Sneak Peek: Silver for the gold in 2023?

The Silver Fighting Colts finished, well, with the Class 4A silver medal in 2022, earning the No. 1 seed for the playoffs and advancing all the way to the state championship game in late November before dropping a 13-7 slugfest to Bloomfield on the road.   This year, Silver has their eyes squarely on the gold.   Last season the Colts parlayed one of the top rushing attacks in the entire state (2,221 total rushing yards; 170.8 yards per game) and a ferocious defense led by a pair of future Western New Mexico signees that registered 32 sacks, 19 interceptions and allowed fewer than 20 points per game into one of the winningest seasons in schools history.   Many of the most productive players from last season's Colts team are graduating, including the top three rushers ([player_tooltip player_id='208819' first='Aidan' last='Granado'], [player_tooltip player_id='270075' first='Mason' last='Lockett'] and Ricky Vasquez) and those two aforementioned defensive standouts who signed with nearby WNMU (DE [player_tooltip player_id='544218' first='Reuben' last='Holguin'] and Lockett) along with leading tackler LB [player_tooltip player_id='544209' first='Matthew' last='Garrison'] (87 tackles).   Yet, Silver head coach Jerome Ortiz firmly believes the Colts will be just fine in 2023, particular on the offensive side of the ball.   “If things go our way, we feel pretty comfortable where we could end up,” Ortiz said.   Start with talented young (2026) running back Michael Jimenez, who could earn the No. 1 RB role in 2023 Jimenez only saw limited action with the varsity last season but his potential is seemingly endless.   Rising senior Ezekiel Torres and several others will compete for carries out of Silver's Wing-T formation, which typically utilizes three running backs  on nearly every play.     “It's going to be hard to replace Aidan, Ricky and Mason, but I think Michael will step up and do really well for us,” Ortiz said. “He did really well for the our JV Team. He plays like his hair is on fire. He'll fit in really well with our seniors. But he'll have to earn his opportunities ahead of the seniors.       “It will be running back by committee until I see who has what it takes. I have about five guys I'm looking at. Between the five of them, we'll find two that will have what it takes to pick up the slack from the guys that are leaving.”   Add 2024 quarterback Adan Jacquez and 6-foot-3 2024 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='591998' first='Julian' last='Richard'] (43 receptions for 710 yards in a run-heavy offense) into the mix and Silver could potentially have one of the top offensive trios in Class 4A.   “Adan can become one of the top quarterbacks in 4A,” Ortiz said. “He stepped in last year and did well. He should be a big-time player for us. He played a lot of positions on both sides of the ball for us last year. He's an outstanding quarterback.”   Colleges have already expressed interest in Richard, Ortiz said.   “Julian was, in my eyes, one of the best receivers in 4A last season,” Ortiz said. “He's going to be a beast.”   A veteran offensive line led by returners RT Ezekiel Holland, RG Dace Begay, 2026 LG [player_tooltip player_id='1266547' first='Luke' last='Stailey'] and LT Lazius Madrid will handle the blocking duties.     “Offensively, we're ready to go,” Ortiz said. “We're reloading.”   Defensively, Silver must rebuild the defensive line considering the loss of Holguin (led state in sacks with 14.5) and others. Outstanding OLB [player_tooltip player_id='275030' first='Walter' last='Woodward'] returns. Jimenez could line up at defensive end as a two-way player.   Anthony Rico and [player_tooltip player_id='592022' first='Diego' last='Lucero'] will lead the secondary. The lengthy Richard also plays safety.   “We're losing our entire defensive line,” Ortiz said. “They were all seniors and they were all very good. Right now, that's our biggest weak spot. We're looking at some guys. Defensively, we have to fill in at some key positions.”   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachOrtizCOLTS/status/1629534918912143361 </div></figure>       <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachOrtizCOLTS/status/1621586341984370688 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachOrtizCOLTS/status/1620970821962563585 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachOrtizCOLTS/status/1620889436706983936 </div></figure>

The Silver Fighting Colts finished, well, with the Class 4A silver medal in 2022, earning the No. 1 seed for the playoffs and advancing all the way to the state championship game in late November before dropping a 13-7 slugfest to Bloomfield on the road.