Cibola QB looks to make positive impression on national stage

A year ago, 2023 Cibola quarterback Aden Chavez made a splashy debut on the Albuquerque high school football scene, throwing for nearly 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing over 71 percent of his passes in a promising six-game freshman campaign. Now he hopes to make the same impression on the national stage. Chavez, who already stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 195 pounds despite just turning 17, will compete in the Elite 11 regionals in Chicago on Halloween weekend before going to Virginia Beach, Va. for the VTO Regional Combine in mid-November. After that, it’s on to Glendale, Ariz. for the Top 200 Combine at the end of November. Three events in which Chavez has a wonderful opportunity to raise his national profile and get on the recruiting radar of numerous Power 5 and Group of 5 schools. "I want to show that players from New Mexico are competitors too and we can compete with players from other states,” Chavez said. “In past camps, I’ve gotten some positive feedback on my footwork, how I keep my composure and how I keep my head up even when bad things happen.” This spring, Chavez, who says he has gained about 25 pounds and added muscle to his once lanky frame,  hopes to build upon an encouraging freshman year cut short by injury. “Last season was a learning experience. I just took everything in,” Chavez said. “I tried to learn from the people above me and just understand the basics on how to be successful. This coming season I want to improve my completion percentage and try to be more consistent and have more passing yards and touchdowns with less interceptions.” Before starting the spring season, Chavez wants to continue improving his deep throws and throwing on the run. QBHitList.com, a website devoted to evaluating prep quarterbacks, had this scouting report on Chavez: "We've got a good one here! Future potential through the roof. A tall platform, able to survey the entire field. He plays with strong confidence in his game. Excellent arm strength and good vision downfield. . .Aden's a very intelligent QB. Works well through his progressions, going from his primary targets down to secondary outlets." Cibola reached the Class 6A playoffs last season as the No. 11 seed before falling to Centennial in the opening round, completing a 5-6 campaign. Along with Chavez, leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id="26221" first="Slayd" last="Campos"] (864 yards, 10 TD in 2019) returns to give the Cougars a dynamic offensive backfield combination. Second leading receiver Elijah Spaulding (40 receptions for 531 yards + 4 TD in 2019) is back as well. Cibola’s biggest speed bump to another playoff push is they play in arguably the state’s toughest district (6A-District 1) with Cleveland, Rio Rancho, Volcano Vista, Atrisco Heritage and West Mesa. “Personally, I think we have the players to do very well,” Chavez said. “We have a good offensive line, lots of skill players and a lot of depth. We have talent and experience. I feel we can be one of the top teams in the state. Hopefully, we can get a higher seed for the playoff and go farther.” https://twitter.com/aden_chavez08/status/1316098804609773573 https://twitter.com/CoachRodWill/status/1316211599351447553 https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1314391313039544320