Youthful Manzano Will Rely On Speed in 2015
By Kyle Henderson of NMPreps.com
Manzano Monarch Overview
The Manzano Monarchs have reached the big school classification playoffs in the last 6 of 7 seasons. Head Coach Chad Adcox has been with Manzano since 2003 and took over as Head Coach for Aaron Ocampo in 2012. Entering his 4th year as Head Coach at Manzano, Adcox has kept Manzano is the big school mix, but with declining numbers at Manzano getting past yearly bigs like Cleveland, Mayfield, and their district has been a continued struggle. In fact, since 2012 Manzano is 2-8 against district opponents. They graduate a good mix of linemen and skill guys, but their younger group coming up is very talented. “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.
A Look Back Over The Years
2014 4-6 *Lost to Onate in the 1st Round
2013 5-5 Did not reach the playoffs
2012 6-5 *Lost to Mayfield in the 1st Round
2011 11-3 *Lost to Mayfield Semifinals
2010 11-2 *Lost to Mayfield in the Title Game
2009 10-2 *Lost to La Cueva in the Semifinals
2008 8-4 *Lost to Las Cruces in the quarterfinals
Senior Spotlight: Orlando Perez
“Orlando Perez is a very dynamic athlete, has a cannon for an arm, and we’re moving him to quarterback this year, He is also a great runner, and will bring some excitement to the table,” commented Head Manzano Coach Chad Adcox on Perez who will take over for Brandon Bray this year at quarterback. As a junior Perez ran for 137-yards, caught for 290-yards, and racked up 342-yards returning kicks. In the past, when Manzano has a dual threat at the helm, they are very tough to stop on offense.
Skill Guys Will Be Their Strength
The Monarchs might not have the size up front they have had in the past, but their skill guys are going to be very dangerous. Jordan Byrd (pictured) at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds won the 100M state championship as a just a freshman last year. His best time was a 10.6 and according to Adcox, Byrd is not just a track guy, he’s one who loves contact and can make plays with the football. Adcox tells us we’ll see Byrd all over the field: Slot, backfield, kick off returns, but eventually in years to come he could take over the quarterback position, the position he played all throughout YAFL. “Jordan is a person of great character, works his butt off, lightning fast, and he is going to have a target on his back, but with that he is very humble. He just does his job,” says Adcox on Jordan. Their running back this year taking over for 1,100-yard rusher Isaiah Cordova is Matt Gutierrez who looked to hit the whole hard at practice. The Monarchs return 6-foot-3, 190 pound Dominick Konstan who led the team in receiving last year with 387-yards and 5 touchdown catches. Also watch for 5-foot-9, 170 pound Michael Youchison who looked the part in practice Monday Morning.
Big Man To Watch Is Antonio Padilla
The Monarchs strongest player up front is Antonio Padilla (pictured) at 5-foot-10, 240 pounds. He has a bench of 320 pounds, squat of 425, hang clean of 270, and an incline of 300 (1,315 Total). Padilla will be at the left guard position during the 2015 season. “Not as big as we’ve been in the past, we have some good guys with some strength. Antonio has a bench of 300 pounds, very strong kid, the strongest in our program. Caleb Dimas at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds is back, and some new guys are competing for positions and Greg Romero will likely start at Center."
6 or 7 Sophomores Could Start
Speaking with Coach Adcox, there is a good chance that 5 or 6 sophomores could see varsity time this year. Jordan Byrd at slot/athlete, Cameron Herrera (pictured) at linebacker. Herrera looks solid and looks more like a senior than a sophomore at a strong 185 pounds. Alejandro Vallejos could see time in the secondary at safety, Noah Baca has a chance to start at backer, Kydae Jones could see time at running back, Andrew Erickson is battling for a position at outside receiver, and Greg Romero will be starting at Center.
Defensive Players To Watch
The Monarchs will be young on defense with just 4 projected starters in the Class of 2016. Shamille Carver is a 6-foot-1, 195 pound defensive end that looked noteworthy at practice. Bryson Watts will be a two-year starter at the linebacker position, typical linebacker that looks aggressive. At Manzano you rarely see players going both ways. In the secondary watch for Ryan Moore (should have a big year) and Devon McGee. Two incoming prospects that coach tells us has looked good early on. As mentioned there are a good amount of sophomores that could see time on defense: Cameron Herrera at linebacker, Alejandro Vallejos at safety, and Noah Baca at linebacker.
Breaking It Down
If I had to guess at how many games Manzano would win today I would say at least 5, maybe 6 if they can upset a district opponent. It’s not that they are going to be bad, but they are young on defense and not very big up front on either side of the football. Their skill position players and speed are going to keep them in games as they have players that have home-run play ability. They’ll be able to stretch the field when passing the football, Orlando Perez at quarterback throws the football very well and as mentioned he’s one of the best runners on their team. Then there is the Jordan Byrd factor, UNM has not offered a sophomore (since who knows when) and speed kills. This team pounded Volcano Vista last year, was beating Cibola 28-7 before the game was called, nearly beat La Cueva, and lost by just 4 to Onate in the playoffs. Hard to see Manzano making a run this year, but they are going to have some bite and it’s best you don’t overlook this bunch. We're highlighting week 2 against Volcano Vista and their first district game against Sandia on October 10th as marquee match ups.
2015 Schedule
@ Cleveland 08/28/2015 7:00 pm
Volcano Vista 09/03/2015 7:00 pm
Rio Grande 09/10/2015 7:00 pm
@ West Mesa 09/17/2015 7:00 pm
@ Cibola 09/25/2015 7:00 pm
Mayfield 10/02/2015 7:00 pm
Sandia 10/10/2015 1:00 pm
@ Highland 10/16/2015 7:00 pm
Eldorado 10/30/2015 7:00 pm
@ La Cueva 11/05/2015 7:00 pm
2015 Returning Stat Leaders
Orlando Perez - Class of 2016 Quarterback - Caught for 290-yards, ran for 137-yards, 383 kick return yards
Dominick Kinston - Class of 2016 Receiver - Caught for 387-yards/5 TD’s
Shamble Dumas - Class of 2016 Linemen - 41 tackles
Stephen Woods - Class of 2016 Defensive Back - 30 tackles
Bryson Watts - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 20 tackles
Matt Gutierrez - Class of 2016 Running Back - 356-yards on special teams
2014 Schedule
L - Cleveland 40-21
W - Volcano Vista 40-14
W - Rio Grande 38-0
W - West Mesa 55-14
Game against Cibola Called to lightning
L - Sandia 26-14
W - Highland 53-0
L - Eldorado 35-0
L - La Cueva 34-32
L - Onate 24-20 *1st Round of 6A playoffs
2014 Stat Leaders
Brandon Bray - Class of 2015 Quarterback - Threw for 1,376-yards
Isaiah Cordova - Class of 2015 Running Back - Ran for 1,190-yards/14 TDs
Charles Counteee - Class of 2015 Athlete - Ran for 341-yards/Caught for 320 yards
Tanner Huber - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 117 tackles
Cameron Mcmahon - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 117 tackles
By Kyle Henderson of NMPreps.com
Manzano Monarch Overview
The Manzano Monarchs have reached the big school classification playoffs in the last 6 of 7 seasons. Head Coach Chad Adcox has been with Manzano since 2003 and took over as Head Coach for Aaron Ocampo in 2012. Entering his 4th year as Head Coach at Manzano, Adcox has kept Manzano is the big school mix, but with declining numbers at Manzano getting past yearly bigs like Cleveland, Mayfield, and their district has been a continued struggle. In fact, since 2012 Manzano is 2-8 against district opponents. They graduate a good mix of linemen and skill guys, but their younger group coming up is very talented. “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.
A Look Back Over The Years
2014 4-6 *Lost to Onate in the 1st Round
2013 5-5 Did not reach the playoffs
2012 6-5 *Lost to Mayfield in the 1st Round
2011 11-3 *Lost to Mayfield Semifinals
2010 11-2 *Lost to Mayfield in the Title Game
2009 10-2 *Lost to La Cueva in the Semifinals
2008 8-4 *Lost to Las Cruces in the quarterfinals
Senior Spotlight: Orlando Perez
“Orlando Perez is a very dynamic athlete, has a cannon for an arm, and we’re moving him to quarterback this year, He is also a great runner, and will bring some excitement to the table,” commented Head Manzano Coach Chad Adcox on Perez who will take over for Brandon Bray this year at quarterback. As a junior Perez ran for 137-yards, caught for 290-yards, and racked up 342-yards returning kicks. In the past, when Manzano has a dual threat at the helm, they are very tough to stop on offense.
Skill Guys Will Be Their Strength
The Monarchs might not have the size up front they have had in the past, but their skill guys are going to be very dangerous. Jordan Byrd (pictured) at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds won the 100M state championship as a just a freshman last year. His best time was a 10.6 and according to Adcox, Byrd is not just a track guy, he’s one who loves contact and can make plays with the football. Adcox tells us we’ll see Byrd all over the field: Slot, backfield, kick off returns, but eventually in years to come he could take over the quarterback position, the position he played all throughout YAFL. “Jordan is a person of great character, works his butt off, lightning fast, and he is going to have a target on his back, but with that he is very humble. He just does his job,” says Adcox on Jordan. Their running back this year taking over for 1,100-yard rusher Isaiah Cordova is Matt Gutierrez who looked to hit the whole hard at practice. The Monarchs return 6-foot-3, 190 pound Dominick Konstan who led the team in receiving last year with 387-yards and 5 touchdown catches. Also watch for 5-foot-9, 170 pound Michael Youchison who looked the part in practice Monday Morning.
Big Man To Watch Is Antonio Padilla
The Monarchs strongest player up front is Antonio Padilla (pictured) at 5-foot-10, 240 pounds. He has a bench of 320 pounds, squat of 425, hang clean of 270, and an incline of 300 (1,315 Total). Padilla will be at the left guard position during the 2015 season. “Not as big as we’ve been in the past, we have some good guys with some strength. Antonio has a bench of 300 pounds, very strong kid, the strongest in our program. Caleb Dimas at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds is back, and some new guys are competing for positions and Greg Romero will likely start at Center."
6 or 7 Sophomores Could Start
Speaking with Coach Adcox, there is a good chance that 5 or 6 sophomores could see varsity time this year. Jordan Byrd at slot/athlete, Cameron Herrera (pictured) at linebacker. Herrera looks solid and looks more like a senior than a sophomore at a strong 185 pounds. Alejandro Vallejos could see time in the secondary at safety, Noah Baca has a chance to start at backer, Kydae Jones could see time at running back, Andrew Erickson is battling for a position at outside receiver, and Greg Romero will be starting at Center.
Defensive Players To Watch
The Monarchs will be young on defense with just 4 projected starters in the Class of 2016. Shamille Carver is a 6-foot-1, 195 pound defensive end that looked noteworthy at practice. Bryson Watts will be a two-year starter at the linebacker position, typical linebacker that looks aggressive. At Manzano you rarely see players going both ways. In the secondary watch for Ryan Moore (should have a big year) and Devon McGee. Two incoming prospects that coach tells us has looked good early on. As mentioned there are a good amount of sophomores that could see time on defense: Cameron Herrera at linebacker, Alejandro Vallejos at safety, and Noah Baca at linebacker.
Breaking It Down
If I had to guess at how many games Manzano would win today I would say at least 5, maybe 6 if they can upset a district opponent. It’s not that they are going to be bad, but they are young on defense and not very big up front on either side of the football. Their skill position players and speed are going to keep them in games as they have players that have home-run play ability. They’ll be able to stretch the field when passing the football, Orlando Perez at quarterback throws the football very well and as mentioned he’s one of the best runners on their team. Then there is the Jordan Byrd factor, UNM has not offered a sophomore (since who knows when) and speed kills. This team pounded Volcano Vista last year, was beating Cibola 28-7 before the game was called, nearly beat La Cueva, and lost by just 4 to Onate in the playoffs. Hard to see Manzano making a run this year, but they are going to have some bite and it’s best you don’t overlook this bunch. We're highlighting week 2 against Volcano Vista and their first district game against Sandia on October 10th as marquee match ups.
2015 Schedule
@ Cleveland 08/28/2015 7:00 pm
Volcano Vista 09/03/2015 7:00 pm
Rio Grande 09/10/2015 7:00 pm
@ West Mesa 09/17/2015 7:00 pm
@ Cibola 09/25/2015 7:00 pm
Mayfield 10/02/2015 7:00 pm
Sandia 10/10/2015 1:00 pm
@ Highland 10/16/2015 7:00 pm
Eldorado 10/30/2015 7:00 pm
@ La Cueva 11/05/2015 7:00 pm
2015 Returning Stat Leaders
Orlando Perez - Class of 2016 Quarterback - Caught for 290-yards, ran for 137-yards, 383 kick return yards
Dominick Kinston - Class of 2016 Receiver - Caught for 387-yards/5 TD’s
Shamble Dumas - Class of 2016 Linemen - 41 tackles
Stephen Woods - Class of 2016 Defensive Back - 30 tackles
Bryson Watts - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 20 tackles
Matt Gutierrez - Class of 2016 Running Back - 356-yards on special teams
2014 Schedule
L - Cleveland 40-21
W - Volcano Vista 40-14
W - Rio Grande 38-0
W - West Mesa 55-14
Game against Cibola Called to lightning
L - Sandia 26-14
W - Highland 53-0
L - Eldorado 35-0
L - La Cueva 34-32
L - Onate 24-20 *1st Round of 6A playoffs
2014 Stat Leaders
Brandon Bray - Class of 2015 Quarterback - Threw for 1,376-yards
Isaiah Cordova - Class of 2015 Running Back - Ran for 1,190-yards/14 TDs
Charles Counteee - Class of 2015 Athlete - Ran for 341-yards/Caught for 320 yards
Tanner Huber - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 117 tackles
Cameron Mcmahon - Class of 2016 Linebacker - 117 tackles
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