2026 Team Preview: La Cueva Bears

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Team Preview – La Cueva Bears</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The standards at La Cueva don't change, regardless of who is wearing the Bears uniform. The No. 1 goal every year is playing in the state championship game on Thanksgiving weekend. La Cueva did that from 2022-24, winning the Class 6A title in 2023. Last season, they fell to Las Cruces in the semifinals, denying the Bears a fourth straight appearance in the championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our big message this year to our team is take care of today,” La Cueva head coach Brandon Back told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Our main focus is going to be what we're doing today and getting better today. Our motto this year is ‘1440,'&nbsp; which is the total number of minutes in a day. We want to take full advantage of every minute, every day. Yesterday is a lesson and tomorrow is a wish.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>La Cueva returns several key players on offense, starting with senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1183085' first='Monty' last='Melendez']</strong>, who emerged last season as a dynamic dual threat QB. He threw for 2,425 yards and 20 TD and his speed (4.6 in the 40) keeps opposing defenses honest. Considering the pressure Melendez faced going into last season (the last two LCHS QBs are now playing at the FBS level), he did exceptionally well. Junior <strong>Cainen Montano</strong> will likely be the backup QB. Junior <strong>Matthew Martin</strong> and sophomore <strong>Palmer Eck</strong> (son of UNM head coach Jason Eck) will compete for the spot as well. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Nobody on our team faced more pressure than Monty last year,” Back said. “Following in the shoes of Aiden Armenta and Cam Dyer was a difficult task. But nobody on our team improved as much as Monty did last season when you compare what he was doing at the beginning of the season with his reads to what he was doing at the end. He had the biggest growth overall. We're excited to have a quarterback who has a full year of experience under his belt. Monty has been working very hard in the offseason.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1629861' first='Vaughn' last='Saunders']</strong> and junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1684485' first='J' last='Dylan Hathaway']</strong> will form a solid duo at running back. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Saunders was offered by New Mexico Highlands following Saturday's Junior Day. Saunders is strong and extremely athletic. Hathaway isn't as big, but he's quick. He suffered a severe ankle injury in the quarterfinals at Centennial, but he's back healthy and has been cleared for workouts. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Right now, we're looking at a one-two punch with Vaughn and Hathaway,” Back said. “We have a guy who can pound the ball up the middle for us (Saunders) and a guy who can get it to the outside when we need to (Hathaway). At running back, we have multiple options. We have two running backs who can fill our needs.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Speedster <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1686972' first='Chris' last='Lopez']</strong> (4.5 in the 40) headlines a deep wide receiver corps for the Bears after a promising sophomore campaign in 2025. Rising junior <strong>Devyn Williams</strong> and rising senior <strong>Kobe Cooper</strong> (started every game in 2025) are very capable as well, along with <strong>Matthew Martin</strong> (when he's not playing QB), 6-foot-1 <strong>Ezra Robinson</strong> and up-and-coming sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2079010' first='Jaden' last='Jamerson']</strong>. Six-foot-2 rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613367' first='Cash' last='Brewer']</strong> will line up at tight end. Brewer also wrestles and plays baseball, and has exceptional athleticism. <strong>Cainen Montano</strong> is also a candidate for playing time at tight end. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our receiving corps is very deep,” Back said. “We probably have about eight guys competing for four spots. We're going to have to figure out&nbsp; some type of rotation or who's on the field in certain packages. We're going to try to give everybody an opportunity to showcase their skills. We've been pleasantly surprised at how well the guys in the receiver room have been working. It's pretty deep. We have a lot of guys who can make plays.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bears offensive line returns senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679763' first='Grey' last='Schwery']</strong>, who played OT last season, and junior <strong>Noah Panteah</strong>, who played some center last season. Senior <strong>Leebo Aguilar</strong> saw action last season. Back envisions utilizing at least three O-Linemen who played JV in 2025, including senior <strong>Luke Ward</strong> and junior <strong>Conner Layman</strong>. Six-foot-5 junior <strong>Teddy Jack</strong> and 6-foot-5 sophomore <strong>Beaux Baker</strong> will get serious looks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We return a lot of guys on offense,” Back said. “Right now, I would say our offense is a little further ahead than our defense. Our offense definitely has a lot of weapons to choose from.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1183085' first='Monty' last='Melendez'] (QB), [player_tooltip player_id='1629861' first='Vaughn' last='Saunders'] (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1686972' first='Chris' last='Lopez'] (WR) and [player_tooltip player_id='1679763' first='Grey' last='Schwery'] (OL). &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Six-foot-2, 285-pound senior DT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2153523' first='Ifeoluwa' last='Samuel Abiodun']</strong> is creating plenty of buzz on the recruiting trail (NM State and NM Highlands have expressed interest) and could be a serious contender for Breakout Player of the Year. He'll anchor the interior of the Bears defensive line. Abiodun is also a heavyweight wrestler for La Cueva, so he's big, strong, physical and tough.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior DE/Edge <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679931' first='Dock' last='Love']</strong> has turned into one of the top players at his position in the state. He had 54 tackles, 8.0 TFL and 7.0 sacks in 2025. Back plans to rotate several juniors with speed and strength into the lineup to fill out the rest of the D-Line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The linebackers are largely new, and Back acknowledged there are several Bear players there “who have to figure things out quickly.” Seniors <strong>Colin Woods</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155027' first='Chase' last='Boykin']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272737' first='James' last='Barreras']</strong>, along with junior <strong>Matthew Tapia</strong> figure to fill some or all of those spots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the secondary, senior <strong>Robbie Abeyta</strong> returns at cornerback with senior <strong>Ethan Aragon</strong> likely filling the opposite CB spot. Speedy senior <strong>Christian Cantwell</strong> will be the free safety after seeing action there last season. Strong safety is a question mark, Back said, with several contenders battling for the starting job. Some of those candidates played JV last season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613367' first='Cash' last='Brewer']</strong> will get an opportunity there to show what he can do. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We graduated a lot of senior leadership on defense, especially at linebacker and safety,” Back said. “Filling in those spots will be a little bit of a learning curve. Some of these guys, we won't know until they get in the middle of it. We're trying to get guys a lot of reps and put the pieces in place so we can hit the ground running when fall camp starts. We are blessed with a lot of talented athletes.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='2153523' first='Ifeoluwa' last='Samuel Abiodun'], [player_tooltip player_id='1679931' first='Dock' last='Love'], Robbie Abeyta.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 LA CUEVA SCHEDULE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even though the two schools are located just a few miles apart, La Cueva and heated rival Eldorado are now situated in separate districts for at least the next two seasons, which means their annual rivalry game is now a Week 1 non-district contest. In Week 2, La Cueva heads to Monument, CO (located between Colorado Springs and Denver) for a matchup with Palmer Ridge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It'll be different not playing our rival in district play,” Back said. “But we wanted to make sure we continued the rivalry. It worked out for us to put them on our schedule.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game marks the only time La Cueva will leave the Albuquerque Metro Region during the 2026 season. For the first time, La Cueva will face Cleveland and Rio Rancho as district opponents. Both games will be played at Wilson Stadium. &nbsp;The Week 3 non-district matchup with Volcano Vista is a rematch of last season's season opener. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/21 ELDORADO</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8/28 at Monument (CO) Palmer Ridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9/4 at Volcano Vista</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9/11 WEST MESA*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9/18 CLEVELAND*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9/25 at Albuquerque High (Milne)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10/2 RIO RANCHO*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10/9 Bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10/15 FARMINGTON (Thur.)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10/22 at Atrisco Heritage (Thur.)*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10/30 at Sandia*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Year 3<br>2425 passing yards <br>20 passing tds<br>1 rushing td<br>District champs 🏆<br>Year 4 loading… <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LaCuevaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaCuevaFootball</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ley7HCuYLi">pic.twitter.com/Ley7HCuYLi</a></p>&mdash; MontyMelendez (@MontyMelen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MontyMelen/status/1993414088899412028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">End of the season highlights‼️400 yards 48 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/LaCuevaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaCuevaFootball</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/e0TUVDvH9t">pic.twitter.com/e0TUVDvH9t</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1629861' first='Vaughn' last='Saunders'] (@VaughnSaunders7) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaughnSaunders7/status/1997855380169511055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">End of sophomore season varsity highlights ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzone</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/gavinlutman18?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gavinlutman18</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/LoboRecruiting?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LoboRecruiting</a>⁩ ⁦⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/JamesDYodice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesDYodice</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/7mDRK4CIz8">pic.twitter.com/7mDRK4CIz8</a></p>&mdash; Chris (@chrislopez1317) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrislopez1317/status/1999326549460558014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sophomore year highlights <br><br>We proved a lot of people wrong but fell short. <br>Can't wait to see what's in store for next season<br>Thank you seniors<a href="https://twitter.com/coachC_Cormier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachC_Cormier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_CBooth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_CBooth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMagana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachMagana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachmccraw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachmccraw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBStro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBStro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TARIKEMBRACK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TARIKEMBRACK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thomasordonez4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thomasordonez4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_CoachElliott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_CoachElliott</a> <a href="https://t.co/MZY5xFh1wg">pic.twitter.com/MZY5xFh1wg</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1613367' first='Cash' last='Brewer'] (@cashbrewer2028) <a href="https://twitter.com/cashbrewer2028/status/1995300755251847331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS!!<br><br>Thank you to my teammates and coaches for an amazing season. All glory to God<a href="https://twitter.com/LaCuevaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaCuevaFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LoniFangupo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LoniFangupo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachAlexMeans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachAlexMeans</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JabrilFrazier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JabrilFrazier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJFrank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachJFrank</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMagana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachMagana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Waters21John?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Waters21John</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/D_WallCoach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@D_WallCoach</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachB_MTXE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachB_MTXE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachAaronTerry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachAaronTerry</a> <a href="https://t.co/DrXs5i73pW">pic.twitter.com/DrXs5i73pW</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='2153523' first='Ifeoluwa' last='Samuel Abiodun'] (@samuel51abiodun) <a href="https://twitter.com/samuel51abiodun/status/2015654377080627246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->