2026 Team Preview: Miyamura Patriots

OVERVIEW   Miyamura head coach David Foley enters his fifth season with the program looking to lead the Patriots to their second winning record since 2017. It won't be easy considering Miyamura lost its starting quarterback, its six top rushers and five of its top six receivers to graduation. The Patriots were 4-6 last season but a forfeit loss to Capital cost them a playoff berth.   “It was a solid year, but we had some opportunities early on where we didn't play our best,” Foley told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “It didn't end the way we wanted. It was tough for the kids. This offseason, we've had a good core of players coming out every day for our workouts.   “We have some guys who are now seniors that have been pushing for playing time. Some didn't get as much playing time as they wanted last season. They need to step up and get themselves ready to have a strong senior year.”          Miyamura, one of two Four Corner schools in the new look Class 5A, competes in District 5A-1 with Capital, Cibola, Highland, Los Alamos, Los Lunas, Piedra Vista and Santa Fe.            OFFENSE   One of the biggest questions Miyamura faces this summer is deciding on a new starting quarterback. Rising junior Hayden Vidal, the JV QB in 2024 before moving to defensive back and wide receiver last year with the varsity, and rising senior Caleb Robeson are competing for the spot. Other candidates include promising rising junior Konii White, who is playing football for the first time. He'll likely be the JV QB in 2026.   Foley described Vidal as “the leader in the clubhouse.” Vidal, a baseball standout, has a live arm, makes good decisions  and has proven to be coachable. He could be the Patriots starting QB for the next two seasons. He's more of a drop back QB with nice speed.        “The big thing we're trying to figure out is who is going to start at quarterback,” Foley said. “We had a two-year starter graduate. We're sorting through that right now. Hayden has had a good summer so far. We're trying to help him focus on the passing game and let the running backs run the ball. If we had a punt, pass and kick competition on our team, Caleb would win. He has a good skill set. He's pushing Hayden the most right now. We have a couple of other guys we're still developing.”   The top returning rusher is rising junior Matthew Brite, and he had 36 yards in limited varsity action last season. He'll get his opportunity to earn the No. 1 RB job. Brite has good speed and quickness (he runs track). Also in the mix is rising sophomore Andre Saucedo, who played QB for the JV team in 2025. He's fast with good vision. Saucedo has faithfully participated in most of the summer workouts, making him No. 1 on the pre-season depth chart.  Rising junior Jeremiah Garcia (younger brother of Carlos Garcia, last season's leading rusher) will get a look as well.   Rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='2109709' first='Quincy' last='Tsosie'] was Miyamura's second leading receiver last season with 23 receptions for 417 yards, an average of over 18 yards per catch. He goes into the new season as the Patriots' clear No. 1 receiver. Rising sophomore Kishaun Gooden has tremendous size (6-foot-3), speed and potential. He's a name to know for the future.   Six-foot-5, 230-pound rising senior Wyatt Silversmith will get reps at tight end. With his height, he could be a weapon in the passing game, especially in the red zone. Rising senior Brayden Ashley should get more opportunities in 2026. Rising sophomore John Paradise has played well during 7-on-7 season. He played on special teams for the varsity last season.       “Quincy is definitely our No. 1 receiver right now,” Foley said. “We have some rising seniors that have shown flashes in 7-on-7. We're hoping to get Wyatt heavily involved in the offense. He has a good frame. He'll be a great target for our quarterback. He'll be in the mix. We have some guys that are inexperienced on varsity but we need them to step up quite a bit. Some of them have done well at other positions.”   Returning starters on the Miyamura offensive line are 6-foot-3, 280-pound rising senior OT [player_tooltip player_id='2119073' first='Joseph' last='Dallas'] and 26-pound rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1667932' first='Steven' last='Hester']. Dallas is a three-year starter. Hester plays guard. Rising seniors Lloyd Yazzie (275 pounds) is competing at center after excelling on the defensive line. The tackle spot opposite Dallas will likely be filled by promising rising sophomore James Saucedo. He had off-season surgery but has been cleared for workouts. Rising senior Jaylin Lee and rising junior Jerome Shack are competing for one of the guard spots.                      Key Players: Hayden Vidal (QB), Andre Saucedo (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='2109709' first='Quincy' last='Tsosie'] (WR), [player_tooltip player_id='2119073' first='Joseph' last='Dallas'] (OL).   DEFENSE   The Miyamura defense lost four of its top five tacklers from last season to graduation. Wyatt Silversmith and Lloyd Yazzie (top five in tackles last season) headline the defensive line, but with Yazzie slated to see significant snaps on the O-Line, the Patriots will rotate guys in.   The third spot on the D-Line is up for grabs between the aforementioned James Saucedo, [player_tooltip player_id='2119073' first='Joseph' last='Dallas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1667932' first='Steven' last='Hester']. All will play on the O-Line as well. Rising senior Caden Yazzie, who weighs over 300 pounds, should see action as well at nose tackle. He has improved his mobility.   The three linebackers in Miyamura's 3-3-5, three high safety scheme will likely be rising senior Casey Begay, rising senior Troy Yonnie and Caleb Robeson (see above), who could play strong safety or drop down into the box. Brayden Ashley could see action as LB too.   The secondary will feature several newcomers. Matthew Brite will be one of the cornerbacks. Rising junior Blaine Yazzie is locked in as a starter at cornerback. The starting safeties will be Andre Saucedo and John Paradise.  [player_tooltip player_id='2109709' first='Quincy' last='Tsosie'] will also play in the secondary. Even Hayden Vidal could see action in the secondary even though he's currently the favorite to be the starting quarterback. Promising rising junior Ikraius Espinosa is an up-and-comer who could earn playing time.      Key Players: Wyatt Silversmith (DL), Lloyd Yazzie (DL), Casey Begay (LB), Matthew Brite (DB).   2026 MIYAMURA SCHEDULE   Aug. 22 GRANTS (Sat., 6 p.m.)                Aug. 28 BELEN                    Sept. 4 at Valencia                 Sept. 10 at Cibola (Thur.)*            Sept. 18 PIEDRA VISTA*             Sept. 25 at Los Lunas*             Oct. 2 Bye                Oct. 10 HIGHLAND (6 p.m.)*             Oct. 16 at Santa Fe (6 p.m.)*          Oct. 23 CAPITAL*             Oct. 30 at Los Alamos*          * District 5A-1 Game   All kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless indicated otherwise.

OVERVIEW