La Cueva’s ‘State Championship Mentality’: Q&A with Bears QB Ryan Cook

These are the best of times for the La Cueva football team. Well-known as a baseball powerhouse, the Bears’ record the past three seasons is unmatched by few schools in New Mexico. In 2017, La Cueva finished 11-2 and reached the Class 6A state championship game before falling to Jordan Byrd and Manzano. La Cueva reached the coveted mountaintop in 2018 by capping a perfect 13-0 campaign with its first football state title. Last season, the Bears went 8-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 6A playoffs. Doing the math, La Cueva has compiled an impressive 32-6 record over the past three seasons. After a robust ground game helped boost La Cueva to the state title in 2018, quarterback Austin Smith threw for 3,174 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. However, the rushing attack dropped by 73 yards per game and the rushing attempt average fell by a yard, a significant sum. Now steps rising senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26220" first="Ryan" last="Cook"]</strong> (4 pass attempts in 2019) into the fray for the spring’s abbreviated 7-game regular season plus the playoffs. Wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26171" first="Brad" last="Thomas"]</strong> had 70 receptions for 1,235 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019 and he’ll likely be Cook’s top target along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26217" first="Cole" last="McClain"]</strong>. Defensive end <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26161" first="Ja’Shon" last="Lowery"]</strong>, who recently committed to New Mexico, spearheads another solid La Cueva defense. However, La Cueva lost a key offensive weapon when <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26178" first="Tyler" last="Jensen"]</strong>, who rushed for 549 yards and caught 10 passes in just six games last season (medical issues forced him to miss the first half of the season), surprised many by transferring to Cleveland. We spoke with the 6-foot-0, 170-pound Cook about La Cueva’s prospects for the 2020 season, the NMAA’s much-discussed decision to move football to the spring, Jensen’s departure and other relevant topics: <strong>Q: What is your reaction to the NMAA shifting football season to the spring?</strong> A: Personally, I feel moving the season to spring is more of a blessing than anything. With my aspirations to play college football, it just gives me more time to prepare for the season, gain weight, and get stronger and faster. It also gives our team more time to get focused on the main goal. <strong>Q: What are you and your La Cueva teammates doing to stay in shape after the governor halted summer workouts?</strong> A:  Many of our players, especially our underclassmen, are taking a lot of initiative during this weird time to utilize their opportunities to work and get better, which has made me and a lot of the seniors happy. Since the football team’s graduating class last year was so large, we have a lot of gaps to fill on both sides of the ball. We want to make sure all of our players are ready to take on the responsibility of playing varsity football and they know it must be a priority for them. I’ve been out throwing, lifting, and running every day, just to get ahead and be in the best shape for the upcoming season. My teammates and I knew the summer workouts wouldn’t last long, but we tried to take advantage of the time we had together to work as hard as possible and continue to develop our skills. <strong>Q: Did [player_tooltip player_id="26178" first="Tyler" last="Jensen"]’s decision to transfer to Cleveland catch you by surprise?</strong> A:  The whole Tyler Jenson situation was a surprise to all of us. Most of us didn’t even know he transferred until a few days after his decision. I have the utmost respect for him and his work ethic, along with his choice to transfer, but it’s a bummer because we lost such a vital part of our offense. Besides all of that though, I’m wishing him the best and hoping everything works out for him and his family. <strong>Q: After all the success La Cueva has enjoyed the past three seasons, what are the expectations for the Bears this coming season?</strong> A: At this point, we have a state championship mentality. We know we have a lot of talent and we have some returning seniors on offense that we’re excited about. We’re shooting for the championship. We don’t want to be the runner-up or get eliminated. We’re aiming for the state title. [player_tooltip player_id="26171" first="Brad" last="Thomas"] is a player. His stat line from last season was amazing. <strong>Q:  La Cueva is part of a seven-team district. Presuming the Bears keep all their district games in the spring, is there any particular game you’re looking forward to? </strong> A: Definitely Clovis. They have a lot of players. Personally, I don’t like Clovis very much. It’s a great rivalry between us and Clovis. It’s always a battle. I’m excited to play them. <strong>Q: What are the expectations for yourself going into your first season as La Cueva’s starting quarterback?</strong> A: Austin Smith was amazing last season, but I’m super excited for the season to get going. I’ve been working my butt off. I transferred here from Alamogordo after my sophomore year. I’m faster and bigger than I was. I think it’s going to be a great year. Last year they wanted me to develop a little more because the offense we run here is complex. We have over 150 different pass plays and a bunch of different runs. We use a lot of different motions. Last year, I learned. This year is my year. <strong>Q: How would you describe yourself as a quarterback?</strong> A: I consider myself a dual threat quarterback. I can get outside and get some yards with my legs. I feel I’m pretty elusive. I’m a good leader. I like to keep the energy high. Right now, I just want to play. I’m the quarterback but if something changes and they want me to play another position, I’ll do it. I just want to help the team win, in whatever way I can. <strong>Q: Do you want to play football at the next level?</strong> A: Yes. I have the cell numbers of a few coaches and I’ve been to some camps, but I know colleges aren’t going to offer a guy that hasn’t played much or proven himself when the lights come on. This year is my prove it moment. I know I must show I can perform when the game starts. https://twitter.com/ryan_cook_14/status/1263907321060585473 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;