City Series: Top 5 Running Backs in Northern New Mexico

We complete Phase 2 of our ‘City Series’ by taking a look at the top running backs in Northern New Mexico entering the 2022 season: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138053" first="Cayden" last="Walton"], Raton</strong>: There is NO debate as to who’s the top running back in northern Mexico. In fact, Walton, hailing from a small town of about 6,000 residents situated along I-25 on the New Mexico-Colorado border, could be the No. 1 RB in the entire state. Walton was our 2021 Class 3A Player of the Year after leading the state in rushing with 1,905 yards and 24 TD on 188 carries. He has already amassed nearly 5,000 career rushing yards. Two thousand rushing yards in 2022 is not out of the question. He should generate plenty of recruiting interest in the fall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208812" first="Andres" last="Madrid"], Santa Rosa</strong>: It’s unlikely many folks have heard of Madrid, who toils in obscurity for Class 2A Santa Rosa. In his first year of varsity football, Madrid rushed for 1,370 yards and 15 TD, compiling 7 games of 100+ rushing yards along the way. He averaged nearly 9 yards per carry. Santa Rosa should be a Class 2A playoff contender with Madrid leading the way on offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138075" first="Jakeem" last="Reed"], Farmington</strong>: The Scorpions had more than a high-powered passing attack en route to an undefeated regular season and the No. 1 seed for the Class 5A playoffs. Reed, along with Julian Gomez, fueled Farmington’s ground game. Reed should be Farmington’s No. 1 RB in 2022 during their first year at the Class 6A level. <strong>Jesse James Gonzales, Robertson</strong>: Yes, he still has the best name in New Mexico high school football. But Gonzales, one of the top 2025 prospects in the state, is also an outstanding young running back. Older brother Matthew led Robertson to the 3A title in 2021. Jesse James was the featured running back for the Cardinals and rushed for over 800 yards. He combined with his older brother for over 2,000 rushing yards. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269558" first="Kyun" last="Tate"], Navajo Prep</strong>: In December we told you about Tate and explained why he was a Player to Watch in 2022. Navajo Prep’s dynamic RB and DB rushed for 934 yards and 16 TD, amassed over 1,000 total yards, and made 76 tackles with 3 interceptions on defense. Tate goes into the 2022 season as one of the top two-way players in Class 3A. <strong>Honorable Mention</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id="269537" first="Jaydin" last="Vigil"] (West Las Vegas); [player_tooltip player_id="208794" first="Jacob" last="Ramsted"] (Piedra Vista); [player_tooltip player_id="269559" first="Teke" last="Nieto"] (Los Alamos); Ethen Meloy-Chavez (Pojoaque Valley); [player_tooltip player_id="275562" first="Taylor" last="Torivio"] (Santa Fe Indian School); Randon Matthews (Kirtland Central); Francisco Diaz (Capital); Elijah Romero (Taos). https://twitter.com/RatonFootball/status/1470550069074182154 https://twitter.com/Andres5Madrid_/status/1435678566881050630 &nbsp; &nbsp;