2024 Look Ahead: Farmington Scorpions (Four Corners Week)

Going into his ninth season as Farmington's head coach, Jeff Dalton has built a reliably solid program in the Four Corners. Dalton has never won fewer than five games  and has just two losing seasons with the Scorpions on his resume.   Last season Farmington stunned higher seeded Volcano Vista in a first round playoff game at Community Stadium in Albuquerque before encountering nemesis La Cueva in the quarterfinals.   “That playoff win solidified us as a program that regardless of class we find ways to beat teams,” Dalton told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Now we're doing it with bigger schools. We have to appreciate that about ourselves, but also not be content with that. We've cracked the code a few times. But for the most part we win a playoff game or two and then fall short. We have to find ways to beat the best teams and get into the top four.”      This season Farmington will have a new quarterback but he'll get to throw to one of the top wide receivers corps in the state. New Mexico Highlands signee QB Trel Griego threw for nearly 3,600 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2023, capping a highly prolific career with the Scorpions.   “We're still looking (for a QB),” Dalton said. “I'm sure a lot  of people remember Caleb Carrillo from a few years ago. We have a couple of quarterbacks that can play that kind of style and buy time and run well. Right now we're trying to figure out who gives us the best shot at quarterback.”   The main contenders to run Farmington's Air Raid scheme include senior [player_tooltip player_id='1595714' first='Waylon' last='Schake'] and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1118058' first='Alex' last='Serrano'], both of whom played different positions in 2023. Schake was a productive running back while Serrano played safety on Farmington's defense. Serrano has been a ‘playmaker' during 7-on-7 play, Dalton said.   “You'll see some athletes back there who have contributed in the last few years,” Dalton said. “We probably won't name a starter until the week of our first game. But we could have a rotation at quarterback. We'll just wait and see how our offense is most successful. Whoever doesn't play quarterback will end up playing. They've been contributors for us for years. They won't be benched just because they're not the quarterback. It's a fun competition in that way. We'll do what we have to do to have a dynamic offense.”   Besides throwing for a lot of yards, Griego was also Farmington's leading rusher with Schake second. Senior Sebastian Delgado filled in for the injured Schake in last November's playoff win at Volcano Vista and rushed for over 100 yards to spark the Scorpions offense. Sophomore Justin DeGroat spelled him in that game and – showing his potential - ripped off a couple of nice runs against the Hawks.   Farmington's wide receiver corps ranks among the state's best. Six-foot-3 senior [player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck'] showed he's a next level talent by catching 73 passes for 1,139 yards and 16 TD in 2023. He also has elite speed, running the 100 in under 11 seconds. He's visited New Mexico, New Mexico State, Utah and Utah State, among others. Eastern New Mexico has offered.   “Michael is doing a great job taking care of his body and valuing the recovery and the weight room,” Dalton said. “He has a skill set that you don't just acquire every year. He's fun to work with. We have to find creative ways to keep him challenged. He works hard. He's a great kid. We want to keep him healthy and let him do his thing.”     Behind Beck is an impressive group highlighted by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='615414' first='Cayden' last='Haliburton'] (59 receptions in 2023) and Jace Vigil (45 receptions for 846 yards and 8 TD in 2023). Vigil emerged as a star even though he played football for the first time in several years in 2023. Another outstanding slot receiver is Taushaun King.        “All of our receivers are back,” Dalton said. “That should give our quarterback a lot of comfort. We have experience at receiver and at running back. Everybody wants to play receiver here because it's fun. They know they're going to get touches. My philosophy is to have eight receivers who could start. Right now, we feel we have seven guys who could start for a lot of teams.”   The one position on offense where Farmington must reload is offensive line. The Scorpions have seen several O-Linemen sign with colleges, particularly nearby Fort Lewis College. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1749339' first='Kameran' last='Jones'] returns. Junior Tyler Mitchell should be one of the starting tackles after growing to about 6-foot-4, making him ideal for OT.   Senior OLB Jared Meechan will spearhead the Scorpions' defense. Dalton, in fact, described him as the ‘heart of the defense.' Meechan takes over that key leadership role from graduated seniors Ian Fishburn and Isaac Foutz, both of whom played inside linebacker.   Junior Danny Hagstrom will be the other OLB. Hagstrom has been a contributor to Farmington's defense since he was a freshman in 2022. He had well over 10 tackles for loss last season. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='853018' first='Santiago' last='Gonzales'] should also start at LB.   Depending on how he fares in the QB competition, Serrano could return at safety. Six-foot-1 senior Javen Colemen returns at cornerback and he'll help Serrano lead the secondary. The other CB spot is up for grabs.   Six-foot-3 [player_tooltip player_id='1594082' first='Kayde' last='James'] will be counted on to ‘step up' at DL this season. Most likely, he'll line up on the edge.  James has good speed, a nonstop motor and has proven hard to block.   Farmington's non-district schedule includes a home game against Clovis (Week 1), a road contest at Los Lunas (Week 4) and a pair of clashes against Colorado schools (Durango, Falcon). The Scorpions make four trips to the Albuquerque Metro Region during the season.   2024 FARMINGTON SCHEDULE   Aug. 23 CLOVIS (7 p.m.)   Aug. 30 at Durango (CO)(7 p.m.)   Sept. 6 at Los Lunas (7 p.m.)   Sept. 13 FALCON (CO)(7 p.m.)   Sept. 20 at La Cueva (7 p.m.)   Sept. 27 Bye   Oct. 4 at Cleveland (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 10 at Volcano Vista (Thur., 7 p.m.)*   Oct. 18 CIBOLA (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 25 RIO RANCHO (7 p.m.)*   Nov. 1 PIEDRA VISTA ( 7 p.m.)*   * District 6A-1 Game   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/mikeybeck12/status/1727067733659988098 </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/mikeybeck12/status/1799593319028384227 </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/alexserrano2006/status/1724619910469316778 </div></figure>

Going into his ninth season as Farmington's head coach, Jeff Dalton has built a reliably solid program in the Four Corners. Dalton has never won fewer than five games and has just two losing seasons with the Scorpions on his resume.