Happy Together: Top Position Units for 2024 (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The start of the 2024 New Mexico high school football season is quickly approaching. What are some of the top position units in the state for the new campaign? Here's Part 1 of a 2-part series (schools listed in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Centennial – Secondary</strong>: Senior cornerbacks <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259081' first='Omar' last='Sanchez']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837021' first='Omar' last='Terrones']</strong> (honorable mention All-State in 2023) are the anchors for a potential shutdown secondary, Returning free safety <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118044' first='Mychael' last='Ortiz']</strong> is pretty good too. The Hawks will get tested right away with road games at Cleveland and Atrisco Heritage to open the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cleveland – Offensive Line</strong>: Three of five starters return for the Storm along the offensive line, and all three are next level talents: seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837139' first='Gabriel' last='Marquez']</strong> (First Team All-State in 2023) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118250' first='Robert' last='Sabado']</strong> and 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior left tackle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851862' first='Moses' last='Sparks']</strong>, a FBS talent who already has offers from UTEP, Texas Tech, Houston and New Mexico. He camped at Ole Miss in June.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Farmington – Wide Receivers</strong>: Do the Scorpions have the best wide receiver corps in the state? If they're not #1, they're close. Six-foot-3 senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck'] </strong>is a major next level talent. He caught 73 passes for 1,139 yards and 16 TD in 2023, and has elite speed. Behind Beck is an impressive group highlighted by seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615414' first='Cayden' last='Haliburton']</strong> and <strong>Jace Vigil</strong>. Slot WR <strong>Taushaun King</strong> gives Farmington as talented a quartet as anybody. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hobbs – Linebackers</strong>: Expectations are high at Hobbs, and the impressive LB corps is a major reason for the optimism. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119266' first='Tristan' last='Davis']</strong> (137 tackles in 2023) is one of the top LBs in the entire state. He's a rare combination of size and speed as he's a member of Hobbs' 4×400 and 4×200 relay teams. The underrated <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119281' first='Gustavo' last='A Diaz-Castro']</strong> is beside Davis and he made 112 tackles last season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1257310' first='Sammy' last='Baeza']</strong> and junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672364' first='Peyton' last='Davis']</strong> (younger brother of Tristan) are promising talents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>La Cueva – Linebackers</strong>: Any unit with 6-foot-3, 210-pound Wisconsin commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611083' first='Mason' last='Posa']</strong> has to be pretty good, right? Absolutely. Posa's high motor, strength and speed, which allows him to make tackles from the backside, are elite. That's why he'll play college football in the Big Ten. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611069' first='Nick' last='Mertz']</strong> has made over 160 tackles in the past two years and he's a great talent in his own right. He's one of the top middle linebackers in the state, freeing Posa to wreak havoc on the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Las Cruces – Wide Receivers</strong>: The Bulldawgs should have one of the most explosive offenses in the state. All of their major contributors are back, including QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola']</strong> and the top two receivers from 2023 – senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615455' first='Nate' last='Libby']</strong> (63 receptions for 1,089 yards and 11 TD) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142363' first='Francisco' last='Winnikoff']</strong> (55 receptions for 983 yards and 9 TD) - leading the way. <strong>Caden Tierney</strong>, a 6-foot-2 senior, splashed onto the scene a season ago. Senior <strong>Jonathan Gutierrez</strong> showed promise in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lovington – Offensive Line</strong>: The Wildcats' starting quarterback will be protected by one of the top offensive lines in the state. The top-notch unit is led by 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613058' first='Valente' last='Herrera']</strong> (multiple college offers) and 6-foot-4, 270-pound junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853015' first='Alex' last='Rivera']</strong>. Both will play tackle and both are next level talents. Sturdy <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1750358' first='Jesus' last='Morales']</strong> and senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118909' first='Damien' last='Munoz']</strong> will fill two of the interior spots. Lovington moved to Class 5A but their exceptional O-Line makes them an immediate contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rio Rancho – Offensive Line</strong>: Another school where optimism is high is Rio Rancho, and a very experienced O-Line fuels the high hopes. The unit is led by 6-foot-4, 280-pound senior LT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1257335' first='Jack' last='Warble']</strong>, a next level talent who enjoyed a stellar camp season. Western New Mexico and Fort Lewis College have offered. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118245' first='Ronald' last='Thomas']</strong> was an all-district and all-metro guard in 2023. RT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1197943' first='Adam' last='Potter']</strong> earned all-district honors. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1126211' first='Brayden' last='Davidson']</strong> has a high ceiling and has already proven to be a next level talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Roswell – Defensive Line</strong>: Is there a better unit in the state? Probably not. The Coyotes lost their DC to become the head coach at rival Goddard, but the D-Line is still highly impressive with 6-foot-3, 235-pound <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118051' first='Mason' last='Greathouse']</strong>, 6-foot-5, 230-pound <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259013' first='Aidan' last='Rutley']</strong> and 6-foot-3, 255-pound <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613759' first='Noah' last='Lynn']</strong>. That's a lot of beef. They will be a handful for every offensive line they face in 2024. All three will have the opportunity to play at the next level, possibly D1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Valley – Defensive Line</strong>: Valley has enjoyed a resurgence under third-year head coach Billy Cobos, and the Vikings big and strong defensive line will continue to be as good as any in the Albuquerque Metro Region. Six-foot-5, 285-pound senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837220' first='Juan' last='Vigil']</strong> leads the unit, He was impressive at the Prep Redzone Combine in Grants with his elite size, speed and mobility, and should get an opportunity at the next level. He demands double teams, but that will only free up 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615451' first='Christian' last='Powell']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259024' first='Dylan' last='Anderson']</strong> to make plays. Both are solid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/mosessparks77/status/1798778178124828891","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/mosessparks77/status/1798778178124828891 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Fb78Warble/status/1813256284332040521","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/Fb78Warble/status/1813256284332040521 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/mikeybeck12/status/1799593319028384227","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/mikeybeck12/status/1799593319028384227 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/TristanYDavis/status/1814845684488524234","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/TristanYDavis/status/1814845684488524234 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Sisco2x__/status/1799920052885708981","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/Sisco2x__/status/1799920052885708981 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1820553496921284684","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/_NMAA/status/1820553496921284684 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/therealaidan44/status/1804375970125595044","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/therealaidan44/status/1804375970125595044 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/D1Powell7/status/1779298727490097562","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/D1Powell7/status/1779298727490097562 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->