2024 Look Ahead: Albuquerque Academy Chargers

David Lee's first season as Albuquerque Academy head football coach saw the Chargers finish 6-6 with a schedule that saw them square off with many of the top teams in Class 4A, including Bloomfield (twice), Lovington, Portales  and Bernalillo.   Academy went 0-5 in those matchups, but Lee believes facing teams of that caliber showed his players where they must get to if they want to compete for Class 4A championships. Last season, the Chargers reached the quarterfinals of the playoffs before running into the Bloomfield buzzsaw.   “It was a good lesson learned for our guys,” Lee told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “It set the benchmark on who we need to be. We feel good about this year. We had a good summer program. The returning guys have bought into the culture. It's very much a culture thing here.   “You have to really speak to them and make them understand football is a team sport. Getting them to buy in and realize the offseason is just as important as the regular season was sometimes a tough task, but they're slowly understanding that. We had good participation this summer.”   The summer months and early preseason camp have been marked by a quarterback battle between savvy sophomore William Braun and 6-foot-5 junior [player_tooltip player_id='851898' first='Gage' last='Conway'], who could end up at wide receiver if he's not the QB. Conway was impressive catching the football during 7x7 competition this summer, which has the Charger coaches believing Conway could become one of the top receivers in Class 4A.   “Braun's football IQ level is far beyond where a sophomore usually is,” said Lee, who has taken the reins as offensive coordinator. “Braun has picked up the offense and is focused to the point where he can take snaps in a game. If that continues, we'll probably roll with Gage playing receiver. They were really clicking in 7-on-7. Braun has continually progressed and looks pretty good right now. I think he'll be one of the top quarterbacks in 4A.”     Even if he doesn't start at quarterback, Lee said the Chargers will have a package of 5 to 10 plays for Conway at quarterback ready to go every game.   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1119328' first='Jett' last='Galles'], a 1,000-yard rusher in 2023, will divide his time between running back and slot receiver as the Academy coaches look for different ways to take advantage of his speed and skills.   “We're going to try to move him around a little bit, so we won't beat him up in the box,” Lee said. “We're going to use him in many different places and not just in one spot. He'll probably play more slot than running back.”   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1137080' first='Ryan' last='Williams'] and Zachary Waghorn, also a stellar linebacker, will also play RB as well.  With the Academy coaches intending to move Gales around, Williams will likely become the No. 1 RB with Waghorn behind him and Galles lining up in the offensive backfield in two-back sets.   Galles and Conway will form an intriguing WR duo. They'll be joined by junior [player_tooltip player_id='1137120' first='Finn' last='Thompson'], who led the Chargers with 18 receptions and 4 TD in 2023, besides being an outstanding defensive back.   “Teams can't load the box on us if we have two dynamic receivers in Jett and Gage,” Lee said. “And don't forget about Finn. He's just as good as those other guys. Right now, we can't say any one of those guys is first, second or third. From our perspective, we have three No. 1 receivers.”     Six-foot-3, 280-pound senior [player_tooltip player_id='416093' first='Ryan' last='Ramirez'] will anchor Academy's offensive line. Ramirez has next level aspirations with a work ethic to match as seen by his numerous camp appearances this spring and summer. Junior center [player_tooltip player_id='853021' first='Isaiah' last='Rivera'] also returns for his third year as a starter. After those two, Academy will have to rely on younger, inexperienced blockers.   “We do have Ryan coming back and he's a three-year starter but after him and Isaiah, we have some question marks,” Lee said. “Ryan has been in a ton of camps. He's ready to go. Isaiah is rock solid at center. We're going to give him more responsibilities for calling the fronts. Ryan and Isaiah will be our two pillars on the offensive line. The other three spots are a work in progress.”   Sophomores Matthew Cook and Gavi Yzaguirre are two possibilities to claim starting jobs.   Waghorn, who impressed the scouts and coaches at the Prep Redzone Combine in Grants, is the Academy's undisputed defensive leader after making a team-high 120 tackles as a sophomore in 2023. Second-leading tackler Brody Whitaker, who signed with ENMU, graduated.   Rivera will float between defensive end and outside linebacker in Academy's 4-2-5 base scheme. Athletic senior Joshua Abbott will likely spend the majority of the time at the second LB spot. He has good speed and quickness. Williams will contribute at LB as well.   Thompson will headline the secondary with Galles playing free safety. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1605074' first='Logan' last='Hague'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1787943' first='Grayson' last='Staley'] are promising newcomers after enjoying success at the JV level. Staley could be the nickel. Conway, who has deceptive speed, could play safety as well and his 6-foot-5 frame will give receivers problems.     Ramirez plays both sides and he'll be one of Academy's top defensive linemen. Cook will be there as well. Senior Daniel Khoshyomn brings his speed to the DE spot. Junior Michael Franco will line up at DE or OLB.                  2024 ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE   Aug. 23 at Moriarty (7 p.m.)   Aug. 30 DEL NORTE (7 p.m.)   Sept. 7 HOPE CHRISTIAN (Sat., 11 a.m.)   Sept. 14 ST. MICHAEL'S (Sat., 2 p.m.)   Sept. 20 at Chaparral (7 p.m.)*   Sept. 27 Bye   Oct. 3 at St. Pius X (Thur., 7 p.m.)*   Oct. 12 MANZANO (Sat., 1 p.m.)*   Oct. 18 at Silver (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 26 PORTALES (Sat., 1 p.m.)*   Nov. 2 VALENCIA (Sat., 1 p.m.)*   * District 4A-2 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/Ryan70Ramirez/status/1802884732536979568 </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/wagz2026/status/1779716473654583374 </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/wagz2026/status/1763369291133370658 </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/FinnThompson_12/status/1717280343999582403 </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/AAIsaiah_Rivera/status/1823000835590131922 </div></figure>

David Lee's first season as Albuquerque Academy head football coach saw the Chargers finish 6-6 with a schedule that saw them square off with many of the top teams in Class 4A, including Bloomfield (twice), Lovington, Portales and Bernalillo.