2026 Team Preview: Gadsden Panthers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gadsden continues to write one of the best stories in New Mexico high school football. Once downtrodden, the Panthers have earned a berth in the Class 5A playoffs for four straight seasons and have reached the semifinals the last two years. They hosted a semifinals matchup against Roswell last November for the first time in decades. But winning is often a double-edged sword. The expectations from the local community has certainly risen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In order to get to the 5A state championship, Gadsden's predicament is the same as most schools in 5A – find a way to beat Artesia or Roswell. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“People expect it now,” Gadsden Head coach Dino Facio told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “The pressure is on to be consistent. Our message to the team is we have to get over the hump. We have to be able to beat the two big dogs in 5A. I've preached to the team that we can hang with anybody in the state. We just can't allow things to get in our way when we play the caliber of teams like those two. I believe we have the talent to lift the blue trophy.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The new quarterback for Gadsden will be young and largely inexperienced at the varsity level. Rising sophomores <strong>Rosalio Gomez Jr.</strong> and <strong>Isaiah Morales</strong> (younger brother of last year's starting QB) and rising freshman <strong>Isaiah Lascano</strong> are competing for the starting job during spring practice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“All three of them have great arms and are very athletic,” Facio said. “They are similar to some of the other quarterbacks we've had. I'm pleased with the quarterback room right now. I'm excited to see who takes the step and earns the job. Our new quarterbacks coach has a proven track record. We feel very good about what our guys are capable of. It's an open competition.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gadsden lost a 1,500-yard rusher to graduation. But two capable running backs return – rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2108931' first='Deion' last='Torres']</strong> and rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1790772' first='Armando' last='Ramirez']</strong> – to support the new QB. Rising sophomore <strong>Isaak Carreon</strong> and some rising freshmen could contribute as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have a lot of offensive firepower coming back and it starts in the backfield,” Facio said. “We have two guys we are very confident in. They're going to do more than just run the football. They can catch it too. They'll sometimes split out wide in the slot. And they might even get behind center from time to time. We're going to get creative.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising senior and next level prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155087' first='Anthony' last='Palomares']</strong>, a four-year starter, is back to lead what should be a deep wide receiver corps after pacing the Panthers in receptions, receiving yards and TD catches in 2025. Gadsden's top five receivers last season all return. Rising senior <strong>Mauro Almanza</strong> and rising junior <strong>Matthew Rubio </strong>are back as well. The up-and-comers are rising junior <strong>Raul Ramirez</strong> and rising sophomore <strong>Jaime Gutierrez</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I've told our young quarterbacks that they need to get the ball to these guys and they'll make you look great,” Facio said. “Our quarterback last year did a great job at that. We have a lot of talent returning. Anthony has always shown a presence about him. He's a leader on the field. Now he's a senior. This is his team.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gadsden returns two starters on the offensive line – rising juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826073' first='Rudy' last='Orduno']</strong> and <strong>John Campa</strong>. They'll be the anchors. Orduno earned Honorable Mention All-State honors in 2025 and has started since he was a freshman, so he's entering his third season as one of Gadsden's top five blockers. The newcomers include rising junior <strong>Alfonso Hernandez</strong>. At least two spots are up for grabs with rising senior <strong>Isai Fernandez</strong> in the mix at center. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='2108931' first='Deion' last='Torres'] (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1790772' first='Armando' last='Ramirez'] (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1155087' first='Anthony' last='Palomares'] (WR), [player_tooltip player_id='1826073' first='Rudy' last='Orduno'] (OL).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Since the top five tacklers graduated, the Panthers' defense will feature several new faces, particularly along the defensive line. Rising junior <strong>Jason Rubalcava</strong> and rising sophomore <strong>Max Carrasco</strong> figure to have prominent roles. Beyond those two, question marks. Rising junior <strong>Ismael Soria</strong> has promise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The linebacker corps will be led&nbsp; by rising seniors <strong>Dominick Hernandez</strong> and &nbsp;<strong>Diego Alvillar</strong>, the Panthers' top returning tackler with 49 last season. <strong>Isaak Carreon</strong> (see above) could play LB as well. <strong>Ayden Cardenas</strong> is a promising rising junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising senior <strong>Carlos Rivas</strong> (team high 7 passes defended) headlines the secondary following a solid junior campaign last fall. Promising rising sophomore <strong>Diego Ramirez</strong> – younger brother of Armando – figures to see significant action. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players</strong>: Jason Rubalcava (DL), Max Carrasco (DL), Diego Alvillar (LB), Carlos Rivas (DB). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 GADSDEN SCHEDULE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 21 SANTA TERESA (Battle For The Helmet) &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 28 at Capital &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 4 SILVER &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 11 MAYFIELD* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 18 at Artesia* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 25 GODDARD*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 2 at Roswell* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 9 Bye &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 16 ALAMOGORDO* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 23 at Chaparral* &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oct. 30 at Deming*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>* District 5A-2 Game </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Week 1 Spring Ball ✅⏳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HailGadsden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HailGadsden</a> <a href="https://t.co/jvg7uue6SD">pic.twitter.com/jvg7uue6SD</a></p>&mdash; Gadsden Football (@GadsdenPanthers) <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers/status/2057979765760643163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Spring Ball 🏈⏳ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HailGadsden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HailGadsden</a> <a href="https://t.co/83DGlnJ6pG">pic.twitter.com/83DGlnJ6pG</a></p>&mdash; Gadsden Football (@GadsdenPanthers) <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers/status/2057121552169361488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2025 Junior Szn Highlights <br>600 receiving yards <br>24 rec<br>7 Receiving TDs<br>Avg 27.7 yards per catch <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GadsdenPanthers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachFacio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachFacio</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmprepcosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmprepcosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Prep1USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Prep1USA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachSWUTEP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachSWUTEP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_TSanchez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_TSanchez</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTaufaasau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTaufaasau</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coach_bhickman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coach_bhickman</a> <a href="https://t.co/6rgfUVxhUn">https://t.co/6rgfUVxhUn</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1155087' first='Anthony' last='Palomares'] (@Anthony__013) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony__013/status/1998071714031251472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Humbled and blessed to be selected as the 7v7 player of the week! Even more excited about going 2-0! Proud of the team and our continued progress 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/0NQ9itbWgT">pic.twitter.com/0NQ9itbWgT</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='2108931' first='Deion' last='Torres'] (@DeionTorres21) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeionTorres21/status/2041682384010027423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->