Sneak Peek: Centennial has plenty of young talent returning
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Fueled by one of the top rushing attacks in the state, Centennial reached the Class 6A semifinals last November before suffering a heartbreaking last-minute loss to La Cueva at Field of Dreams. In 2023, the Hawks’ goal remains the same…
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Continue ReadingFueled by one of the top rushing attacks in the state, Centennial reached the Class 6A semifinals last November before suffering a heartbreaking last-minute loss to La Cueva at Field of Dreams.
In 2023, the Hawks’ goal remains the same – be the first team from Las Cruces since 2016 to play in the 6A state championship game.
They have the talent to get there.
Centennial loses highly productive running back Mikah Gutierrez Mikah Gutierrez 5'8" | 160 lbs | RB Centennial | 2023 State NM , who signed with NMMI after rushing for 100+ yards seemingly every week during the 2022 season, along with several experienced offensive linemen.
But major contributors on both sides of the ball are back, starting with 2024 dual threat quarterback Daniel Hernandez Daniel Hernandez QB Centennial | 2024 State NM . Who replaces Gutierrez at RB? Most likely, rising junior Rudy Rios, who was the backup last season.
“Daniel is a very good athlete,” Centennial coach Aaron Ocampo told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “He can do a lot of things. I see him as somebody that schools at the next level would want. He would be perfect in a triple option type offense. He throws the ball well but he also runs the ball extremely well too.”
Promising rising junior (2025) Jordan Lucas Jordan Lucas 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR Centennial | 2025 State NM showed flashes of his skills last season (28 receptions for 431 yards, 8 TD), and should become one of the top wide receivers in the state in 2023. He’s a fearless camp warrior.
“Jordan had a very productive sophomore season,” Ocampo said. “He’s very motivated and wants to play at a high level. He’s attended a bunch of camps, which has helped him with his confidence as a player.”
Rising junior OL Sultan Arenas, younger brother of former Centennial All-State OL Khalif Arenas Khalif Arenas 6'1" | 290 lbs | OL Centennial | 2023 State NM , started most of the 2022 season for the Hawks and was the lone non-senior starter at that position.
Led by rising senior OLB John Sierra John Sierra 6'2" | 210 lbs | LB Centennial | 2024 State NM (offered Monday by New Mexico) and DB David Beasley David Beasley 5'10" | 155 lbs | DB Centennial | 2024 State NM (invited to Junior Day by ENMU), both of whom will play at the next level, the Centennial defense should be nasty in 2023.
“Sierra is quite a player,” Ocampo said. “He’s going to attract a lot of recruiting interest. David has had a couple of good years, He’ll be a three-year starter.”
2025 Abel Gonzalez Abel Gonzalez 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Centennial | 2025 State NM (started as a freshman in 2021) and 2024 Julian Montano Julian Montano 6'2" | 190 lbs | OL Centennial | 2024 State NM headline the defensive line while tall (6-foot-2) 2025 Zaiden Davis joins Sierra on the second level at inside linebacker/safety.
“Zaiden has the size a lot of college coaches are going to love,” Ocampo said. “He’ll probably get a little bit taller. He really played well last season. I see him as a guy who’s going to garner a lot of interest from colleges. He runs well.”
2025 Omar Terrones, a First-Team All-District selection as a sophomore in 2022, joins Beasley in the secondary. He started at cornerback for most of the 2022 season.
OLB/DB Andrew Evans will be a three-year starter for the Hawks. He’s extremely physical and, based on his film, not afraid to come up to the line of scrimmage and help out in run defense. He’s a solid tackler.
Rising sophomore (2026) Luke Matherly saw game action with the Centennial varsity in 2022. He’s already 220 pounds and should only get bigger and stronger over the next three years.
Another promising rising sophomore is 6-foot-4, 200-pound LB Ifo Pili Jr. Ocampo sees him eventually developing into a very good defensive lineman and/or offensive lineman.
“Ifo has a chance to be highly recruited,” Ocampo said. “He’s going to become a very good player.”
His father, who is the city manager for Las Cruces, played at BYU and then about a half dozen years in the NFL. He appeared in Super Bowl XXXIX for the Philadelphia Eagles.