Team MVPs: Class 5A

The 2021 New Mexico high school football season was filled with plenty of exemplary performances. This week, we tell you the Team MVPs for every team in Classes 6A-3A. Today, we present Class 5A. Teams are listed in alphabetical order: <strong>Alamogordo</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138069" first="Ryan" last="Stovall"]</strong>. It was a difficult year for the Tigers but the linebacker duo of Stovall and <strong>Damon Mayberry</strong> were productive, finishing with 59 and 55 tackles, respectively. Stovall numbers were slightly better (11 TFL, 2 sacks), so he gets the nod. Both Stovall and Mayberry return in 2023, easing Alamogordo’s transition into Class 6A. <strong>Artesia</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26264" first="Jacob" last="Barrera"]</strong>. QB <strong>Nathan Taylor</strong> had a solid year throwing the football, but it the ground game led by Barrera that played the biggest role in helping the Bulldogs reach the Class 5A state championship game. Barrera was named First-team All-State and Artesia Offensive MVP. <strong>Belen</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="207618" first="Brody" last="Jaquez"]</strong>. Senior RB <strong>Sean Tibbs</strong> rushed for 740 yards and 8 TD for the Eagles, but Jaquez’s numbers jump out at you. He finished with a team-high 56 tackles. Here’s the incredible number: Jaquez had 27 tackles for loss. Per MaxPreps, only two players in the state had more. Doing the math, that means nearly 50 percent of Jaquez’s tackles resulted in lost yardage. Impressive. Eastern New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands have offered. <strong>Capital</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208737" first="Julian" last="Munoz"]</strong>. In Capital’s final season in Class 5A before moving to 6A next season, Munoz was the undisputed leader of the Jaguars’ offense. He threw, he ran and did just about everything else. Too bad we won’t get a chance to see him operate against 6A defenses in 2022. <strong>Deming</strong>: <strong>Joseph Reza</strong>. Deming lost in the first round of the playoffs to finish 5-6, but Reza was a First-Team All-State performer at running back. Reza rushed for 1,400 yards and 22 TD for the Wildcats. Kudos, though, to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138095" first="Ian" last="Ortiz"]</strong>, who made 5A First-Team All-State as an defensive and AND offensive lineman. Ortiz will be back in 2023. <strong>Farmington</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26232" first="Brandon" last="Furbee"]</strong>. Although Farmington’s season ended on a sour note with a lopsided playoff loss at Artesia, the transfer from Grants was everything the Scorpions hoped he would be. Furbee displayed the strong throwing arm we knew he had, throwing for over 1,500 yards, and led Farmington to the No. 1 5A playoff seed. <strong>Goddard</strong>: <strong>Entire Offensive Line</strong>. The Rockets love to run the football, and when you have an offensive line with three All-State standouts, you will do it successfully. <strong>Pablo Zaragoza</strong> (1^st Team), <strong>Josh Torres</strong> (2^nd Team) and <strong>Landon Victor</strong> (2^nd Team) were all honored by the NMHSCA. <strong>Highland</strong>: <strong>Diego Torres</strong>. On a VERY young team, Torres was named All-State Honorable Mention as both a center and defensive lineman. Watch for the Hornets. They’re on the rise. Plenty of freshmen got valuable playing experience this past season and that experience could pay dividends in 2022. <strong>Los Alamos</strong>: <strong>Teke Nieto</strong>. The junior rushed for 637 yards, caught 22 passes for 298 yards and scored 6 TD for a Hilltoppers team that reached the 5A playoffs. Nieto emerged this season as a promising 2023 prospect, making next season all the more intriguing. <strong>Los Lunas</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137885" first="Paul" last="Cieremans"]</strong>. Cieremans wasn’t just the Tigers’ best player this past season, he was also the 5A Player of the Year. The state’s top dual threat QB, he accounted for nearly 2,900 total yards and 40 TD and was the primary reason Los Lunas was able to finally capture the 5A title before they make the move to 6A next season. Watching him operate against 6A defenses in 2022 will be a treat. <strong>Mayfiel</strong>d: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134970" first="Jose" last="Montoya"] and [player_tooltip player_id="26260" first="Calvin" last="Cox"]</strong>. The senior RB duo fueled the Trojans’ vaunted ground attack all season long and led Mayfield to the quarterfinals of the 5A playoffs. Both were named Second-Team All-State. The Trojans must find worthy successors as they move into the toughest district in 5A next season. <strong>Piedra Vista</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208794" first="Jacob" last="Ramsted"]</strong>. Ramsted earned Second-Team All-State honors  at running back after leading Piedra Vista into the 5A playoffs. The Panthers finished with a winning record. <strong>Roswell: Jonah Gamboa</strong>. The Coyotes bounded back from an 0-4 start to win the district title and earn a bye in the 5A playoffs. The remarkable turnaround was sparked in part by Gamboa, who was front and center in Roswell’s ground game. He earned All-State Honorable Mention honors. <strong>Santa Teresa</strong>: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="198070" first="Julian" last="Cobos"]</strong>. His first year playing football was a success for Cobos. Emerging as one of 5A’s top dual threat quarterbacks, Cobos rushed for over 1,200 yards and threw for nearly 600 as the Desert Warriors reached the quarterfinals of the 5A playoffs with a 9-3 record. <strong>Valley</strong>: <strong>Caeden Jojola</strong>. Valley head coach Judge Chavez spoke highly of Jojola before he began his junior season in August. He didn’t disappoint as Valley rode his outstanding QB play into the 5A playoffs. Jojola threw for almost 1,000 yards and rushed for 485 yards and accounted for 18 TD. https://twitter.com/AlamoFootball/status/1470756798281908231 https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1470930654602805251 https://twitter.com/coachmccraw/status/1470523776290811911 https://twitter.com/DemingWildcat/status/1469100673396457474 https://twitter.com/CieremansPaul/status/1466513962141315073 &nbsp;