2025 Team Preview: Atrisco Heritage Jaguars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atrisco Heritage has posted a winning record just once since 2015. Last season's 2-8 disappointment led to Howard Knezevich's exit as head coach and the promotion of offensive coordinator Dominic Casaus to the top job with the Jaguars. Casaus was the head JV coach at Atrisco Heritage for several years before moving up to become the OC last fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Casaus immediately understood his top priority after being named head coach – change the culture.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're working on changing the culture and instilling a good, strong tradition here,” Casaus told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We're working on getting the buy-in from the players, and getting them to understand everything is earned. We have to change their mindset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have to bring the pride back to Atrisco the way it should be. Right now, we're just trying to win every day, in the classroom, on the field and everything we do. We're getting a good number of guys for our 6 a.m. lifts. The support from the community has been great.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Casaus insists Atrisco Heritage, which has over 2,000 students, has enough quality athletes to build a successful football program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have a bunch of athletes here, guys that want to go play at the next level,” Casaus said. “My job is to get them prepared for that. We're working on our discipline. In the past, we've struggled with penalties. We're trying to put these guys under pressure in practices and get them used to overcoming adversity. That's part of the culture shift here. So far, everything is going great. The kids are giving me everything they've got.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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>3 Players To Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1532983' first='Alijah' last='Lee']</strong> (RB), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272752' first='J'ven' last='Smith']</strong> (WR), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155114' first='Deon' last='Session']</strong> (WR).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atrisco Heritage will have a new quarterback in 2025. Among those competing for the job are three rising seniors: <strong>Tommy Gallegos</strong>, last season's backup, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1633802' first='Gianluca' last='Ramirez']</strong> and 6-foot-3, 190-pound <strong>Jedidiah Montano</strong>. Ramirez was a receiver in 2024 while Montano played defensive back and hybrid linebacker. Rising sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1362443' first='Izaiah' last='Casaus']</strong> (6-0, 185 pounds) and <strong>Fernando Ramirez</strong> will also be involved in the competition. Both played mainly JV last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising junior RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1532983' first='Alijah' last='Lee']</strong> returns after leading the Jaguars in rushing last fall. He'll be joined by rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1632365' first='Josiah' last='Lopez']</strong>, giving Atrisco a quality 1-2 combination in the offensive backfield. Lopez began last season as Atrisco Heritage's No. 1 RB but suffered an injury midway through the year. He's healthy now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“[player_tooltip player_id='1532983' first='Alijah' last='Lee'] is a special talent,” Casaus said. “Josiah is healthy and looking good.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dynamic rising juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272752' first='J'ven' last='Smith']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155114' first='Deon' last='Session']</strong> – Atrisco's top two pass catchers in 2024 – give the Jaguars one of the top WR duos in the Albuquerque Metro Region. Both are legitimate next level prospects. Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1199188' first='Ezekiel' last='Candelaria']</strong> will be involved in the mix as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1633802' first='Gianluca' last='Ramirez']</strong> will likely play WR too if he doesn't win the QB job. Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1642384' first='Jude' last='Maldonado']</strong> looks to become a bigger factor in the passing attack this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're getting a lot of our offense back from last season,” Casaus said, “Many of them are just sophomores right now with two more years to go. I think we're building something special around those guys. We'll try to get them the ball in open space and let them go to work.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along the offensive line, promising newcomer <strong>Joshua Roybal</strong> (6-3, 290 pounds) will be one of the anchors even though he'll just be a sophomore. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155059' first='Dominick' last='Lewallen']</strong>, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound rising junior who started at a freshman two seasons ago, is another returner. Six-foot-5, 275-pound rising junior <strong>George Johnson</strong> played mostly JV in 2024. Rising junior <strong>Wa'Qari Walker</strong> adds depth. Atrisco Heritage will feature a big and strong offensive line in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our offensive line is probably going to be the biggest we've had since I started here,” Casaus said. “Our focus has been beefing up our line and getting our guys stronger and ready to hold things down. And we have some younger guys coming up that are big, too.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 Players To Watch: Wa'Quari Walker </strong>(DE), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1749078' first='Isaiah' last='Montoya']</strong> (LB), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272796' first='Ja'Von' last='Bouldin']</strong> (DE/LB).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wa'Qari Walker </strong>returns to the defensive line and could be a two-way standout in 2025 along with <strong>Joshua Roybal</strong>. Rising sophomore DT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1749009' first='Ayden' last='Gonzales']</strong> is considered a promising up-and-comer. In fact, he could play both OL and DL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1749078' first='Isaiah' last='Montoya']</strong> saw action at both linebacker and defensive back in 2024 when the injury bug struck the Jaguars. He finished with 53 tackle sin 9 games. Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1749127' first='Nicholas' last='Alderete']</strong> (4^th in the 198-pound weight class at the state powerlifting championships) is a two-year starter at LB. <strong>Marcos Chavez</strong> should also be at LB after starting there last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272796' first='Ja'Von' last='Bouldin']</strong>, described by Casaus as a ‘special athlete,' could rotate between DE and LB. He might even line up at safety, giving the Jaguars a rare player capable of playing at a high level on all three levels. He had 34 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 8 QB hurries in 2024. Bouldin has started since he was a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising senior DB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615600' first='Marcos' last='Lucero']</strong> could have a big season based on offseason workouts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 Atrisco Heritage Football Schedule:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 22 at Rio Rancho &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 29 at Centennial</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 4 RIO GRANDE (Thur.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 12 Bye &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 19 at Albuquerque High* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 26 SANDIA* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 4 WEST MESA (Sat., 3 p.m.)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 11 SANTA FE (Sat., 11 a.m.)* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 18 LA CUEVA (Sat. 11 a.m.)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 24 at Los Lunas* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 31 at Eldorado* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>* District 6A-2 Game</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2024 Season Highlights<br>8 games played<br>35 catches<br>482 yards<br>5 TD&#039;s<a href="https://t.co/cTx1trzW5o">https://t.co/cTx1trzW5o</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1272752' first='J'ven' last='Smith'] (@jvensmith09) <a href="https://twitter.com/jvensmith09/status/1855292592508068093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2024 Highlights Varsity Highlights:<br>10 Games Total Played<br>5 Catches<br>93 Yards<br>1 Touchdown <br>1 EXP Conversion<a href="https://t.co/rlK2rotq6M">https://t.co/rlK2rotq6M</a></p>&mdash; Gianluca “Luca” Ramirez (@GianlucaRamir13) <a href="https://twitter.com/GianlucaRamir13/status/1860077431132160103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out my sophomore yr at Left Tackle. 8/10 varsity games. 241 pass sets 0 sacks allowed 4 hurries. 351 plays total.<br>#5 ranked player in C/O 2027 #1 linemen in C/0 2027<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tony_mccoy3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tony_mccoy3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachCasaus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachCasaus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardKnezevich?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HowardKnezevich</a><a href="https://t.co/X6p8PST0YU">https://t.co/X6p8PST0YU</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1155059' first='Dominick' last='Lewallen'] (@DominickL58) <a href="https://twitter.com/DominickL58/status/1860105944094638581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Atrisco Heritage Academy 2025 Football Schedule. Go Jags! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinTheDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinTheDay</a> #212 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaguarPride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaguarPride</a> <a href="https://t.co/QvmAw0GERK">pic.twitter.com/QvmAw0GERK</a></p>&mdash; Dominic Casaus (@CoachCasaus) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachCasaus/status/1918159224334631109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->