2026 Team Preview: Goddard Rockets
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>Goddard alum Arturo Bolanos led a revival of the Rockets in his second season as head coach. Goddard finished 7-5, earned the No. 5 seed in the Class 5A playoffs and advanced as far as the quarterfinals. It was the most victories by Goddard since 2021. Just as important, the Rockets were highly competitive against rivals Roswell and Artesia. It may have been enough for some Goddard fans to start believing the glory days of 2005-14 (10 straight years of 9+ wins) are soon returning.</p>
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<p>“We had a little more talent last year across the board than what we're probably going to have this season,” Bolanos told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “But I'm happy where we are right now in our program. Our leadership for this season is strong. When I first got here, we had about 30 kids at my first meeting. Right away, I knew it was going to be a challenge. But I'm determined to turn the program around. I feel like we're doing some good things here. </p>
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<p>Bolanos, who expects about 100 to 115 players in the Rockets program when preseason camp starts in late July, said the Goddard players have done a better job controlling their emotions during the spring and early summer in 7x7 competition.</p>
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<p>“Last year we had a ton of personal foul penalties,” Bolanos said. “The boys would lose their composure. They wanted to win, but I didn't like how they led. Ultimately, that's my fault. We've put a lot of emphasis on that. It's carried over to the field during 7-on-7. I'm happy for the players.” </p>
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<p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>Rising junior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1667558' first='Nate' last='Vazquez']</strong> returns as the Rockets' signal caller after throwing for over 1,400 yards and 16 TD while completing about 61 percent of his passes. Vazquez has been impressive in camps and 7x7 events so far this spring. Rising senior <strong>Izaiah Montoya</strong> will be the backup QB.</p>
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<p>“Nate has been flying under the radar,” Bolanos said. “That's OK because I know Nate keep receipts. He works very hard and he's a great leader for us. He's a smart guy. I give him a lot of responsibility, and some freedom too to make checks. I'm excited for him. He instills a lot of confidence into our players.”</p>
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<p>Besides serving as backup QB, <strong>Izaiah Montoya</strong> will be one of Goddard's top running backs and play strong safety. He rushed for 10 TD last season, so he was one of Goddard's main weapons in the red zone. Montoya will start the season as the No. 1 RB and share snaps with rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604684' first='Ryan' last='Romero']</strong>, who is described by Bolanos as a ‘baller.' Romero is extremely versatile and has soft hands, making him a weapon in the passing game as a slot receiver. Rising sophomore <strong>Nathaniel Lodoza</strong> is an up-and-comer.</p>
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<p>Six-foot-2 rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604738' first='Jose' last='Cruz Porras']</strong> will lead the Rockets pass catching corps as a slot receiver. The UNM Lobos have expressed interest. He averaged nearly 20 yards per reception in 2025. He's fast, a state champion high jumper and plays four sports.</p>
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<p>“We're expecting great things out of Jose,” Bolanos said. “He's a freak. He is one of the most talented kids to come out of Goddard in as long time. Academically, he's excellent.”</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>Noah Lujan</strong> will be one of the outside receivers. Rising senior <strong>Josiah Thompson</strong> will fill the H-Back and tight end roles. He's solid blocker and can catch the football. Rising sophomore <strong>Bryant O'Mera</strong> (son of NMMI head coach John O'Mera) looks to build upon an encouraging freshman campaign. Rising senior <strong>Aziah Hunter</strong> will contribute as a slot receiver and defender.</p>
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<p>Rising senior left tackle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1790978' first='Raes' last='Nunez']</strong> anchors the offense line as a three-year starter. He's one of three seniors looking to earn starting berths as center Remi Franco and [player_tooltip player_id='1791289' first='Lorenzo' last='Lente'], who's moving to right tackle, join him in the trenches. Multiple candidates are battling for the two guard spots, including rising juniors <strong>Marcus Torres</strong> and <strong>Liam Garcia</strong> and rising senior <strong>Eduardo Munoz</strong>. </p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1667558' first='Nate' last='Vazquez'] (QB), Izaiah Montoya (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1604738' first='Jose' last='Cruz Porras'] (WR), [player_tooltip player_id='1790978' first='Raes' last='Nunez'] (OL).</p>
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<p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>Goddard loses five of its top six tacklers to graduation. The entire defensive line must be replaced along with a next level middle linebacker. So, the Rockets will have a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball.</p>
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<p>Rising junior <strong>Alex Benavidez</strong> is a promising newcomer to the defensive line. Joining him at defensive end is rising senior <strong>Cooper Alpers</strong>. Expected contributors also include rising senior <strong>Sammy Flores</strong>, <strong>Victor Garcia, Brian Santillian</strong> and rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2108454' first='Christian' last='Acosta']</strong>, who started last season as a sophomore.</p>
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<p>Rising junior <strong>Alijah Sanchez</strong> takes over at middle linebacker. He was impressive during spring practice. Rising senior <strong>Deegan Gaston</strong> brings experience to the hybrid strong safety/OLB role. On the opposite side will be <strong>Angel (Mesa) DeLeon</strong>, the top returning tackler.</p>
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<p>Rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1791326' first='Jordan' last='Chavez'], a three-year starter, will help anchor the secondary as the free safety. Rising junior <strong>Romeo Paiz</strong> will play safety as well. The two cornerbacks will be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679754' first='Jesus' last='Ortiz']</strong> and two-way standout <strong>Aziah Hunter</strong>. </p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: Alex Benavidez (DL), Alijah Sanchez (LB), Angel DeLeon (LB), [player_tooltip player_id='1791326' first='Jordan' last='Chavez'] (FS).</p>
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<p><strong>2026 GODDARD SCHEDULE</strong></p>
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<p>Aug. 21 at Lovington </p>
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<p>Aug. 28 CARLSBAD </p>
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<p>Sept. 4 at Los Lunas </p>
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<p>Sept. 11 CHAPARRAL (6 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Sept. 18 ALAMOGORDO* </p>
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<p>Sept. 25 at Gadsden (6 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 2 at Deming (6 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 9 Bye </p>
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<p>Oct. 16 MAYFIELD* </p>
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<p>Oct. 23 ARTESIA* </p>
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<p>Oct. 30 at Roswell (Wool Bowl)* </p>
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<p>* District 5A-2 Game</p>
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<p>All kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless indicated otherwise.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sophomore season Varsity QB stats<br>100-164 61%<br>1402 Passings Yds<br>16 TDs<br>6 INT<br>41 Carries, 206 YDs<br>4 Rushing TDs<a href="https://x.com/CoachBolanos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBolanos</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Hendrix1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Hendrix1</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachManzanares?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachManzanares</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://x.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://x.com/GoddardRocketFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoddardRocketFB</a> <a href="https://t.co/5zGJQnZog4">https://t.co/5zGJQnZog4</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1667558' first='Nate' last='Vazquez'] (@NateVazquez08) <a href="https://x.com/NateVazquez08/status/1987358920718098729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trusting the process. Speed work and change of direction training. Continuing to regain strength, confidence, and explosiveness after ACL surgery. Excited for what's ahead. <a href="https://x.com/CoachBolanos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBolanos</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://x.com/Carson_Walch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Carson_Walch</a> <a href="https://t.co/UkbhXl8g85">pic.twitter.com/UkbhXl8g85</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1604738' first='Jose' last='Cruz Porras'] II (@JosePorras81) <a href="https://x.com/JosePorras81/status/2067991093111820602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I'm proud of our team. Runner up out of 19 teams at UNM 7v7. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GRFootball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRFootball</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/TheBrand?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheBrand</a> <a href="https://x.com/asugrizzliesfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@asugrizzliesfb</a> <a href="https://x.com/NMStateFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NMStateFootball</a> <a href="https://x.com/Carson_Walch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Carson_Walch</a> <a href="https://x.com/CouchPSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CouchPSports</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachBolanos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBolanos</a> <a href="https://x.com/NMHUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NMHUFootball</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachManzanares?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachManzanares</a> <a href="https://x.com/GoddardRocketFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoddardRocketFB</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://x.com/QBC_Denver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QBC_Denver</a> <a href="https://x.com/DrewKaplanFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrewKaplanFB</a> <a href="https://t.co/bICcaPejSK">pic.twitter.com/bICcaPejSK</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1667558' first='Nate' last='Vazquez'] (@NateVazquez08) <a href="https://x.com/NateVazquez08/status/2066303019222806885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Had an awesome time today at the UNM Lobo Football Junior Day and Spring Game! Huge thanks to <a href="https://x.com/Carson_Walch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Carson_Walch</a> <a href="https://x.com/franks_coach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@franks_coach</a> <a href="https://x.com/Waters21John?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Waters21John</a> <a href="https://x.com/Beau_Davidson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beau_Davidson</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> for the valuable insight and making it such a memorable experience! <a href="https://t.co/7lusOkLVyn">pic.twitter.com/7lusOkLVyn</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1604738' first='Jose' last='Cruz Porras'] II (@JosePorras81) <a href="https://x.com/JosePorras81/status/2048254649887510784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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