2025 Team Preview: Aztec Tigers

2025 AZTEC TIGERS PREVIEW   OVERVIEW   Two years ago, Aztec won seven games and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 4A playoffs. A new head coach brought optimism for the 2024 campaign, but things quickly unraveled and the Tigers finished 0-9 with just one game decided by fewer than 20 points.   Spencer Conley was named interim head coach before the first game was played last season. He agreed to return in 2025 – bringing much needed stability and consistency after the turmoil-filled 2024 campaign – and has been named the permanent head coach of the Tigers.   Right now, Conley  is focused like a laser beam on building not just the foundation for the new Aztec program, but the hole in the ground where the foundation will be laid. Aztec held its 10 padded practices earlier this month.   “Everything was upbeat,” Conley told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We're excited about moving forward from here. We're taking baby steps, teaching the game and building camaraderie as a staff and team. We saw that in the intersquad scrimmage. It's those little things that help pull you through in ballgames. We don't want the weeds to grow back, so the things that aren't healthy, we're dealing with. Right now, we're focused on moving in the right direction.”      How young will Aztec be in 2025? Out of the 50 players listed on the Tigers roster on MaxPreps, 24 are freshman. When you add in the 12 sophomores, 72 percent of the 2025 roster currently consists of 9th and 10th graders. Just five seniors are listed: DB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='1752715' first='Taner' last='Olguin'], ATH Christian Jacquez, WR/DB Deagan Brashear, OL/DL Jordan Wallace and OL/DL Hunter Nichols.   “The first thing I've had to do with so many young players is get them used to the speed,” Conley said. “That's why we've played so much varsity 7-on-7 this summer. I can't get them used to the physical contact, but I can get them used to varsity game speed by having them compete in 7-on-7.”   Conley is adamant about teaching his players not just football lessons, but life lessons as well.   “My responsibility is making sure our guys get more than just X's and O's from the game,” Conley said. “That's why we have no negativity. We're trimming the fat, so to speak, that plagues a program. Slowly but surely we're doing that. We want Aztec football to be fun and a safe place for young men to grow up. We're teaching them what team is and what community is.”   Competitors for the starting QB job include rising juniors Joseph Martin and Jaton Sims. Rising freshmen Trysten Howells and Bentlee Parry are also listed as QBs on the 2025 roster. Don't be surprised if one or both of the freshmen take meaningful snaps in 2025.     “I know we're building a program here, so I'm not in a hurry,” Conley said. “If we have to, we'll make a change. This is all about development. We're not going to be stupid and just focus on winning games. I'm developing young men. As they develop, things will change. Since they are young men, we should expect them to change.”   Aztec will likely utilize the Wing-T as one of their base offensive schemes.   According to the latest MaxPreps roster, Aztec's running backs corps will include rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1248683' first='Lorenzo' last='Lucero'], rising sophomore Questiun Scott and rising freshmen Julius Dixon and Frank Smith. Lucero is entering his third season with the Aztec varsity. He'll bring speed to the RB positions as he runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds.   “We're always going to go with who is helping us get it done,” Conley said. “This is a team, so I'm not building around one running back or one quarterback. If we can play two quarterbacks and that makes Aztec better, that's what we're going to do. Right now, we have multiple running backs that will get the ball. All of them are still competing.”   Defensively, Conley said Aztec will run a variety of schemes, fitting the scheme and alignment to what the Tiger players do best.   “If you're smart, you run the best defense for your players,” Conley said. “We're figuring that out. You can't be a coordinator for me if you know only one defense. This isn't college, where you're recruiting players to your defense.”                        2025 Aztec Football Schedule:   Aug. 22 at Rio Grande (7 p.m.)                    Aug. 29 MIYAMURA ( 7 p.m.)                    Sept. 5 at Bayfield (CO)(7 p.m.)                     Sept. 12 TAOS (6 p.m.)*                    Sept. 19 at Bloomfield (7 p.m.)*                       Sept. 26 GRANTS (7 p.m.)*                     Oct. 3 MORIARTY (6 p.m.)*                   Oct. 10 at Bernalillo (7 p.m.)*                   Oct. 17 Bye               Oct. 24 at Kirtland Central (7 p.m.)*                   Oct. 31 ESPANOLA VALLEY (7 p.m.)*   *District 4A-1 Game   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Max week: Bench-255lb 40yd- 4.50 3cone- 7.16 Shuttle- 4.25 Broad jump- 8'8 <a href="https://t.co/x6f3tSWvEE">pic.twitter.com/x6f3tSWvEE</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1248683' first='Lorenzo' last='Lucero'] (@lorenzo_lu48631) <a href="https://twitter.com/lorenzo_lu48631/status/1932620412292378851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Check out Slot Receiver by [player_tooltip player_id='1248683' first='Lorenzo' last='Lucero'] on <a href="https://twitter.com/Hudl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hudl</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ky8JGEmSf5">https://t.co/Ky8JGEmSf5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hudl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hudl</a> Some of my sophomore year highlights at slot receiver— [player_tooltip player_id='1248683' first='Lorenzo' last='Lucero'] (@lorenzo_lu48631) <a href="https://twitter.com/lorenzo_lu48631/status/1914023167091490889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></blockquote>

2025 AZTEC TIGERS PREVIEW