Eric Roanhaus on Monday after the Wildcat’s first official practice of the season.
Artesia
“One of the things we’re real fortunate about this year is that we have a core nucleolus of leaders from last year back from last year’s team so they know what it took to get where you want to be. No doubt though the key every year is to know that last year is now behind us and we’re starting all over again and we feel like our summer program and everything has gone pretty well, we’re excited about getting two-a-days started, and continuing to work hard,” Said Henderson on Monday afternoon regarding this year’s roster.
Hobbs
“We have a lot of juniors that started for us last year, which means we have a lot of seniors coming back. We are changing a lot of things we do not in game situations, but in practice. Before it was a good way to learn and teach, now we’re cutting the kids loose and expecting the kids to know enough to execute. We’ve made their practice to where they really have to execute better and we’re really excited about that. When I got here in Hobbs, these current seniors were in 8th grade, so this is their 4th year. They used to have to look over to the sidelines and expect me to change the call, now they can get to the line, see the defense, and make adjustments all on their own. We even have sophomores that can do that do, our program is just evolved and it’s something we have worked towards,” Said Charles Gleghorn on the incoming Hobbs Eagles Team.
Goddard
"We’ve got to have tough kids here at Goddard, because we are not big and we’re not fast. And when you play teams like Clovis, Carlsbad, Hobbs, and Artesia even the teams in our district are big, we don’t see many teams that are smaller than us, even Fabens, Texas was bigger than us last year. We have to put extra effort into weight training and conditioning and toughness, in the summer we get them conditioned and then we go into the football season with aspirations and hopes, but I tell the kids you better dream that you’re going to hold that blue trophy up against the sky," Said Mike Whalen who is now in his second year as Head Football Coach at Goddard.
Carlsbad
"I've always had my eye on Carlsbad. It's a one-horse town, a small town and I've always liked Carlsbad form the Lake, River, and I love the fact that on Friday Night they close it down for Football. It's a sports town with a lot of athletes, great facilities, and great community support," said first year Carlsbad Coach Gary Bradley.
Alamogordo
“It’s taken a while to get these kids into our weight program, I think that is a huge part and most of these kids started for me my first year here and they played a pretty tough schedule and now as incoming seniors they have a lot of game experience. We also have not changed is how we run the offense and defense, that hasn’t changed in three-years so these kids know everything on both sides of the football,” said Head Alamogordo Football Coach Dale Hooper who is 6-14 in two-years at Alamogordo.
Onate
“Our football savvy and what we are trying to do has really improved. We got into the first game of last year and realized we weren’t near as advanced as we thought we were. Now running our flexblone offense, it’s more cohesive these guys are on the same page and we’re actually executing a lot more of the playbook. Defensively we’ve got two very good defensive ends, we’ve got some good talented linebackers, and I am really excited to see what this year’s defense can do. I think on paper we can be better than last year and that’s exciting,” said second year Head Onate Football Coach Brent Jaquess.
Las Cruces
“It’s a good group, they work hard, we have those 70 kids each and everyday that are committed and understand it’s two-a-days and though it’s been over 100 degrees out here the last few days they have been going hard and I like their effort. We’re going to make some mistakes, but that is why we are practicing and we’re correcting them and they are getting better,” said Jim Miller about his roster going into the 2015 season.
Mayfield
“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.
Centennial
“We lost some good seniors last year, we have a lot of kids that have played some football returning, I feel good about the chemistry, feel good about the kids coming back, and we just have to work hard and get better every week. I would say offensive linemen are our strength. We also have some strong leadership right now that is going to be tested. We’ve got a lot of challenging games up ahead, we got 27 seniors that care a lot of this program, and that have been here for 4-years, so I would say leadership is a big strength too,” Said Ocampo on the incoming 2015 team.
Preseason Football Page Here
Preseason Football Page Here
Key Quotes Going Into The Season
Rio Rancho
“We had a great spring and we are really looking forward to seeing how these younger guys step in. We got some seniors that want to prove themselves and we’re excited for the challenge.” said Head Rio Rancho Football Coach David Howes.
Cleveland
“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.
Volcano Vista
“It's been a good summer to start, the attitude is a lot better and the kids are just working hard. It’s a very senior dominate group and that is where the leadership starts for us," said Head Volcano Vista Coach Chad Wallin.
Manzano
“We got some new names like: Orlando Perez, Jordan Byrd, and Antonio Padilla, and skill wise overall I liked the way we competed at the UNM 7-On. It’s all about learning right now in the summer time, for right now I think we are where we need to be,” said Manzano Head Football Coach Chad Adcox.
Sandia
“Our seniors are pretty darn good and have led all the way through our spring and summer workouts. We’re led by Seniors Jimmy Gallegos, Dominic Baca, Jeremiah Loya, and Isaiah Lowery. We return 11 starters overall and we’re excited about the 2015 season,” said Head Sandia Football Coach Kevin Barker.
Eldorado
“I think when you have a program with tradition, kids want to win. These seniors want to win, just like last year’s seniors, and hopefully they continue their bond this year,” said Head Eldorado Football Coach Charlie Dotson entering his 8th year at the helm.
Valley
“Our senior class this year is really small this year, luckily they are all pretty good. We got guys like Teton Saltes, Noah Santistevan, Michael Barboa, and Elijah Naranjo who are all going to make plays. Last year was up and down a little bit, but I think we’ve learned from that, we lacked a little bit of senior leadership, over the summer we have worked on that,” Said Enrico Marcelli.
Albuquerque
“There has been a significant amount of change in these young men, now they are very much accountable and up for the challenge to take care of their responsibilities. We are still building a foundation, it’s an every day commitment, it’s a process, it’s going to take some time, but as from a coaching perspective and from the players we are all excited about it,” Commented Flakes.
Clovis
“The attitude of this group is real good, our kids work real hard in the off-season. Attitude and leadership are usually problems we do not have here in Clovis, we’re a little undersized this year, we lost all 11 of our defensive starters, but we do return 6 starters on offense including our quarterback, running back, X, and our tight end. We got a lot of competitions for these positions, in-fact there are 17 positions open and that competition makes for good practice because no one has it made. Kids have to work everyday to earn a position and keep that position,” Said Legendary Clovis Head Football Coach Eric Roanhaus on Monday after the Wildcat’s first official practice of the season.
Artesia
“One of the things we’re real fortunate about this year is that we have a core nucleolus of leaders from last year back from last year’s team so they know what it took to get where you want to be. No doubt though the key every year is to know that last year is now behind us and we’re starting all over again and we feel like our summer program and everything has gone pretty well, we’re excited about getting two-a-days started, and continuing to work hard,” Said Henderson on Monday afternoon regarding this year’s roster.
Hobbs
“We have a lot of juniors that started for us last year, which means we have a lot of seniors coming back. We are changing a lot of things we do not in game situations, but in practice. Before it was a good way to learn and teach, now we’re cutting the kids loose and expecting the kids to know enough to execute. We’ve made their practice to where they really have to execute better and we’re really excited about that. When I got here in Hobbs, these current seniors were in 8th grade, so this is their 4th year. They used to have to look over to the sidelines and expect me to change the call, now they can get to the line, see the defense, and make adjustments all on their own. We even have sophomores that can do that do, our program is just evolved and it’s something we have worked towards,” Said Charles Gleghorn on the incoming Hobbs Eagles Team.
Goddard
"We’ve got to have tough kids here at Goddard, because we are not big and we’re not fast. And when you play teams like Clovis, Carlsbad, Hobbs, and Artesia even the teams in our district are big, we don’t see many teams that are smaller than us, even Fabens, Texas was bigger than us last year. We have to put extra effort into weight training and conditioning and toughness, in the summer we get them conditioned and then we go into the football season with aspirations and hopes, but I tell the kids you better dream that you’re going to hold that blue trophy up against the sky," Said Mike Whalen who is now in his second year as Head Football Coach at Goddard.
Carlsbad
"I've always had my eye on Carlsbad. It's a one-horse town, a small town and I've always liked Carlsbad form the Lake, River, and I love the fact that on Friday Night they close it down for Football. It's a sports town with a lot of athletes, great facilities, and great community support," said first year Carlsbad Coach Gary Bradley.
Alamogordo
“It’s taken a while to get these kids into our weight program, I think that is a huge part and most of these kids started for me my first year here and they played a pretty tough schedule and now as incoming seniors they have a lot of game experience. We also have not changed is how we run the offense and defense, that hasn’t changed in three-years so these kids know everything on both sides of the football,” said Head Alamogordo Football Coach Dale Hooper who is 6-14 in two-years at Alamogordo.
Onate
“Our football savvy and what we are trying to do has really improved. We got into the first game of last year and realized we weren’t near as advanced as we thought we were. Now running our flexblone offense, it’s more cohesive these guys are on the same page and we’re actually executing a lot more of the playbook. Defensively we’ve got two very good defensive ends, we’ve got some good talented linebackers, and I am really excited to see what this year’s defense can do. I think on paper we can be better than last year and that’s exciting,” said second year Head Onate Football Coach Brent Jaquess.
Las Cruces
“It’s a good group, they work hard, we have those 70 kids each and everyday that are committed and understand it’s two-a-days and though it’s been over 100 degrees out here the last few days they have been going hard and I like their effort. We’re going to make some mistakes, but that is why we are practicing and we’re correcting them and they are getting better,” said Jim Miller about his roster going into the 2015 season.
Mayfield
“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.
Centennial
“We lost some good seniors last year, we have a lot of kids that have played some football returning, I feel good about the chemistry, feel good about the kids coming back, and we just have to work hard and get better every week. I would say offensive linemen are our strength. We also have some strong leadership right now that is going to be tested. We’ve got a lot of challenging games up ahead, we got 27 seniors that care a lot of this program, and that have been here for 4-years, so I would say leadership is a big strength too,” Said Ocampo on the incoming 2015 team.
Preseason Football Page Here
