2022 Team Preview: Valencia Jaguars
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<p><strong>Valencia 2022 Preview</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Head Coach</strong>: Wesley Shank </p>
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<p><strong>Mascot</strong>: Jaguars </p>
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<p><strong>Twitter</strong>: @VHSJagFootball</p>
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<p><strong>Colors</strong>: Cherry, Silver & Turquoise </p>
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<p><strong>2021 Record</strong>: 7-5 (Class 4A Quarterfinals) </p>
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<p><strong>Overview</strong>: Valencia surprised some folks by advancing to the Class 4A quarterfinals last season, but what that means is the Jaguars won't sneak up on anybody in 2022. Senior dual threat <strong>Rey Garcia</strong> returns at quarterback and he brings plenty of speed to the position. He is one of the fastest players on the team. He's spent the off-season trying to quicken his release. <strong>Matthew Chavez</strong> is back at running back. He's been the starter since his sophomore season. <strong>Anthony McCullough</strong> will be the fullback after sending last season as a 230-pound defensive lineman with athleticism and speed. Valencia coaches are already drawing up plays to get McCullough the ball. He'll be a load for opposing defenses to tackle.</p>
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<p>Wide receiver is probably the deepest position on the Jaguars. Senior <strong>Adriano Ortiz</strong> (6-0, 175) will likely be WR1. He's excelled at camps this summer and multiple colleges have expressed interest. He'll be supported first by junior <strong>Damien Estrada</strong>, who started as a sophomore in 2021. Along the offensive line, Valencia loses Jonathon Croker, who signed with Div. III Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana. The offensive coaches expect the Jaguars will be bigger on the O-Line in 2022. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1257353' first='Robert' last='Benitez']</strong> is a promising prospect. Junior <strong>Andrew Rightley</strong> started at center as a sophomore last season but is moving to guard. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103724' first='Tilden' last='Brown']</strong> has been a pleasant surprise in summer workouts.</p>
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<p>Another strength for the Jaguars? Defensive line. Senior <strong>Elijah Zapata</strong> is 6-foot-4, 290 pounds and moves his feet very well. He returns to the football team following a two-year absence. McCullough returns to the D-Line. The main concern on the defensive side is linebacker. Two starters graduated this past spring. Ortiz is working at inside (MIKE) linebacker after previously lining up in the secondary. Most of last year's starters return in the secondary. Ethan Alderete is a two-year starter at cornerback. He'll also play receiver.</p>
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<p><strong>Schedule</strong>: Valencia's schedule is front-loaded with three home games in the first four games. However, the month of October features three straight road games, two against district opponents St. Pius X and Grants.</p>
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<p>Aug. 19 ALAMOGORDO</p>
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<p>Aug. 27 at Del Norte (Sat.)</p>
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<p>Sept. 2 Bye</p>
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<p>Sept. 9 PORTALES</p>
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<p>Sept. 16 SANTA TERESA</p>
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<p>Sept. 23 at Bloomfield</p>
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<p>Sept. 30 GADSDEN</p>
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<p>Oct. 6 at Rio Grande (Thur.)</p>
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<p>Oct. 15 at St. Pius X (Sat.)*</p>
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<p>Oct. 21 at Grants*</p>
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<p>Oct. 28 SILVER*</p>
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<p>* District Game</p>
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<p><strong>Top Storyline</strong>: Will Valencia's experience-filled roster allow the Jaguars to compete for the district championship and make a deep run in the Class 4A playoffs? </p>
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<p><strong>Final Thoughts</strong>: Valencia fell off the radar after going 4-25-1 between 2015-17 and then 2-7 in 2019. When the Jaguars went 0-3 in the spring of 2021, expectations weren't high going into last season. But Valencia bounced back with seven wins, most since 2013. The Jaguars had a very small senior class last fall, so most of the major contributors are back and ready for another solid regular season, high playoff seed and a run to the 4A title. The pieces appear to be in place for the Jaguars to compete for the title. </p>
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<p><strong>Coach's Comments</strong>: “We lost only a small number of seniors, so we have a lot of underclassmen coming back. And a lot of them have started for two or three years, so we have a lot of experience coming back.” – Valencia coach Wesley Shank. </p>
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Valencia 2022 Preview
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