Who is the state’s strongest HS football player?
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Who is New Mexico’s strongest high school football player for the 2022-23 academic year? Based on the results from Saturday’s state powerlifting championships, the unofficial winner is 2023 Rio Rancho OL Jase Smith Jase Smith 6'2" | OL Rio Rancho…
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Continue ReadingWho is New Mexico’s strongest high school football player for the 2022-23 academic year?
Based on the results from Saturday’s state powerlifting championships, the unofficial winner is 2023 Rio Rancho OL Jase Smith Jase Smith 6'2" | OL Rio Rancho | 2023 State NM , who lifted a combined 1,370 pounds to capture the title in the 308-pound division.
Rising Rio Rancho junior (2025) Jose Zapian was second behind Smith in the 308-pound division with 1,255 combined pounds. A pair of Sandia players finished second (Nicolas Solis) and third (Franklin Finch) behind Rio Rancho’s Aiden Foutz in the super heavyweight division.
Finch has signed with Eastern New Mexico.
2025 Rio Rancho prospect Ronald Thomas Ronald Thomas 5'10" | 250 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2025 State NM , who played the 2022 season with the Rams’ JV team, won the 275-pound class with a combined weight of 1,210 pounds. 2024 Volcano Vista OL/DL Zachary Markham Zachary Markham 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL Volcano Vista | 2024 State NM was third with 1,195 pounds.
2024 Cleveland OL Ben Linfoot Ben Linfoot 5'9" | 220 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2024 State NM won the 242-pound class with a combined weight of 1,315 pounds, making him one of the strongest players in the state on a pound-for-pound basis.
Five Lovington lifters won individual titles at this weekend’s state powerlifting championship in Rio Rancho, many of whom play football.
2023 Lovington DT Daniel Wall easily captured gold in the heavyweight division (308 pounds) in Class 4A with a combined weight of 1,340 pounds, most of any 4A lifter at the state championships.
2023 Lovington OL/DL Ezekiel Guzman Ezekiel Guzman 6'3" | OL Lovington | 2023 State NM , who is committed to NMMI, lifted the second most combined weight on Saturday (1,280 pounds) competing in the 242 pound division.
2023 Lovington OL/DL Brennen Garcia Brennen Garcia 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL Lovington | 2023 State NM won the 275-pound division with a combined weight of 1,250 pounds. New Mexico State has offered Garcia the opportunity to join the program as a preferred walk-on, and he is considering the invitation.
Multiple returning Wildcats excelled as well. 2024 OL/DL Jayden Bosquez finished second in the Super Heavyweight Division with a combined weight of 1,155 pounds. 2025 OLB/WR Ryan Weiser won the 148-pound division with a combined weight of 915 pounds.
2023 Portales OL Nick Lavalle won the super heavyweight division with a combined weight of 1,240 pounds.
West Las Vegas QB C.J. Perea, one of our top prospects in the 2025 class, finished tied for second in the Class A-3A 242-pound division with a combined weight of 1,045 pounds.
Rising junior DT Troy Lopez (2025) from Santa Rosa won the super heavyweight division in the A-3A competition with a combined weight of 1,100 pounds.