Week 5 Preview: Top Players To Watch

Week 4 of the New Mexico High School football season got underway Thursday night with three games and continues Friday night with dozens of games throughout the state. With an emphasis on defensive players, here is our list of the 25 Players to Watch in Week 5: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137935" first="Brayden" last="Mummert"], Cibola</strong>: Cougars QB [player_tooltip player_id="137861" first="Aden" last="Chavez"] needs somebody to throw the ball to and Mummert has proved to be a valuable weapon in the middle of the field. And he’ll chase Los Lunas QB [player_tooltip player_id="137885" first="Paul" last="Cieremans"] from his OLB spot. New Mexico has expressed interest. <strong>Mikkal Belton, Los Lunas</strong>: It’s essential for Los Lunas to get an effective pass rush on Cibola QB [player_tooltip player_id="137861" first="Aden" last="Chavez"] and the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Belton is one of the top pass rushers in the state. That’s why he holds four offers. <strong>Stratton Shufelt, Cleveland</strong>: Job No. 1 for one of the state’s top linebackers – and he’s just a sophomore – is to keep the Artesia running game contained. Shufelt/Storm defensive front seven vs. Artesia RB [player_tooltip player_id="26264" first="Jacob" last="Barrera"] will be a great battle. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137932" first="Payton" last="Deans"], Artesia</strong>: While Barrera is Artesia’s No. 1 option at running back, Deans  is probably the Bulldogs’ most versatile offensive weapon. They need him to bring his A-game to have any chance of knocking off the Storm. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26241" first="Luc" last="Jaramillo"], Santa Fe</strong>: The Demons’ early success offensively has been predicated on giving the ball to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26265" first="Martell" last="Mora"]</strong> as much as possible. His 59 touches are far and away the most on the team. You know Eldorado will key on stopping Mora. It’s up to the QB Jaramillo to make sure the offense moves the ball anyway. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="135326" first="Elias" last="Franco"], Eldorado</strong>: The best way for Eldorado to keep the ball out of Mora’s hands is to keep possession themselves, sustain long drives and drain the clock. As the Eagles’ QB, [player_tooltip player_id="135326" first="Elias" last="Franco"]’s game management skills will be tested. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134989" first="Isaiah" last="Carreon"], Las Cruces</strong>: Mayfield has one of the top rushing attacks in Class 5A and Carreon’s job along with the rest of the Bulldawgs’ defense to keep it contained. <strong>Cameron Sowards, Mayfield</strong>: Sowards caught four passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s frustrating loss to Centennial. The Trojans must open up the playbook and hist some passes downfield to beat Las Cruces. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="198321" first="Kenyon" last="Singleton"], Hobbs</strong>: He’s the leading tackler on a Hobbs defense that must find a way to slow down a Goddard offense averaging more than 33 points per game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138088" first="Javyn" last="Morales"], Goddard</strong>: Few players mean more to their team than Morales, who had 137 rushing yards and scored 5 touchdowns in Goddard’s win over El paso (TX). Can Hobbs keep up with his speed? <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26232" first="Brandon" last="Furbee"], Farmington</strong>: Furbee has enjoyed a good season so far as Farmington’s new starting QB, but the level of opponent goes up on Friday as the Scorpions host Durango (Co.). <strong>Devyn Woods, Centennial</strong>: Woods will help spark the Hawks defense against the balanced Atrisco Heritage offense. The Jaguars are 3-1 overall (2 forfeit wins), 1-1 in games they’ve played. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26227" first="Zach" last="Vigil"], Rio Rancho</strong>: The Rams make the trip to Las Cruces to face Organ Mountain Saturday afternoon at Field of Dreams and they’re bringing their powerful running game with them. Can the Knights stop them? <strong>Wyatt  Gomez, Lovington</strong>: How much respect does MaxPreps have for Lovington? Even though the Wildcats were blanked by 6A Hobbs last week, they’re still the #1 team in the Class 4A rankings. Gomez is the key for the Lovington offense as they travel across the border to Denver City, Tex. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137862" first="Aidan" last="Armenta"], La Cueva</strong>: The Bears defense was rock solid last week with three touchdowns in the convincing win over Volcano Vista. Armenta has been steady this season and the Bears will need the same type of performance against Sandia. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137923" first="Malachi" last="Thymes"], Sandia</strong>: The Matadors probably want to play keep-a-way from the La Cueva offense. If so, Thymes is the key. He’s emerged as one of the top rushers in Metro Albuquerque with 421 yards on 55 carries. <strong>Brody Jaquez, Belen</strong>: The Eagles defense was dominant in last week’s win over Miyamura as Jaquez led the way with 5 sacks. Piedra Vista scored 41 points in last week’s impressive win over Kirtland Central. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26257" first="Marco" last="Ybarra"], St. Pius X</strong>: When you talk about the Sartans, you have to mention Ybarra, who has rushed for 651 yards in four games this season. Ybarra has enjoyed a great year on and off the field. <strong>Isaiah Martinez, Miyamura</strong>: If Miyamura has any chance to beat undefeated Bloomfield this week, Martinez must have the ball in his hands as much as possible. <strong>Marc Armenta, Bloomfield</strong>: The Bobcats are 4-0 because their best players are making plays at the right time. Armenta is Bloomfield’s best receiver and has found a groove with QB Richard Sharpe. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="135137" first="Kavin" last="Chavez"], Bernalillo</strong>: Can the Spartans pitch a fifth straight shutout to begin the season? Chavez has a team high 21 tackles. <strong>Landan Frost, Aztec</strong>: The Tigers say they want to get back to playing their brand of football after consecutive mercy rule losses to Farmington and Durango. The QB Frost must get them there. https://twitter.com/MasonPosa/status/1438652110955028480 https://twitter.com/lucaslucero2x/status/1437929685598441474 https://twitter.com/InixDom/status/1438001725076480001