Top 5 Running Backs in Metro Albuquerque

We’ve given you the top running backs in classifications 3A-6A. Now we’ll break down the position by geography starting with Metro Albuquerque and continuing with Las Cruces/Southern New Mexico, and Santa Fe/Northern New Mexico. The Albuquerque Public School district consists of 13 public high schools and two private schools that play football (Albuquerque Academy and St. Pius X). It’s important to note the APSD does not include Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Los Lunas or Belen, so the schools located in those towns will not be included in these rankings. <strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id="26257" first="Marco" last="Ybarra"], St. Pius X</em></strong>: The junior isn’t just one of the top running backs in Albuquerque, he’s also one of the strongest. Of course, there’s probably a connection between the two. Ybarra won the December NMAA Powerlifting competition in the 198-pound weight class. His sophomore season was cut short by injury, but there’s no mistaking Ybarra’s ability. If he stays healthy, Ybarra could put up some serious numbers in the spring. <strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id="26208" first="Isaiah" last="Ortiz"], Del Norte</em></strong>: If you don’t know much about Ortiz, you’re not alone. Del Norte gets very little media attention in Albuquerque as the Knights typically struggle annually to get past the 4-win mark. So, many people would be surprised to learn Ortiz rushed for 1,678 yards and had the second most attempts in 5A (229) in 2019. Ortiz averaged 7.3 yards per rush and scored 14 touchdowns. <strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id="26221" first="Slayd" last="Campos"], Cibola</em></strong>: Campos was THE rushing attack for Cibola last season, totaling 864 yards and averaging nearly seven yards per carry. No other RB had more than 17 carries. In the spring, he’ll combine with dynamic young QB Aden Chavez to give Cibola one of the top offensive backfields in the Albuquerque Metro area. <strong><em>Elijah Goree, Eldorado</em></strong>: The Eagles have an opportunity to make some noise in the spring, and Goree is a major reason why. He rushed for 572 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2019. Add QB [player_tooltip player_id="26222" first="Nick" last="Petty"] into the mix and Eldorado has a reason for optimism. <strong><em>Jesse Murphy, Valley</em></strong>: Murphy was one of the few bright spots for Valley in 2019 as the Vikings finished 0-10. Murphy will carry much of the weight of the Valley offense on his shoulders in the spring. https://twitter.com/marcoayb/status/1335291297054117890 https://twitter.com/ElijahGoree2/status/1322266752311418880