Week 1 Preview: 11 Under the Radar Games To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We previously posted our Baker's Dozen Preview of the Top 13 games of Week 1. But there are plenty more attractive matchups throughout the state. Here are 11 ‘Under the Radar' games, starting with a Class 4A vs. 6A battle Saturday morning in Albuquerque:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TOP WEEK 1 UNDER THE RADAR GAME: St. Pius X at West Mesa (Sat, 11 a.m.)</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We get our first look this season at Class 4A St. Pius X's young, talented roster. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway']</strong> is a dynamic, extremely fast running back (4.4 speed). If he stays healthy, Olloway could be a 1,000-yard rusher. There's also 6-foot-5 quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter']</strong> and a fleet of receivers led by sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154956' first='Cayl' last='Cox-Liggins']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155012' first='Curtis' last='Flakes III']</strong>, freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613476' first='Christian' last='Morales']</strong> and senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119300' first='Bryan' last='Thomas']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carpenter is directing a new look offense for the Sartans that aims to get the ball more to their playmakers, assuring the talented WR group will have the ball in their hands a lot this season. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Isaiah is still learning,” St. Pius X head coach Curtis Flaks II told Prep Redzone New Mexico after his team's scrimmage at Bernalillo last week. “We've changed our offense a lot this year. Isaiah is making the right reads, seeing the right things and delivering the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“He has a cannon for an arm. He can get it there and he's throwing to some great athletes. We want Isaiah to steadily develop and not peak too early. When we get into district play, we want him to fully understand the offense. Right now, he's mastering what we've got and hopefully later we'll be able to open the playbook more.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Pius X still wants to run the football, though. Makes sense when you have a speedy back like Olloway and others. Olloway is one of the fastest players in the state and reached the state finals in the 100 meter dash last spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“If we can first establish the run, that will be helpful to us throwing the ball when teams start loading the box,” Flakes said. “Hershul is a fast kid. But we have to be smart about it. He's still on the smaller side, so load management will be key for him. We have to find creative ways to get him the ball in space. We play him on both sides of the ball. As a safety, he can cover the entire field.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unquestionably, the Sartans are one of the most intriguing teams in the Albuquerque Metro Region. Saturday's opener affords them an opportunity to knock off a 6A opponent, although Flakes said the Sartans will focus primarily on themselves and make sure they execute the game plan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We don't look at it like this is a big 6A team,” Flakes said. “We look at it as just another opponent. It's always us vs. us. We stand in the way of us. We have to minimize mistakes and do what we're supposed to do and take care of business.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday's matchup will also provide our first look at West Mesa's new QB. [player_tooltip player_id='1248667' first='Dominic' last='Lucero'] was engaged in a spirited competition with Hayden Nichols. The Mustangs have a big and very much improved offensive line and play solid defense. That talent in the trenches should give West Mesa hope of competing in the 8-team District 6A-2 this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Piedra Vista at Sandia (Thur.)</strong>: Piedra Vista makes its debut as a Class 6A team, joining rival Farmington in District 6A-1. The Panthers love to run the football, which is why the team slogan this year is ‘Run People Over.' <strong>Felipe Moreno</strong> is the QB. Sandia enjoyed a magical regular season in 2023. The LB corps of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259059' first='Thomas' last='Adams']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259042' first='Jeremiah' last='Bustillos']</strong> and <strong>Kam Watson</strong> is elite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taos at St. Michael's (Sat., 1 p.m.)</strong>: These two teams have frequently met in the season opener. Taos has a new head coach after former Art Abreu moved to Eldorado to become the offensive coordinator for the Eagles. St. Michael's is the reigning Class 3A champions and returns many of the same players. The Horsemen's defense will be fast and physical, as always.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Socorro at Robertson</strong>: Both teams have potentially explosive offenses led by the quarterbacks – <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613184' first='Isaiah' last='Ocampo']</strong> at Socorro and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615560' first='Jesse' last='James Gonzales']</strong> at Robertson. Both are dynamic dual threat signal callers. These two teams met twice last season, including the quarterfinals of the 3A playoffs, so&nbsp; this will be their third meeting in 12 months. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Las Vegas at Hatch Valley</strong>: The Dons make the long trip to southern NM. They also travel to Ruidoso and Portales in non-district play. West Las Vegas QB <strong>C.J. Perea</strong>'s quest to surpass 8,000 career passing yards is one of the top storylines of Class 3A this season. He directs a talented WLV offense. Hatch Valley has two stars in senior RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1119512' first='Orrin' last='Russell'] and junior WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='854307' first='Demarcus' last='Alaniz'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ruidoso at Eunice</strong>: The Warriors have become of the best stories in New Mexico high school football simply by the fact that they're playing football at all considering the devastation in their town from wildfires and flooding. Eunice QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon']</strong> is one of the most underrated signal callers in the state.&nbsp; He's now a junior but has been starting since he was a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Capital at Santa Fe</strong>: These local rivals in the state's capitol are both trying to bounce back from disappointing seasons in 2023. John Michael Salazar debuts as Capital's head coach and he's brough the pure Air Raid to the South Side, which means the Jaguars will throw the ball a lot. Several quarterbacks were battling to become the starter for the Demons. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Albuquerque Academy at Moriarty</strong>: Albuquerque Academy enters its second season with David Lee as head coach. His first season was moderately successful as the Chargers finished 6-6. They have talent on both sides of the ball. Moriarty failed to make the playoffs last season but the Pintos will continue to run the football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Espanola Valley at Los Alamos</strong>: Espanola Valley is on an upward trajectory under third-year head coach Tylon Wilder. They finished 6-4 last season and posted the first playoff win in school history. They probably cherish the opportunity to knock off the Class 5A Hilltoppers. These schools are located about 23 miles apart, so emotions will be high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Manzano at Highlands</strong>: Two storylines dominate this matchup – Manzano debuts as a Class 4A team after years in Class 5A and 6A. The Monarchs should win their share of games this season. Second, we get our first look at Highland RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba']</strong>, one of the state's top running backs and arguably the top RB in the Albuquerque Metro Region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eldorado at Organ Mountain (Sat., 1 p.m.)</strong>: Albuquerque vs. Las Cruces games are always intriguing, even when two teams are involved that have struggled in recent years. Eldorado must improve its defense if it hopes to get back into the 6A playoffs. Organ Mountain is still seeking its first win under second-year head coach Kenneth Sanchez. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1796314237922410880","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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1796314237922410880 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1819663380296483206","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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1819663380296483206 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CHSJagsFootball/status/1825756615691165847","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/CHSJagsFootball/status/1825756615691165847 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->