2025 Team Preview: Cleveland Storm

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Six straight appearances in the Class 6A state championship game – and four titles overall – since 2018 have created an ironclad standard at Cleveland: If the Storm aren't practicing on Thanksgiving and playing in the title game two days later, the season is a failure. Cleveland is the closest thing to a machine &nbsp;New Mexico high school football has. If you're convinced Cleveland won't make it to the final game, proceed at your own risk.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our kids are chomping at the bit to get back at it,” Cleveland head coach Robert Garza told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Our message this year is to continue doing what we do and let the process work. Trust what we do, believe that it's going to work and buy into the off-season.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland's most recent state championship came 4-1/2 months ago when they dethroned La Cueva at Wilson Storm with a dominant performance. Some major contributors on that title-winning team have graduated, but many others return, including the quarterback, leading receiver, top offensive lineman and several defensive standouts. As we have seen, Cleveland doesn't rebuild, they reload. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5 Players To Watch: </strong>QB [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'], RB [player_tooltip player_id='1600936' first='Samuel' last='Bustillos'], WR [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'], OL [player_tooltip player_id='851862' first='Moses' last='Sparks'], WR [player_tooltip player_id='1613490' first='Evan' last='Nanez'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Six-foot-4 rising senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch']</strong> made a major leap from his sophomore year in 2023 to last season when he threw 29 passes and just two interceptions while completing 64 percent of his passes. He flourished under the tutelage of Storm offensive coordinator (and former HC) Heath Ridenour. Between his height, arm strength, high football IQ and pinpoint accuracy, Hatch is definitely a next level prospect, possibly Div. 1, going into his third season as the Storm's starting QB. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Jordan had a stellar junior season,” Garza said. “He did a job with his decisions and distributing the ball where it needed to be. He was helped by our strong ground game. We're going to continue to rely on Jordan to be the engine of the offense. He gets us to where we need to be. He just has to trust his reads and continue to work on the little things with his mechanics. He's working on getting faster and adding some things to his game this year to be more versatile.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600936' first='Samuel' last='Bustillos']</strong> was one of three Storm running backs last season with 500+ yards. The other two are graduating next month, so Bustillos is the clear favorite to claim the No. 1 job. Promising newcomers include rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1684397' first='Bruin' last='Shawver']</strong>, who played JV in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Sammy just plays hard,” Garza said. “He made some big plays carrying the football but he was also the first guy down the field on kickoffs knocking the snot out of somebody. Sammy is a hard-nose football player. Bruin is an up-and-comer. We think we can rely on him a little bit and get some big yards from him.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising senior wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado']</strong> possesses nice speed, superb body control and velcro hands. He had 50 receptions for 918 yards and 11 TD in 2024. Rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613490' first='Evan' last='Nanez']</strong>, who returned a couple of varsity kickoffs for TDs last year, is another promising newcomer and could be the No. 2 WR. Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1651252' first='Ajay' last='Vigil']</strong> will compete for the No. 2 job. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have a pretty good group of receivers we're excited about,” Garza said. “Jacob is a special kid. He took a huge step last year. He's a guy we can count on in big situations. He made some tough catches and took some big hits. He's tough kid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're going to move him around and try to create good matchups for him to take advantage of. We're expecting some big things out of Evan. He had some significant varsity reps as a freshman last season. He's going to become a big name in New Mexico fairly quickly.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Power 4 prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851862' first='Moses' last='Sparks'] Jr.</strong>, our #1 prospect in the 2026 class (3-star ranking by Rivals), anchors the Storm offensive line at left tackle. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Sparks has already been offered by Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Houston, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Texas Tech, Utah and UTEP, with more likely on the way. Sparks is joined by 6-foot-3, 260-pound right tackle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671759' first='Nathaniel' last='Gutierrez']</strong> and 6-foot-2, 265-pound guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671762' first='Damion' last='Lopez']</strong> as returning starters. The competition to fill the two remaining starting spots (center, guard) should be keen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have some guys working their tails off in the weight room (to compete),” Garza said. “When we start with the football stuff in a few weeks, we'll see who rises to the occasion.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DEFENSE:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5 Players To Wach: </strong>DE [player_tooltip player_id='1230420' first='Elijah' last='Richards'], DL [player_tooltip player_id='1599835' first='Riley' last='Haussler'], DT [player_tooltip player_id='1594080' first='Eli' last='Powell'], LB [player_tooltip player_id='1599859' first='Troy' last='Logan'], DB [player_tooltip player_id='854200' first='Collin' last='Joyner'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland's defense has usually been led by a stellar linebacker corps in recent years. However, you could argue the defensive line will be the Storm's strongest and deepest position group on that side of the ball in 2025. New Mexico commitment <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1230420' first='Elijah' last='Richards']</strong> (6-foot-5, 225 pounds; 2-star ranking by Rivals) will start at one defensive end spot with the underrated <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599835' first='Riley' last='Haussler']</strong> (42 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks in 2024) at defensive tackle. &nbsp;Three-hundred pound rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594080' first='Eli' last='Powell']</strong> will be the nose tackle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Riley is a Clydesdale,” Garza said. “He's tough. He has a great mentality for defensive line. We're expecting a huge season from Elijah. We have a good core of defensive linemen coming back.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland's top returning tackler is MLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599859' first='Troy' last='Logan']</strong> (53 tackles).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Troy stepped up huge last year, especially in the state championship game,” Garza said. “He made some phenomenal plays in that game. He made some tackles all year long.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Storm secondary had multiple players sign in February to play at the next level. Rising senior cornerback <strong>Johannes Hernandez</strong> (2 INT in 2024) returns along with safety <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854200' first='Collin' last='Joyner']</strong>, who started all 13 games in 2024, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853709' first='Connor' last='Steele']</strong>, who played mostly nickel last season. Several candidates will battle for the starting CB job opposite Hernandez. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 Cleveland Football Schedule:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 23 at Centennial (Sat., 1 p.m.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 29 at Los Lunas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 5 CLOVIS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 12 LAS CRUCES</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 19 EL PASO (TX) PEBBLE HILLS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 26 Bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 3 at Farmington*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 10 CIBOLA*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 17 PIEDRA VISTA*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 25 at Volcano Vista (Sat, 11 a.m.)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 31 at Rio Rancho (6 p.m.)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>* District 6A-1 Game</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2024 full season highlight<br>2271 pass yards<br>29TD/2INT<br>64% completions<a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/franks_coach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@franks_coach</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Avina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Avina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Ena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Ena</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKelleyLee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachKelleyLee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Waters21John?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Waters21John</a> <a href="https://t.co/vXtZdCVy28">pic.twitter.com/vXtZdCVy28</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'] (@Kekoa1_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kekoa1_/status/1878816354758963570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">‼️Junior season highlights‼️<br>6a district/state,champions<br>6'5 220lbs<br>TE/DE/OLB<br>#22<br>65 tackles<br>3tds<a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Ridenour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Ridenour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmprepcosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmprepcosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CSAPrepStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CSAPrepStar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleMorgan_XOS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KyleMorgan_XOS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachD84?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachD84</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_RGarza?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_RGarza</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpoRecruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ExpoRecruits</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mjfrecruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjfrecruits</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelWoosley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelWoosley</a> <a href="https://t.co/9gpMkhQJt4">pic.twitter.com/9gpMkhQJt4</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1230420' first='Elijah' last='Richards'] (@E_Richards22) <a href="https://twitter.com/E_Richards22/status/1869602862621450446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'] Junior Highlights<br>V. Sue Cleveland High<br>5'10 175<br>WR/RB<br>3.75 Cumulative GPA 📖 <a href="https://t.co/YJlu0ySKfW">pic.twitter.com/YJlu0ySKfW</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'] (@jakemaldonado08) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakemaldonado08/status/1900250595791167787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thankful to be ranked as a 3 star by <a href="https://twitter.com/Rivals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rivals</a> <a href="https://t.co/z280Of6aYF">pic.twitter.com/z280Of6aYF</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='851862' first='Moses' last='Sparks'] jr (@mosessparks77) <a href="https://twitter.com/mosessparks77/status/1869517886013980952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Junior Season Highlights! Thankful for an amazing season with this team! <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_RGarza?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_RGarza</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ZackWindsor1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZackWindsor1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJournell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachJournell</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_TPearson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_TPearson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelRyanDay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelRyanDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hester_chip?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hester_chip</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coach_hepp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coach_hepp</a> <a href="https://t.co/PhBl8om099">https://t.co/PhBl8om099</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='853709' first='Connor' last='Steele'] (@CJSteele2026) <a href="https://twitter.com/CJSteele2026/status/1869174943575121935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->