The 10 Finalists For the 2024 New Mexico Heisman Award

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With just two weekends left in the 2024 New Mexico high school football season, the top contenders for this year's New Mexico Heisman award are coming into focus. Unlike the college award, postseason performance is a major – and critical - factor in deciding who takes home the honor. It's an individual award based on team success. With the semifinals in every classification set for this weekend, here are the 10 finalists for the 2024 New Mexico Heisman (listed in alphabetical order)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade'], Gadsden</strong>: Andrade is the state's fourth leading rusher with over 1,400 yards and nearly 20 TD. He's one of only four ball carriers with 200+ carries this season. Andrade has been the anchor of Gadsden's offense all season long. Along with the rest of the Gadsden offense, he'll be tested by Roswell's stout defense in Saturday's 5A semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'], Las Cruces</strong>: Slowed by injuries for a couple of week, Amaro is listed on MaxPreps as just the 12^th leading rusher in the state going into the semifinals. However, you can make the argument that no RB in the state is more valuable to their team than Amaro, who rushed a season-high 30 times for 115 yards and 2 TD against Volcano Vista in the quarterfinals. When fully healthy, Amaro is the definition of workhorse RB. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter'], St. Pius X</strong>: Only a sophomore, the 6-foot-5 Carpenter has steadily improved this season, and potentially could become a big-time prospect by this time next season. He's thrown for 2,583 yards and 29 TD heading into Saturday's 4A semifinal clash with Espanola Valley. Carpenter has already zoomed past the 3,000-yard career passing mark and with two more years ahead of him, he could join the list of the top passing QBs in state history before he's done. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1432984' first='Izac' last='Cazares'], Artesia</strong>: Cazares has more than lived up to expectations as Artesia's first dual threat QB in two decades. He's third in the state in passing with 2,667 yards and is one of four QBs with 35+ passing TDs. He's also rushed for over 600 yards and 14 TD. In all, he's accounted for 49 TD as the Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games following a 1-2 start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613746' first='Zaiden' last='Davis'], Centennial</strong>: When you watch Davis run with the football, you have to convince yourself he's committed to New Mexico State as a linebacker. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Davis has size, speed and skill, three essential traits for success at the FBS level. He's a card-carrying member of the 1,000-1,000 club as he enters Friday night's semifinal with 1,153 yards passing and 1,528 yards rushing. He's a threat to take it to the house every time he has the ball in his hand. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer'], La Cueva</strong>: Dyer's masterful performance in La Cueva's 57-6 victory over Hobbs in the quarterfinals exemplified his senior season. He totaled 413 yards and accounted for 6 TD, 3 throwing and 3 running. Few quarterbacks in the state are better at getting to the edge, turning the corner and racing down the sideline for a long TD. Against Hobbs, two of his scores came on runs from midfield. Dyer is 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. Elite athleticism.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jesse James Gonzalez, Robertson</strong>: Gonzalez is arguably the best small school dual threat quarterback in the state. He led Robertson to a 9-1 regular season record by throwing for 1,783 yards and rushing for 1,052 yards, joining the prestigious 1,000-1,000 club before the playoffs started. It was more of the same last week in the quarterfinals win over crosstown rival West Las Vegas. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola'], Las Cruces</strong>: Guardiola, a junior, and the Bulldawgs will face La Cueva in the Class 6A semifinals for the second straight year. Guardiola has thrown for thrown for over 2,000 yards and 15 TD. His biggest asset? He doesn't make mistakes. He has tossed just 1 interception in the last 8 games. He must continue playing error free football for the Bulldogs to knock off defending champion La Cueva on Saturday.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'], Eunice</strong>: Melancon, the state's leader in passing yards, has led Eunice to the semifinals of the Class 2A playoffs by throwing for 2,985 yards and 39 TD in 12 games. Melancon has been Eunice's starting QB since he was a freshman and has nearly 7,700 career passing yards with his senior season still to go. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer'], Bloomfield</strong>: Unbeaten Bloomfield is favored to capture its second 4A title in three years largely because of Spencer's performance this season. He has passed for 2,385 yards and 38 TD even though the Bobcats have won SIX of their 10 games by mercy rule. Their games are usually over by halftime or early third quarter. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mention (Also Receiving Consideration)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='837197' first='Ryan' last='Alfaro'], Deming</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='613752' first='JJ' last='Arellano'], Rio Rancho</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1119255' first='Brock' last='Beaty'], Hobbs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1600835' first='Nathanael' last='Best'], Alamogordo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'], Albuquerque Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='615632' first='Uriel' last='Castro'], Bernalillo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn'], Artesia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='854312' first='Josh' last='Cordova'], Santa Rosa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1119597' first='Kyle' last='Evenhus'], Los Alamos</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1155032' first='CJ' last='Granados'], Dexter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jordan Hatch, Cleveland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'], Los Alamos</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1566538' first='Brig' last='Keiser'], Piedra Vista</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='280925' first='Jordan' last='Lucas'], Centennial</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cheeto Lumbrera, La Cueva:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chris Melendez, Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba'], Highland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='611120' first='Juan' last='Munoz'], Cleveland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1119659' first='Xavier' last='Nez'], Navajo Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1595671' first='Landon' last='Noble'], Newcomb</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='613184' first='Isaiah' last='Ocampo'], Socorro</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'], St. Pius X</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='615555' first='CJ' last='Perea'], West Las Vegas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1119650' first='Kason' last='Perez'], Carlsbad</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1259000' first='Jace' last='Pitt'], Rio Rancho</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mathew Prudencio, Lovington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1600795' first='Salid' last='Rashid'], Miyamura</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1600087' first='Lorenzo' last='Sedillo-Urban'], Legacy Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1599923' first='Michael' last='Storms III'], Valencia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1258970' first='James' last='Vautier'], Manzano</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='613163' first='Breylon' last='Williams'], St. Pius X</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highlights from Quarterfinals‼️<br><br>57-6 W vs. Hobbs✅<br>413 yds, 6 TDs (3 pass TDs, 3 rush TDs)<br><br>Check out my highlight - <a href="https://t.co/ktJsdAClxy">https://t.co/ktJsdAClxy</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer'] (@camdyer7) <a href="https://twitter.com/camdyer7/status/1858724501199995344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out my highlight - <a href="https://t.co/B5uZCA9RSn">https://t.co/B5uZCA9RSn</a><br><br>2024 Regular Season Highlights🏈<br>- 21 Total tds-<br>-134 carries, 1066 rushing yards-<br>-271 receiving yds-<br>-377 special teams yds-<br>-1,714 all purpose yds-<br>⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/mjlopezdawgs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjlopezdawgs</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/renetorres05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@renetorres05</a>⁩</p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] (@AmaroDaniel22) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmaroDaniel22/status/1858946910767202719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mid-Season Highlights<br>1,132 Rushing Yards <br>#1 for rushing yards in New Mexico <br>#65 For rushing yards Nationally<br>174.3 Y/G<br>14 Touchdowns<a href="https://t.co/C3RbjRPy0u">https://t.co/C3RbjRPy0u</a> (<a href="https://t.co/C3RbjRPy0u">https://t.co/C3RbjRPy0u</a>) <a href="https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ENMUFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WNMUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WNMUFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_IanMcCall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_IanMcCall</a><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GadsdenPanthers</a><a href="https://twitter.com/CoachFacio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachFacio</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade'] (@AlfredoA2025) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlfredoA2025/status/1842027675776647200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Sartans 21, Grants 7<br>2nd 11:45 <a href="https://t.co/kSbhq8HcOm">pic.twitter.com/kSbhq8HcOm</a></p>&mdash; St. Pius X (ABQ) (@SartanX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SartanX/status/1857888145007907238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH - Jason Flores (<a href="https://twitter.com/jflores9526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jflores9526</a>) and Ed Stansbury (<a href="https://twitter.com/EdStansbury?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdStansbury</a>) with the latest edition of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9OT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9OT</a> 5-Star Performers and with a new <a href="https://twitter.com/coldestzone915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coldestzone915</a> Player Breakdown on Centennial standout [player_tooltip player_id='613746' first='Zaiden' last='Davis'] (<a href="https://twitter.com/DavisZaiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DavisZaiden</a>).<br><br>MORE: <a href="https://t.co/3LRniaogd0">https://t.co/3LRniaogd0</a> <a href="https://t.co/5WkItjaiVO">pic.twitter.com/5WkItjaiVO</a></p>&mdash; Sam Guzman (@SamGuzmanTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamGuzmanTV/status/1834834964405240031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/yvs8uWnSBv">https://t.co/yvs8uWnSBv</a><br>Junior Season Highlights 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola'] (@GunnarGuardiola) <a href="https://twitter.com/GunnarGuardiola/status/1856108447252492647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->