2024 Look Ahead: Alamogordo Tigers

Back-to-back seasons with 5 wins has Alamogordo coach A.J. Cisco eager for more.   Last season, the Tigers failed to qualify for the Class 6A playoffs despite winning four of their first six games. However, the three-game October gauntlet against Las Cruces, Hobbs and Centennial dropped Alamogordo below .500 and a season-ending victory over Organ Mountain wasn't enough to push the Tigers over the playoff line.   Cisco's message to his team during the off-season has been blunt.   “Last season was a disappointment not making the playoffs,” Cisco told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “But we put ourselves in that situation. Talking to our players, we're not making excuses. We didn't win the games we should have won to give us a shot at it. We're always going to have an uphill battle being one of the smaller schools in 6A.   “But I was proud of our kids last season. We played our tails off. We've set the expectation this offseason that 5-5 is unacceptable and not playing in November is unacceptable for this program considering the point we're at with this program. We're going into Year 8. We should be in the playoffs every year. Our kids have rallied around that message.”        If Alamogordo qualifies for the playoffs in 2024, the Tigers will have done it with a virtually new crop of players at the offensive skill positions. The quarterback, top two rushers and top two receivers have graduated.   Elijah Montoya, renowned for his leadership skills, took every snap at quarterback in 2023. Who replaces him? Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1305497' first='Josiah' last='Quinlan'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1600835' first='Nathanael' last='Best'] are competing for the starting job this summer. Both quarterbacked the Alamogordo JV team last year.   “Elijah was one of the greatest leaders I've ever coached,” Cisco said. “He was a tremendous leader. Those are huge shoes to fill. Not necessarily the stats or production, but the leadership aspect Elijah brought to the team for two years. Nathanael is one of the best athletes in our program.   “If he doesn't win the job, he's going to play another position. It's going to be an open competition all summer long to figure out which one gives us the best shot to win games. Both guys have risen to the challenge. We have two capable guys to pull the trigger for us.”   Besides Montoya, Alamogordo also loses 1,000-yard rusher Anthony Audette (signed with NMMI) and second leading rusher A'veion Valdez. Those two ball carriers combined for over 1,700 yards and 280 carries in 2023.   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1259080' first='Dylan' last='Hergenreder'], who started at outside linebacker in 2023, got limited carries last season. But this marks his third year as a running back, so he's gotten plenty of practice reps. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1605059' first='Bryson' last='Bloom'] is a promising up-and-comer. Best will also get some carries if he's not the starting at QB. Basketball standout Damiran Smith should get some carries as well.      “I think we do a good job of developing running backs,” Cisco said. “We have a ton of depth at running back. It's not just a one-man show.     Senior Michael Gonzales (26 receptions in 2023) is the top returning receiver with D'andre Martin and Jason Warren (signed with NMMI) both graduated. Behind Gonzales is a young, promise but largely untested corps of receivers that will be juniors this fall, including [player_tooltip player_id='1672453' first='Keaton' last='Orona'] and speedster Gianni Mulgado. Both played at the JV level in 2023. Athletic senior Marcus Bryant Jr. will see action at WR as well after spending last season playing safety.   Along the offensive line, three starters return from last season: Junior LT [player_tooltip player_id='1268759' first='Diego' last='Ortega'] (6-5, 290), senior C Isaiah Venegas and senior OG Austin Flores. The latter is moving from right tackle to guard.        “Everybody in our program understands we win games because of our offensive line,” Cisco said. “They are the most important people in our program and they get taken care of that way. Diego is a large man. He has a bright future going forward. He has a chance to be one of the better offensive linemen we've had come through here.”   Moving Flores to guard allows Alamogordo to put 6-foot-5, 280 senior Mahki Gonzales at right tackle. Gonzalez was a late addition to the roster last year and started the final game of the season after playing for the JV team. Gonzales and Ortega give the Tigers two enormous bookend tackles. The left guard spot should go to [player_tooltip player_id='1248681' first='Ke'maurion' last='Morrall'], who is also an outstanding defensive linemen. Cisco's goal is for the incredibly athletic Morrall to play every snap this season. He showcased impressive speed and mobility at the April's Prep Redzone Combine in Grants.   “Ke'maurion is a tough kid,” Cisco said. “He's a natural D-Lineman. But we have a hole at left guard. So, he's taken it on and he wants to do it. We've challenged him to be a guy that plays every snap.”   Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Morrall will spearhead the defensive line after making 40 tackles with 2 sacks in 2023. Some of the other aforementioned offensive linemen could be two-way players as well. Gavin Berridge will see action on the DL as well. Isaac Lara has good speed.     Alamogordo utilized a three-man DL last season but the Tigers are moving to a four-man front in a 4-2-5 scheme, Cisco said.   Senior ILB Noel Garza returns after making 55 tackles in 2023 and he's basically the leader of the second level, if not the entire defense. He's going into his third year with the varsity.   “Noel has been a cornerstone in our program for a long time,” Cisco said. “He's one of the better leaders we've got. He coaches up our younger kids and makes sure they're performing up to the standard we expect.”   Smith and Hergenreder (53 tackles) will play LB/Nickel as well. Alamogordo will have new starters at cornerback. Aidan Vasquez was the third CB last season and should be one of the starters there. Marcus Bryant Jr. will transition from safety to cornerback. Efrain Hernandez (38 tackles) returns at safety and he'll be the leader of the secondary.      2024 ALAMOGORDO SCHEDULE:   Aug. 23 DEMING (7 p.m.)   Aug. 30 at Roswell (7 p.m.)   Sept. 6 ALBUQUERQUE HIGH (7 p.m.)   Sept. 13 PIEDRA VISTA ( 7 p.m.)   Sept. 20 at Organ Mountain (7 p.m.)*   Sept. 27 HOBBS (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 4 CENTENNIAL (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 11 at Carlsbad (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 17 at Las Cruces (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 25 Bye   Nov. 1 CLOVIS (7 p.m.)*   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TyMorrall1/status/1779334669646852127 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Diego139171/status/1787538587808145460 </div></figure>

Back-to-back seasons with 5 wins has Alamogordo coach A.J. Cisco eager for more.