6A/5A Team Previews: Four Corners (Farmington & Piedra Vista)
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In this article:
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<p><strong>2023 6A/5A Fours Corners Preview</strong></p>
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<p><strong>FARMINGTON </strong></p>
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<p><strong>Head Coach</strong>: Jeff Dalton </p>
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<p><strong>Mascot</strong>: Scorpions </p>
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<p><strong>Twitter</strong>: @WeAreFarmington; @TreGriego; @mikeybeck12</p>
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<p><strong>Colors</strong>: Kelly Green and Black </p>
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<p><strong>2022 Record</strong>: 6-6 (6A Quarterfinals) </p>
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<p><strong>Overview</strong>: While a 6-6 record might not produce a celebration, Farmington's first season in Class 6A was a success. The Scorpions reached the quarterfinals of the 6A playoffs before losing to La Cueva two wees after clashing with the Bears in a winner-take-all district championship game. The good news for Farmington is they have numerous key players returns, including 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274791' first='Trel' last='Griego']</strong>. He threw for 3,000+ yards and 30+ touchdowns in 2022. With his size, Griego has an impressive pocket presence. He is extremely accurate on deep throws. His knowledge of the offense is so thorough he might be given the right to call plays on the field.</p>
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<p>By the end of the 2022 season, junior <strong>Wayland Schake</strong> had become Farmington's No. 1 running back. He'll combine with <strong>Sebastian ‘CD' Delgado</strong> to form a nice duo in the backfield. Delgado will be targeted on passes circling out of the backfield. Six-foot-2 junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck']</strong> is a highly underrated receiver. He's a very good route runner. Farmington looks to line him up at different spots to create mismatches. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615414' first='Cayden' last='Haliburton']</strong> is a promising junior WR. Taushaun King is moving from LB to WR.</p>
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<p>Defensively, sophomore LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853018' first='Santiago' last='Gonzales']</strong> earned a starting job as a freshman in 2022 and finished with 60+ tackles. The three top tacklers from last season are all back – LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590528' first='Isaac' last='Foutz']</strong>, OLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='592400' first='Ian' last='Fishburn']</strong> and FS <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118058' first='Alex' last='Serrano']</strong>. <strong>Danny Hagstrom</strong> also made a positive impression as a freshman last season. CB <strong>Carter Chavez</strong> performed well as a sophomore last season. well Junior DT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259036' first='Ethan' last='Pettyjohn']</strong> anchors the D-Line. He relies on speed to torment offensive linemen. Overall, the Farmington defense is young (few seniors) but experienced. </p>
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<p><strong>2023 Schedule</strong>:</p>
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<p>Aug. 18 at Piedra Vista</p>
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<p>Aug. 25 DURANGO (CO)</p>
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<p>Sept. 1 LOS LUNAS</p>
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<p>Sept. 9 at Cibola (Sat.)</p>
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<p>Sept. 15 ALBUQUERQUE HIGH</p>
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<p>Sept. 22 at Rio Rancho</p>
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<p>Sept. 29 Bye</p>
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<p>Oct. 6 WEST MESA*</p>
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<p>Oct. 13 at Sandia*</p>
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<p>Oct. 21 at Eldorado* (Sat.)</p>
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<p>Oct. 27 LA CUEVA*</p>
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<p>* District Game</p>
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<p><strong>Coach's Comments</strong>: “We've had a pretty consistent program for a lot of years. Our message didn't necessarily change in the offseason. There's definitely an understanding that there's never an easy week. Moving to 6A naturally increased our mental fortitude. We had to be a lot tougher. We had to be dialed in all the time. We couldn't make mistakes. You pay for every mistake in 6A. We grew as a coaching staff having to go through that. Our players were young. This year, we're going to have some experience on the field. We only lost some offensive lineman and a few defensive linemen but everybody else is back. They now know what to expect. They're excited. But they know it's not getting any easier. People know what to expect from us.” – Farmington head coach Jeff Dalton.</p>
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<p>*********************************************************************************</p>
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<p><strong>PIEDRA VISTA </strong></p>
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<p><strong>Head Coach</strong>: Jared Howell </p>
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<p><strong>Mascot</strong>: Panthers </p>
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<p><strong>Twitter</strong>: @PVHS_Panthers</p>
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<p><strong>Colors</strong>: Black, Navy Blue and Silver </p>
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<p><strong>2022 Record</strong>: 11-2 (5A Championship Game) </p>
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<p><strong>Overview</strong>: Piedra Vista was THE surprise team in Class 5A last season, hosting Artesia in the state championship game. But they lose several key players off that team, including quarterback Logan Howell and running back Zach Mota-Dotson. Both signed with Eastern New Mexico. In all, PVHS lost 27 seniors off last year's team. As a result, the Panthers will rely on a lot of inexperienced players this season.</p>
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<p>The new quarterback is junior <strong>Felipe Begaye</strong>. He's not as tall as Howell but he has a nice touch and has proven capable of throwing into tight windows. <strong>Andreas Romero</strong> takes over as the No. 1 RB with <strong>Bodie Costa</strong> and <strong>Ethan Duckett</strong> likely to get plenty of carries as well. Piedra Vista runs a version of the run-dominated flexbone offense but likes to be multiple, so they'll throw the ball too.</p>
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<p><strong>Hunter Schwartz </strong>and <strong>Javon Zepeda</strong> are the top outside receivers. The inside receivers will be sophomore Mason Courtney and senior Dylan McCoy. Two starters return on the offensive line – <strong>Diego Hernandez</strong> and <strong>Ian Chavez</strong>. The Panthers expect to be bigger along the O-Line in 2023. </p>
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<p>Defensively, OLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103384' first='Reed' last='McCarty']</strong> and MLB <strong>Devin Pierce</strong> will spearhead the Panthers on that side of the ball. The secondary will be young with multiple sophomores expected to earn starting jobs.</p>
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<p><strong>2023 Schedule</strong>:</p>
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<p>Aug. 18 FARMINGTON</p>
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<p>Aug. 26 at Sandia (Sat.)</p>
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<p>Sept. 1 at Durango (CO)</p>
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<p>Sept. 8 at Eldorado</p>
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<p>Sept. 15 at Goddard</p>
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<p>Sept. 22 CIBOLA</p>
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<p>Sept. 29 ROSWELL</p>
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<p>Oct. 6 Bye</p>
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<p>Oct. 13 MIYAMURA*</p>
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<p>Oct. 20 HIGHLAND*</p>
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<p>Oct. 27 at Belen*</p>
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<p>* District Game</p>
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<p><strong>Coach's Comments</strong>: “We lost a lot of seniors, so we have a lot of young guys. They know the standard because they had a model to follow. The standard hasn't changed, we just executed it better than we had in previous seasons. And we had some talent to go along with it. Our biggest challenge we have is finding new leadership. Most of our guys were followers last year and now they have to be leaders. They have to change hats.” – Piedra Vista head coach Jared Howell.</p>
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2023 6A/5A Fours Corners Preview
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