Look Ahead: 10 Class 6A Players We Can’t Wait To See Play Again

The New Mexico spring high school football season is over. But don’t blink because the regularly scheduled fall season will be here before you know it. Cleveland dominated Class 6A in the spring, winning all four games handily, including 42-0 over rival Rio Rancho and 56-7 over Las Cruces in the bowl game at UNM Stadium. Had a blue trophy been awarded, Cleveland would have likely captured its second straight title. But the Storm lose a ton of talent, most of which is headed to the next level. Here are 10 Class 6A players we’re looking forward to watching in the fall: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118805" first="Aden" last="Chavez"], QB Cibola</strong>: Arguably the state’s top 2023 prospect suffered a broken collarbone in Cibola’s second and final spring game, a 29-22 win over Eldorado. Prior to that, the 6-foot-5 Chavez performed at the high level we expected. The fall could be his coming out party both locally and nationally. Cibola will make plenty of noise. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26242" first="Daniel" last="Ayala"], QB West Mesa</strong>: Ayala led the Mustangs to a perfect 3-0 record this spring, throwing for 404 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was supported by two running backs headed to Eastern New Mexico. But Mustangs coach Anthony Ansotigue intends to switch to a more passing-oriented offense that fits Ayala’s talents perfectly. <strong>Stratton Shufelt, LB Cleveland</strong>: Could the best defensive player in the state be only a sophomore in the fall? Maybe. Shufelt turned heads this spring with how he performed at outside linebacker for the state’s top team. New Mexico has already offered. Many more on the way. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26227" first="Zach" last="Vigil"], RB Rio Rancho</strong>: After rushing for over 1,200 yards in 2019 and 411 yards and 8 touchdowns this spring, Vigil goes into the fall with a legitimate claim to being the state’s top running back. FCS Weber State of the Big Sky Conference and St. Thomas University have expressed interest. Weber State recently hosted Vigil for their virtual Junior Day. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26253" first="Dallas" last="Boyd"], QB Las Cruces</strong>: Who has the biggest shoes to fill in Class 6A? Boyd is the successor to ENMU-bound [player_tooltip player_id="26160" first="Marcos" last="Lopez"], who led Las Cruces for two straight seasons. The Bulldawgs QB is one of the most scrutinized players in NM high school football. We’ll see how Boyd handles the spotlight. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26265" first="Martell" last="Mora"], RB/S Santa Fe</strong>: The Demons only played two games due to Covid-19 protocols, so we didn’t get to see Mora as much as we wanted. He is helping spearhead the revival at Santa Fe, which lost 30+ games in a row a few years back. He rushed for 851 yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019. The Demons have a dynamic offensive backfield with Mora and QB Luc Jaramillo, another intriguing 2022 prospect. <strong>Aiden Armenta, QB La Cueva</strong>: We caught a glimpse of Armenta in La Cueva’s final game, a loss to Volcano Vista. The Bears finished 0-3, scoring just 41 points in 3 games. Look for Armenta,a rising junior, to revive the La Cueva offense. He was sensational at a camp in Phoenix in January, earning accolades as one of the top performers there. Pencil in the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Armenta as La Cueva’s starting QB for 2021 and 2022. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26230" first="Royce" last="Paulk"], OL Las Cruces</strong>: Arguably the top 2022 prospect in Las Cruces is 6-foot-6, 350-pound rising senior [player_tooltip player_id="26230" first="Royce" last="Paulk"], one of the anchors for the Las Cruces Bulldawgs’ imposing offensive line. Now that has something on film for coaches to see, expect FBS and FCS schools to start expressing interest. <strong>Ramon Loya, OL Carlsbad</strong>: Another physically imposing 2022 offensive lineman from the southern regions of the state. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Loya is already generating interest on the recruiting trail. Boise State is already involved. <strong>Colton Graham, QB Hobbs</strong>: After a frustrating 0-3 start to the spring season for Hobbs, the Eagles finished with convincing victories over Artesia and Onate. Graham is a solid dual threat quarterback, throwing for 649 yards and 5 touchdowns while rushing for 216 yards and 6 TDs. https://twitter.com/AdenChavez08/status/1381983435598749705 https://twitter.com/danielayala444/status/1380216947795709954 https://twitter.com/strat_shufelt/status/1378803563288088576 https://twitter.com/zacharyvigil21/status/1378780390673035265 https://twitter.com/martellmora32/status/1376689987651915778