2023 Team Preview: Cleveland Storm
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Cleveland 2023 Preview Head Coach: Robert Garza Mascot: Storm Twitter: @CHSStormFB Colors: Electric Blue and Silver 2022 Record: 11-2 (6A Championship) Overview: Our good friend James Yodice of the ABJ raised an interesting question in a recent story – Is…
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Continue ReadingCleveland 2023 Preview
Head Coach: Robert Garza
Mascot: Storm
Twitter: @CHSStormFB
Colors: Electric Blue and Silver
2022 Record: 11-2 (6A Championship)
Overview: Our good friend James Yodice of the ABJ raised an interesting question in a recent story – Is Cleveland a dynasty? If not, they’re close. The Storm have won three straight ‘official’ 6A state championships (2019,2021 and 2022), four if you include the abbreviated spring 2021 campaign when Cleveland was clearly the best team. They’ve lost just one game to a New Mexico opponent since the middle of the 2019 campaign. The Storm lost its offensive ‘Big Three’ to graduation (QB Evan Wysong, RB Josh Perry and WR Nic Trujillo). All three are now with the New Mexico Lobos.
As a result, some analysts might be predicting Cleveland will take a step back this season. Don’t count on it. The Storm is still loaded, especially on defense, and the new offensive skill players appear quite capable of living up to the high expectations that come with their highly visible positions. The new quarterback is 6-foot-2 sophomore Jordan Hatch Jordan Hatch 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Cleveland | 2026 State NM , who impressed onlookers during 7×7 season with his pocket presence and arm talent. He can make all the throws and is developing into a good leader. He has an opportunity to become one of the few quarterbacks in Cleveland history to start for three years.
Replacing Perry at running back is the duo of Harris Mbueha Harris Mbueha 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Cleveland | 2024 State NM and Andre Aguirre. Mbueha was an unlikely hero of the state championship game win over La Cueva, rushing for 108 yards and four touchdowns. Aguirre transferred to Cleveland from Albuquerque High last summer and ended up excelling in the secondary in the fall. Aguirre rushed for over 1,000 yards in two seasons at AHS.
Who succeeds Trujillo at WR? Senior Carter Weddle looks like the guy after starting opposite Trujillo all last season. Weddle will get an opportunity to showcase his speed as he’s one of the fastest Storm players. Jaden Davis Jaden Davis 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Cleveland | 2024 State NM will compete to become the No. 1 WR. Weddle and Davis are just two of a large group of receivers that will get a look during preseason camp. Junior tight end Jon Baca Jon Baca 6'2" | 210 lbs | TE Cleveland | 2025 State NM will get an opportunity to catch passes after largely serving as a blocking TE in 2022. He could end up being a key component in the Storm passing game.
Ben Linfoot Ben Linfoot 5'9" | 220 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2024 State NM , pound-for-pound one of the strongest players in the state, returns at center, along with both starting guards – Mason Jones and Gabriel Marquez Gabriel Marquez 6'0" | 250 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2025 State NM . That trio gives Cleveland an outstanding interior offensive line. Both starting tackles will be new. An intriguing candidate to earn a starting job is athletic 6-foot-4, 250-pound sophomore Moses Sparks Moses Sparks 6'4" | 240 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2026 State NM , our No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class. Sparks has already been offered by New Mexico. Junior Robert Sabado Robert Sabado 6'0" | 220 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2025 State NM is competing for a starting job as well.
The Storm defense has the potential to be one of the best in the state. Everything starts, of course, with coveted senior LB Stratton Shufelt Stratton Shufelt 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Cleveland | 2024 State NM , our No. 1 prospect for the 2024 class. Shufelt holds 10+ offers, including Power 5 school Washington State. In two seasons, Shufelt has accumulated 150+ tackles. He is the undisputed leader – and the heart and soul – of the Storm defense.
Shufelt and senior Isaac Medrano Isaac Medrano 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Cleveland | 2024 State NM , a First-Team All-State selection in 2022, will form one of the top LB duos in the state. Few, if any, will be better. The outside linebackers in Cleveland’s 3-4 scheme are seniors Chuka Tutman Chuka Tutman 6'1" | 230 lbs | DL Cleveland | 2024 State NM (offered by Western New Mexico) and Marcus La Cuesta. Both are big, strong and tough. La Cuesta has been offered by Arizona State to play rugby.
Psalmon Kegler Psalmon Kegler 6'2" | 240 lbs | DL Cleveland | 2025 State NM , Louie Birch and Nathaniel Perry Nathaniel Perry 6'1" | 210 lbs | DL Cleveland | 2024 State NM return to anchor the defensive line. All three were All-District or All-State (or both) performers in 2022. Micah Martinez is a newcomer that the coaching staff expects to have a major role in 2022. The secondary is led by ball hawking junior safety A.J. Manning. Michael Haynes and Juan Munoz Juan Munoz 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Cleveland | 2025 State NM , a transfer from Capital High in Santa Fe, will be the cornerbacks.
2023 Schedule: As always, Cleveland’s schedule is quite challenging. The first six weeks of the season features road trips to Centennial and Artesia along with home games against a pair of prominent West Texas schools (Amarillo, Frenship), a Week 2 matchup with La Cueva in a rematch of last season’s 6A title game and a Week 4 showdown with Las Cruces. The annual rivalry game with Rio Rancho is Oct. 27.
Aug. 19 at Centennial (Sat.)
Aug. 25 LA CUEVA
Sept. 1 AMARILLO (TX)
Sept. 8 LAS CRUCES
Sept. 15 at Artesia
Sept. 22 WOLFFORTH (TX) FRENSHIP
Sept. 29 at Volcano Vista*
Oct. 6 Bye
Oct. 13 ATRISCO HERITAGE*
Oct. 20 CIBOLA*
Oct. 27 at Rio Rancho*
* District Game
Coach’s Comments: “Last year was a heckuva run. You couldn’t ask for anything better. It was a fun team to be around. Moving forward, we have a bunch of key guys coming back. We lost some key guys too. Everybody knows the big three offensive guys we lost. But the new guys have been working hard all spring an summer to get geared up. . .Jordan has done a lot of growing over the last year. I’m sure he’ll make some sophomore mistakes during the season but we’re looking for him to really develop and become our guy. He has the ability to be a very good quarterback. He’s growing into the leader of the offense and he’s learning to put us into the right position. We’ve had some moving parts but Jordan has stayed pretty strong. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. . .Harris and Andre are definitely our two guys at running back. They’ve shown what they’re capable of doing. We have high expectations for them. They are two good running backs. Andre makes things happen with the ball. We plan on using him and Harris in different ways. Both will get as many touches as we can give them.” – Cleveland head coach Robert Garza.