Look Back, Look Ahead: Class 5A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We continue our popular Look Back, Look Ahead series with a review of the 2023 season in Class 5A and a peek ahead to some of the key storylines, topics, players and questions concerning the 2024 campaign:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LOOK BACK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Teams of the Year</strong>: <strong>Artesia and Roswell</strong>. Since the NMAA reclassified in 2014 and created Class 6A, Artesia and Roswell have combined to win SEVEN Class 5A state championships in nine seasons. So, the domination we witnessed this season really wasn't anything new. But the Bulldogs and Coyotes took it to another level in 2023, combining to trounce their 5A foes by an average margin of 40 points. And they beat every 6A opponent they faced. Both teams finished 12-1 with their only setback being to each other. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offensive Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='590681' first='Nye' last='Estrada'], Artesia</strong>.Knowing the city of Artesia's deep passion for high school football, Estrada's two year stretch as the Bulldogs starting quarterback will quickly become the stuff of legend. Maybe they'll even write an opera about it. This season, Estrada threw for over 2,700 yards and 34 TD. In two seasons, Estrada threw for over 6,100 yards and 76 TD. Remarkable run. He deserves an opportunity to play at the next level and he now has it as New Mexico Highlands offered on Dec. 4. Roswell QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='425194' first='Manny' last='Fuentez']</strong> and RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='340165' first='Bryce' last='Sanchez']</strong> got serious consideration as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defensive Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='590675' first='Bobby' last='Herrera'], Mayfield. </strong>Herrera was everywhere on defense for the Trojans with 164 tackles. He earned First-Team All-State honors as an inside LB. Colleges are noticing. Herrera recently picked up an offer from New Mexico Highlands. He edged out <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590677' first='Kyler' last='Young'] </strong>of Los Alamos for the honor. Young led the Hilltoppers defense with 150 tackles and 12.0 TFL and 5 forced fumbles. That's proof Young was always around the football, one of the best things you can say about a defensive player.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Junior of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba'], Highland. </strong>Few folks have probably heard of Mumba or know much about him, but he rushed for 1,847 yards, edging out Valley RB/DB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton']</strong> and Artesia WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn']</strong> for the honor of being the top rusher in Class 5A. Mumba, the District 5A-1 Offensive MVP, received his first offer on Tuesday from New Mexico Highlands. He has close to 2,500 rushing yards entering his senior season, which would be more if an injury hadn't limited him to 5 games in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sophomore of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='854198' first='Alexander' last='Lopez'], Gadsden. </strong>The 6-foot-2Lopez, a quick, aggressive defensive end, had quite a debut at the varsity level for Gadsden as he finished with 91 tackles, 6.0 TFL and 6.0 sacks for the Panthers, who earned a spot in the playoffs for the second consecutive season under head coach Dino Facio. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Freshman of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='1155065' first='Tyvin' last='Howard'], Chaparral. </strong>Even though Chaparral struggled this season, Howards offers promise for the future as he served as a triple threat for the Lobos. His biggest impact came as a receiver with 20 receptions for 220 yards and 1 TD. With Chaparral moving to 4A for the 2024-25 cycle, Howard should have a bigger impact as a sophomore next season. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Breakthrough Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='1118283' first='Frankie' last='Galindo'], Artesia. </strong>Galindo started the 2023 season as a wide receiver but was soon shifted to running back after [player_tooltip player_id='850276' first='Jesse' last='Leroch'] was lost for the season with an injury. Good move. Galindo turned into a TD machine for the Bulldogs as he rushed for over 1,100 yards and 25+ touchdowns. He also caught nearly 25 passes out of the backfield. He'll return in 2024 as Artesia's top running back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Games of the Year: Artesia vs. Roswell, Parts I and II. </strong>Artesia and Roswell dominated Class 5A to such a level that their two meetings deserve to be the games of the year. Their first matchup in October was a much anticipated clash between the top two ranked teams in New Mexico, regardless of classification. After Roswell won the first game by continually stopping Artesia in the red zone, the championship game rematch at the Bulldog Bowl was hyped as Artesia's opportunity to avenge that loss. In front of an overflow crowd, they did. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LOOK AHEAD</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Storyline for 2024</strong>: Which team(s) will rise up and close the enormous gap between Artesia and Roswell and the rest of Class 5A? Lovington moves up from Class 4A after capturing the state championship. Deming? Gadsden? Goddard? Mayfield? Maybe one of those teams will succeed in that endeavor. The new eight-team District 5A-2 promises to full of intrigue in 2014: Artesia, Deming, Gadsden, Goddard, Lovington, Mayfield, Roswell and Santa Teresa. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1119239' first='Izac' last='Cazares'], Artesia. </strong>Who succeeds [player_tooltip player_id='590681' first='Nye' last='Estrada'] at quarterback for Artesia? Cazares has already been anointed as the guy by Bulldogs head coach Jeremy Maupin. What makes Cazares different from previous Artesia quarterbacks is he's a dual threat QB, the first for the Bulldogs in about two decades. Artesia has a tradition of employing pocket passers with powerful throwing arms (Estrada fit the role perfectly) but they'll run a different scheme in 2024. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team on the Rise: Gadsden. </strong>After decades of futility, Gadsden has become one of the feel good stories of New Mexico high school football with playoff spots in 2022 and 2023. However, this past season ended on a sour note with close, low-scoring losses to Deming in a winner-take-all district championship game and Mayfield in the first round of the playoffs. Make no mistake, the Panthers are coming. Another team to watch: <strong>Valley</strong>. Billy Cobos has done an outstanding job the past two years leading the Vikings program to consecutive quarterfinal appearances in the 5A playoffs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team Looking To Bounce Back: Santa Teresa. </strong>Between 2017 and 2021, Santa Teresa compiled an impressive mark of 30-13. They finished 4-7 in 2022 but managed to make the playoffs. With an extremely young roster dominated by freshmen and sophomores in 2023, the Desert Warriors (yes, the coolest nickname in NM HS football) fell to 1-9. But all that youth gained valuable experience, which should prove valuable in 2024. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Ready To Blow Up: [player_tooltip player_id='837197' first='Ryan' last='Alfaro'], Deming. </strong>Alfaro is one of the top dual threat QBs in Class 5A. This past season he came close to joining the prestigious 1,000-1,000 club by rushing and passing for more than 940 yards. Deming advanced to the 5A semifinals for the second consecutive year, and looks to take the next step in 2024 with Alfaro leading the way. <strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5 Key Questions</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Will Artesia and Roswell continue to dominate Class 5A with both teams utilizing new quarterbacks in 2024?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. How will Lovington fare as they make the jump from Class 4A to 5A considering they must replace New Mexico Heisman award winning quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275459' first='Wyatt' last='Gomez']</strong>?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. Who's the favorite to win the new District 5A-1, which features Belen, Highland, Los Alamos, Valley and former independent Rio Grande?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. &nbsp;Is Mayfield ready to return to their previous position of prominence in the NM high school football ranks?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. How many teams from District 5A-2 will make the playoffs compared to District 5A-1? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ten Players To Watch</strong><strong></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118277' first='Damian' last='Avila'], Belen</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615626' first='Julian' last='Butkivich'], Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn'], Artesia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119597' first='Kyle' last='Evenhus'], Los Alamos</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615426' first='Alex' last='Lopez'], Highland</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119637' first='Adrian' last='Munoz'], Gadsden</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='836944' first='Keegan' last='Nichols'], Roswell</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613065' first='Camon' last='Ochoa'], Lovington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611155' first='Isaiah' last='Pizarro'], Deming</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851890' first='Taye' last='Silversmith'], Miyamura</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/ArtesiaSports/status/1728591534675931313?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ArtesiaSports/status/1728591534675931313?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/nyeestrada0/status/1731513257285050514?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/nyeestrada0/status/1731513257285050514?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BobbyHerrera41/status/1732876891034419421?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BobbyHerrera41/status/1732876891034419421?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Alex_rl51/status/1723021545369424106?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Alex_rl51/status/1723021545369424106?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/HHS_HornetsFB/status/1734051287363424315?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HHS_HornetsFB/status/1734051287363424315?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers/status/1728996714441523415?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers/status/1728996714441523415?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->