2024 Look Ahead: Carlsbad Cavemen

Carlsbad head coach Cale Sanders acknowledges his first season as the Cavemen's head coach was ‘definitely' a learning experience.   With the start of the 2024 season on the horizon, he hopes having a year under his belt and a more experienced roster will produce more wins for Carlsbad this season.   “We were young and inexperienced (in 2023),” Sanders told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We got thrown to the wolves, really. It's paying off now and it will pay off for the next couple of years, but it was definitely a trying year.”   Carlsbad's 2023 slate included challenging non-district matchups with Artesia, Goddard, Volcano Vista, Clovis and Roswell, and finished with a three-game gauntlet against Centennial, Las Cruces and Hobbs. The Cavemen were 1-7 in those games.   Carlsbad graduated over 30 seniors from the 2022 team that reached the Class 6A playoffs, so in many ways 2023 was a rebuilding year for the Cavemen. Their 2-8 record reflected that reality.   “Our players fought hard and never gave up and they battled,” Sanders said. “We started 17 or 18 sophomores almost every game last year. We lost a couple of games we probably should have won. But last season gave us a chip on our shoulder. Our guys know they have to work.”   The Carlsbad offense will begin with senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1119650' first='Kason' last='Perez'], who is doing everything to get ready for his final season of high school football.  He attended 10+ camps this summer, soaking in the knowledge he gained. Last season he threw for 1,288 yards and 10 TD.   “Kason is going to run the ship,” Sanders said. “He's extremely deserving of it. He had a phenomenal offseason and he has worked his butt off. He's gotten faster and stronger. He has another year with this offense. We've geared our offense around him and what he's good at. He' s taken the reins of this team. He's a quiet but effective leader. He's our guy. It's his team and everybody knows it.”   Sanders would like to see Perez boost his completion percentage (53.2 percent in 2023) and reduce his number of interceptions (15) from a season ago.   “I think his number of interceptions will be drastically reduced this season,” Sanders said. “Consistently, throughout the spring, when our offense has gone against our defense, all his numbers have been drastically better. A lot of that is not on him. It's a coaching deal. We did a lot of self-scouting to see what was going on.”   Carlsbad must replace workhorse 1,200-yard rusher Ulysses Mendoza, who was the District Co-Offensive MVP. Mendoza had over 200 carries in 2023, and Sanders says he won't be easy to replace. Most likely, Carlsbad will utilize a running back-by-committee approach, led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1259007' first='Ian' last='Sandoval']. Senior Aiden Rodriguez will play the scatback role.   “When you turn the lights on, Ian just goes,” Sanders said. “Aiden is more of a smaller, quicker type running back. I think he and Ian will split time with Ian taking on a little heavier load.”   Last season's leading receiver, junior [player_tooltip player_id='1137066' first='Robert' last='Castaneda'], is back after making close to 40 receptions in 2023.   “Robert is probably the best athlete on the field for us,”  Sanders said. “He does some things that make you go, ‘Wow.' Remember, he was just a sophomore last year. He has grown up. He has embraced a different role this offseason and throughout the summer. He's taken everything very seriously, particularly the weight room and conditioning. He's a different guy than he was last year.”   Castaneda is being pushed for the No. 1 WR job by junior speedster Eaven Leos, junior RJ Hernandez, junior Ty Young and junior Eloy Lopez. All four receivers have two more years of prep football ahead of them. Young brings plenty of speed to the WR unit, running the 40 in 4.52 seconds.   “I would definitely say those four receivers are one of the strengths of our team,” Sanders said.   Four starters return to the Carlsbad offensive line, and the depth should be significantly improved. The Cavemen have a new offensive line coach, and so far the difference from a year ago is noticeable, Sanders says.   “Offensive line is probably one of our most improved positions on the team from last year,” Sanders said. “The depth is better than it has been in the past. But it's not yet where I want it to be. We have some guys who should do well.”     The four returning O-Linemen starters are senior Jeremiah Sonora, 290-pound senior Rjay Navarrette, junior [player_tooltip player_id='1748638' first='Daniel' last='Acosta'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1679951' first='Jeramiah' last='Carrasco'].  Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1679946' first='Casten' last='Sanders'] (son of the head coach) is battling Navarrette for the starting center job. However, the one who doesn't get the job will likely start at guard or tackle.   Defensively, junior Zayland Pesante, Jaiden Duran, [player_tooltip player_id='1748635' first='Isiaha' last='Almodovar'] and Augustine Venegas will help anchor the D-Line in Carlsbad's 3-4 scheme. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1679956' first='Isaiah' last='Gaitan'] is a promising newcomer who could win a starting job.   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1594093' first='Diego' last='Ramirez'], who is going into his third year with the varsity, returns at linebacker after making 42 tackles and 3.0 TFL in 2023. Promising 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1248663' first='Colton' last='McKibben'] saw varsity action as a freshman last season and should join Ramirez at ILB. McKibben is big, strong and fast (4.62 in 40 at Prep Redzone Combine).   “We didn't really realize how fast Colton was until we got him out there in track,” Sanders said. “Then it was, ‘Wow, this guy can really run.' He's a specimen. And he's still a pup, too. He's just going to be a sophomore. If he continues to grow, he's going to be a big time college prospect.”   Seniors Elton Hernandez and Bubba Anderson will be the starting outside linebackers. Anderson played safety last season but was moved to the second level. He'll be one of the vocal leaders of the Cavemen's defense. Julian Valdez and [player_tooltip player_id='1672814' first='Simon' last='Rubio'] could rotate with Hernandez.   In the secondary, safeties [player_tooltip player_id='1672495' first='Reenson' last='Akwiembi'] and Connor Roberson are the two leaders of the unit. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1672492' first='Rio' last='Sanchez'] (started as a sophomore in 2023) and senior Blas Lopez are the cornerbacks.   As always, Carlsbad's 2024 slate begins with the Eddy County War game against Artesia. This year the game will be played at the Bulldog Bowl. After that, the Cavemen travel to the Wool Bowl in Roswell to face Goddard on a Thursday night and host Lovington and Cibola before district play begins Sept. 19.       2024 CARLSBAD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:   Aug. 23 at Artesia (7 p.m.)   Aug. 29 at Goddard (Thur., 7 p.m.)   Sept. 6 LOVINGTON (7 p.m.)   Sept. 13 CIBOLA (7 p.m.)   Sept. 19 at Centennial (Thur., 7 p.m.)*   Sept. 27 at Clovis (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 4 ORGAN MOUNTAIN (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 11 ALAMOGORDO (7 p.m.)*   Oct. 18 Bye   Oct. 25 at Las Cruces (7 p.m.)*   Nov. 1 HOBBS (7 p.m.)*   * District 6A-3 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/CavemenFBall/status/1803917509801996299 </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/kasonperez18/status/1820474045986685330 </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/CavemenFBall/status/1795486493227598082 </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/kasonperez18/status/1816837048566972740 </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/CavemenFBall/status/1725900062101025276 </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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1779276073920090145 </div></figure>

Carlsbad head coach Cale Sanders acknowledges his first season as the Cavemen's head coach was ‘definitely' a learning experience.