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<p>New Mexico Highlands has scored a hat trick, Las Cruces style.</p>
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<p>Within a few minutes Monday night, three of the Bulldawgs' top players committed to the Cowboys – RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro']</strong>, WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142363' first='Francisco' last='Winnikoff']</strong> and DB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266523' first='Isaac' last='Gomez']</strong>.</p>
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<p>The trio helped lead Las Cruces to an impressive 12-1 season and the Class 6A state championship game as the Bulldawgs became the first team from southern New Mexico to reach the title game since 2016. </p>
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<p>Amaro rushed for 1,927 yards and a staggering 42 touchdowns as a senior in 2025. He averaged 10.0 yards per carry and had 9 games with 100+ rushing yards. Amaro proved tough to stop whenever the Bulldawgs penetrated the red zone. He was one of three finalists for the 2025 New Mexico Heisman Award.</p>
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<p>Winnikoff was one of the top receivers in the state in 2025, amassing 69 receptions for 1,385 yards and 13 TD. He has 120 receptions in his final two seasons for Las Cruces.</p>
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<p>Gomez finished with 76 tackles, 8 passes defended and 3 forced fumbles on a stout Las Cruces defense. </p>
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<p>The trio is joining the NMHU football program at a good time. The Cowboys finished 6-5 in 2025, their first winning season since 2012, generating plenty of enthusiasm for the future . NMHU beat in-state rivals Eastern New Mexico (first win over the Greyhounds since 2013) and Western New Mexico. The Cowboys were the No. 1 rushing team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2025.</p>
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<p>Amaro, Gomez and Winnikoff can sign with NMHU on the National Signing Day, the first Wednesday in February.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With gratitude and faith, I'm blessed to announce my commitment To NMHU. Thankful to God for His guidance, my family for their love and sacrifices, and my coaches for believing in me. All glory to God just the beginning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cowboytough?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cowboytough</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mjlopezdawgs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjlopezdawgs</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xic6dj4ZYF">pic.twitter.com/Xic6dj4ZYF</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1142363' first='Francisco' last='Winnikoff'] (Sisco) (@Sisco2x__) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sisco2x__/status/2003268207134802100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blessed beyond words, I'm proud to announce my commitment to NMHU! I thank my family for their endless love & sacrifices, my coaches for pushing me to be better every day, on and off the field. All glory to god-The journey continues.<a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mjlopezdawgs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjlopezdawgs</a><a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a> <a href="https://t.co/kkh6VG3OWB">pic.twitter.com/kkh6VG3OWB</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] (@AmaroDaniel22) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmaroDaniel22/status/2003268468553167077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Excited to announce that I am 100% Committed to NMHU. Beyond Grateful for this opportunity, Thank you to my Family and Coaches for the endless support <a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> GO COWBOYS!!! <a href="https://t.co/AYtYHTIfzZ">pic.twitter.com/AYtYHTIfzZ</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1266523' first='Isaac' last='Gomez'] (@IsaacGom_32) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacGom_32/status/2003268527579627724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p> </p>
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New Mexico Highlands has scored a hat trick, Las Cruces style.
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