2025 Team Preview: Grants Pirates
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<p><strong>2025 GRANTS PIRATES PREVIEW</strong></p>
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>In two years under head coach Steve Brown, Grants has made the Class 4A playoffs both seasons, advancing to the quarterfinals last season after a first-round victory over Silver before losing to historic rival St. Pius X. The Pirates finished 6-6.</p>
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<p>“The goal this season to get back to the playoffs and hopefully, if we see St. Pius X again, to have a different result,” Brown told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We're looking forward to the challenge of the new season. Our guys are pretty hungry.</p>
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<p>“They're eager to get back at it. A lot of our guys feel we should have done better overall (in 2024). But considering where the program was a couple of years ago, we're OK. We're trying to get at least one game better. Hopefully, we can advance the semifinals or even farther this year. We want to play at least one more game, if not two.”</p>
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<p>Grants brings back plenty of experience, which make Brown hopeful for a big season by the Pirates.</p>
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<p>“We're returning quite a few seniors this season,” Brown said. “That makes us pretty excited. A lot of our guys coming back are studs. If we can put it together, I feel like we can make some noise. If our guys decide they want to do it, I think they can. They just have to put it all together and jell at the right time.” </p>
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<p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Top 3 Players: [player_tooltip player_id='854297' first='Tristin' last='Fernandez'] </strong>(QB)<strong>, [player_tooltip player_id='854308' first='Isaiah' last='Ortega'] </strong>(WR)<strong>, [player_tooltip player_id='1137878' first='Cardenio' last='Chavez'] </strong>(WR)<strong> </strong> </p>
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<p>Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854297' first='Tristin' last='Fernandez']</strong> is one of the top two-way players in northern New Mexico. Not only is Fernandez a dynamic dual threat QB for the Pirates, he also led them in tackles last season. He threw for nearly 1,500 yards, rushed for over 300 yards and accounted for 16 TD. Brown wants Fernandez to boost his completion percentage and cut down his interceptions in his senior season.</p>
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<p>“One thing we've been working on this summer is understanding defenses better, understanding his reads better and not throwing into certain coverages,” Brown said.</p>
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<p>Leading rusher Andres Lazos has graduated, so Grants will have a new No. 1 RB in 2025. The best prospect to fill that job is rising senior <strong>Joseph Clawson</strong>, who averaged 6.8 yards per carry in 2024. Behind him is promising rising freshman (2029) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1720592' first='Julian' last='Fernandez']</strong>, younger brother of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854297' first='Tristin' last='Fernandez']</strong>. Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680212' first='Rey' last='Chavira']</strong> will compete for playing time at RB.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='1720592' first='Julian' last='Fernandez'] carried the ball 35 times as an 8<sup>th</sup>-grader in 2024, including 14 times for 134 yards against Aztec. He had 44 rushing yards in the quarterfinal loss to St. Pius X. Brown says Julian, described as strong and fast, has added about 15 pounds to his frame in the weight room this summer.</p>
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<p>“Julian is the kind of player every coach likes to have,” Brown said. “He listens, he's coachable, does what you ask him to do and he gives max effort all the time. His future is bright. We're excited to see what he brings to the table for us this year. Since Joe also plays linebacker, we may see Julian on the offensive side a lot more than some people expect. Rey could also get a lot of reps. We're hoping to keep the guys fresh every game in the backfield.”</p>
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<p>The Pirates' top two receivers from a season ago return – rising seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854308' first='Isaiah' last='Ortega']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137878' first='Cardenio' last='Chavez']</strong>. Rising seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751781' first='Coudy' last='Melonas']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1248673' first='Isaiah' last='Aldaz']</strong> are competing for playing time. The tight end will be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751788' first='Shadrach' last='Merayo']</strong>. Six-foot-3 rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1730540' first='Tomas' last='Valenzuela']</strong> is the future. Valenzuela has great size and serious hops, so he could make an impact in 2025.</p>
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<p>“Ortega and Chavez are joined at the hip,” Brown said. “They're constantly working on their game, even when we're not at practice. They're always on the field working on something. They're always trying to get better. I hope it shows this season. Those two guys deserve all the accolades they're about to get. They're committed and they love what they're doing.”</p>
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<p>One of the strongest players in the state, rising senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851894' first='Gary' last='Chavez']</strong>, anchors the Grants offensive line. Chavez won the title in the 242-pound class at April's state powerlifting championships. Chavez is arguably the strongest player in the state, pound-for-pound. Six-foot-2, 365-pound rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751784' first='Christopher' last='Archuleta']</strong> also returns at guard. </p>
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<p>“Gary is just a force,” Brown said. “Christopher is freakishly fast for his size. We have him at guard because when we pull or run a trap play, he gets around the edge quick being as big as he is. We actually put him in the backfield last season to lead block, and he even got a couple of carries. He loves to bang helmets.”</p>
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<p>Grants will have new blockers at center and both tackle spots. Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1602437' first='Jaxson' last='Wengert']</strong>, rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1660607' first='Levi' last='Smith']</strong>, rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1248682' first='Kiernan' last='Bell']</strong> and <strong>Raymond Cisneros</strong> is among the competitors.</p>
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<p>“We're hoping our offensive line will be significantly improved because the O-Line was our Achilles heel last season,” Brown said. </p>
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<p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Top 3 Players: [player_tooltip player_id='851894' first='Gary' last='Chavez'] </strong>(DL)<strong>, [player_tooltip player_id='1137886' first='Brandon' last='Wheeler'] </strong>(LB)<strong>, Joe Clawson </strong>(LB)<strong>.</strong></p>
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<p>Incredibly strong DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851894' first='Gary' last='Chavez']</strong> (see above) will anchor the defensive line. He had 87 tackles, an astounding 27.0 TFL, 6 sacks and 13 QB hurries in 2024. He has next level aspirations. Chavez will be joined by DT/NT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751784' first='Christopher' last='Archuleta']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1248682' first='Kiernan' last='Bell']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1602437' first='Jaxson' last='Wengert']</strong>, all of whom will both ways in the trenches.</p>
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<p>D-Line newcomers include promising 6-foot-2 rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613727' first='Antonio' last='DeVargas']</strong>, who played football for the first time in 2024. DeVargas is also an outstanding wrestler. </p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137886' first='Brandon' last='Wheeler']</strong> (94 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 5 QB hurries) and <strong>Joseph Clawson</strong> (77 tackles, 17 TFL, team high 11 sacks) lead the experienced Pirates linebacker groups. Leading tackler <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854297' first='Tristin' last='Fernandez']</strong> also returns in addition to playing QB. Together, the three aforementioned returning LBs combined for 274 tackles and 39.5 TFL in 2024. Rising junior <strong>Alex Almazan</strong> will be one of the backups. </p>
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<p>“We have three seniors at linebacker and I think they're going to be solid,” Brown said. “They're going to be tough to contend with.”</p>
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<p>Rising senior CB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137878' first='Cardenio' last='Chavez']</strong> is one of the leaders of the secondary. Rising seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853019' first='DJ' last='Chavez']</strong> (also listed at QB) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854308' first='Isaiah' last='Ortega']</strong> join him there. Versatile senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1248673' first='Isaiah' last='Aldaz']</strong> can play cornerback or safety. Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751781' first='Coudy' last='Melonas']</strong> will play one of the safety spots. Melonas has good speed and plenty of range. Last year was his first playing football, so he's only going to get better.</p>
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<p>Every starter in the Pirates defensive back seven last season returns in 2025, making them a potentially salty group.</p>
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<p>“All those guys know the system and they've been with us for three years,” Brown said. “We're looking for them to have a good year as a group.” </p>
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<p><strong>2025 Grants Football Schedule:</strong></p>
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<p>Aug. 22 at Miyamura (7 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Aug. 29 ST. PIUS X (7 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Sept. 5 at Dexter (7 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Sept. 12 ESPANOLA VALLEY (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Sept. 19 KIRTLAND CENTRAL (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Sept. 26 at Aztec (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 3 Bye </p>
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<p>Oct. 10 at Taos (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 17 at Moriarty (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 24 BERNALILLO (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 31 at Bloomfield (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>* District 4A-1 Game</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">C/o 26 <br>WR/DB<br>Height 6'<br>Weight 160 <br>Gpa 3.5<br>Awards and Honors: DB of the year (team), All district (grades), First team all district WR, Second team all district DB <br>Jr Highlights<a href="https://t.co/4ku3gO6r2H">https://t.co/4ku3gO6r2H</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1137878' first='Cardenio' last='Chavez'] (@Cardenio_chavez) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardenio_chavez/status/1894253376960901222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">c/o 26<br>WR/DB<br>Height 6'0<br>Weight 165lbs<br>Gpa 3.6<br>Awards and honors: WR of the year (team award) Academic letter, Lamp of Knowledge, All District first team WR NCAA ID: 2302780769<br>10 Games played<a href="https://t.co/OZ9Dwx1lUG">https://t.co/OZ9Dwx1lUG</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='854308' first='Isaiah' last='Ortega'] (@isaiahortega_1) <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahortega_1/status/1931372826201845849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id='854297' first='Tristin' last='Fernandez'] <br>Qb/Mlb<br>Junior szn<br>Passing yards~1465<br>Rushing yards~334<br>PTD~10<br>RTD~6<br>Total Tackles~103<br>Solo~73<br>Assisted~30<br>TFL~15<br>Caused Fumbles~4<br>Fumbles Recovered~1<br>Sacks~8<br>BKA~2<a href="https://twitter.com/GHSCoachBrown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GHSCoachBrown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/COACHKDJR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@COACHKDJR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachkreutzmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachkreutzmann</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a><a href="https://t.co/dMWpIxoaYY">https://t.co/dMWpIxoaYY</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='854297' first='Tristin' last='Fernandez'] (@tfernandez1123) <a href="https://twitter.com/tfernandez1123/status/1923560875958448376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hey coaches, Im a Defensive End out of Grants High school. We just had a sweet season and I want YOU to check out my highlights!! <a href="https://t.co/dvVmAK3FiD">https://t.co/dvVmAK3FiD</a><br>I promise I'm worth the time!!<br><br>87 Total Tackles<br>27 TFLs <br>6 Sacks<br>13 QB Hurries<br>2 Forced Fumbles<br>2 Fumble Recoveries <a href="https://t.co/3yCGVNphcS">pic.twitter.com/3yCGVNphcS</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='851894' first='Gary' last='Chavez'] (@Gary_Chavezz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gary_Chavezz/status/1860060069288902876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Pirates are Parade ready! Happy 4th to you all! Have an Angry Jack Day!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🏴☠️🏴☠️🏈🏈 <a href="https://t.co/f5isEVob4C">pic.twitter.com/f5isEVob4C</a></p>— Steve Brown 🏈🏴☠️💪🏼 (@GHSCoachBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/GHSCoachBrown/status/1941148593584521717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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2025 GRANTS PIRATES PREVIEW
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