2026 Team Preview: Valley Vikings
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>After winning eight games and reaching the Class 5A quarterfinals in each of head coach Billy Cobos' first two seasons, Valley has finished 4-7 in the past two years. Now the Vikings begin a new adventure in Class 4A, joining several other school in making the move from 5A to 4A.</p>
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<p>“We've told our guys that we need to be more consistent with everything, grades, work ethic, being a good teammate,” Cobos told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We need to do the little things more consistently. I tell them every day they have to be more consistent, even on the hard days. We've made strides. We have good leaders. We need to hold each other accountable in a productive, positive way.” </p>
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<p>Valley will be bolstered by a large senior class. Right now, the Vikings have over 25 seniors regularly showing up for workouts. Last season, Valley had only four seniors finish the campaign. </p>
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<p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>Rising sophomore <strong>Jeremiah Garcia</strong> and rising senior <strong>Lorenzo Cerrillo</strong> have divided snaps at quarterback during 7x7 season, and are currently battling for the Vikings' starting job. </p>
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<p>“Lorenzo throws well on the run. He's a little more athletic,” Cobos said. “Jeremiah has a big arm. Both bring a lot to the table. It might be Jeremiah's job to lose, but Lorenzo is giving him a good run for his money. Lorenzo does play other positions. He's a great second story guy. He's come back from some adversity.”</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605046' first='Zachary' last='Perez-Verdeja']</strong> returns after leading the Vikings in rushing in 2025 with nearly 800 yards and 11 TD on the ground. Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2109721' first='Jonathan' last='Silva']</strong> will likely be the top backup. He'll definitely get some carries. Promising rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1685503' first='Ethan' last='Brady']</strong> is an up-and-comer, and could get some carries with the varsity in 2026.</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2233855' first='Gabriel' last='Gonzales']</strong> had one of the best years by a wide receiver in the Albuquerque Metro region in 2025. He caught 66 passes for 1,058 yards and 4 TD. Gonzales has good speed, runs crisp routes and knows how to get open, a common trait among all great receivers.</p>
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<p>“After basketball season, Gabriel hit the gym really hard,” Cobos said. “I was impressed with that. He's doing everything he can to get ready for his senior year. That's all he's been talking about. He's very focused. He doesn't care about his stats as long as we win the state championship.”</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>Michael Garcia</strong> has emerged as a strong contender for the No. 2 WR role along with rising senior <strong>Levi Paulus</strong> and rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114804' first='Jathen' last='Priddy']</strong>. Rising sophomore <strong>Lorenzo Solis</strong> is a name to know for the future.</p>
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<p>Four of the five starting offensive linemen are back. The anchors are next level prospects <strong>Jeremiah Rodarte</strong> (305 pounds) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788694' first='Brayden' last='Sherred']</strong>, Both impressed during camping season. Rodarte will play center. Rising seniors <strong>Logan Arp</strong> (LT) and <strong>Floyd Pena</strong> are also back. Rising senior <strong>Bryent Bonsall</strong> is competing for one of the guard spots.</p>
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<p>“We haven't been this established at O-Line since my first or second year,” Cobos said. “It's definitely going to be one of our strengths.” </p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: Jeremiah Garcia (QB), [player_tooltip player_id='1605046' first='Zachary' last='Perez-Verdeja'] (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='2233855' first='Gabriel' last='Gonzales'] (WR), Jeremiah Rodarte (OL).</p>
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<p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>Last season's leading tackler, rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2109721' first='Jonathan' last='Silva']</strong>, returns at linebacker. He made over 100 tackles and led the Vikings in that category by a wide margin</p>
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<p>“Jonathan was all over the field last season,” Cobos said. “It seemed like he was in on every tackle.”</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788721' first='Cole' last='Rawlings']</strong> will fill another LB spot. Rawlings had 62 tackles and 8.0 TFL last season. Rising senior <strong>Estevan Cordova-Romero</strong> will be the primary backup at LB.</p>
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<p>Rising seniors <strong>Troy Arp</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2222759' first='Gael' last='Alarcon']</strong> will be the defensive ends. The Vikings are six-deep at defensive tackle with rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606155' first='Malachi' last='Chestnut']</strong> filling one of the starting roles. Rising junior <strong>Skip Wardlow</strong> is expected to contribute as is rising seniors <strong>Alan Garcia </strong>and <strong>Ramzy Patterson</strong>.</p>
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<p><strong>Levi Paulus</strong> (see above) will play safety after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury. He has good speed, which he frequently displayed this past spring during track season. Lorenzo Cerillo is the backup. The cornerbacks will be rising senior <strong>Eyzik Chavez</strong> and rising senior <strong>Mateo Medina</strong> (44 tackles in 2025). <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114804' first='Jathen' last='Priddy']</strong>, who started as a freshman in 2025, will play the ‘Viking Back' spot. <strong>Leandro McNab</strong> will contribute.</p>
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<p>Placekicker <strong>Will Bradford</strong> is a weapon for the Vikings. Last season he had 21 touchbacks on kickoffs. He has routinely made filed goals of 50+ yards in spring workouts. </p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='2109721' first='Jonathan' last='Silva'] (LB), [player_tooltip player_id='1788721' first='Cole' last='Rawlings'] (LB), [player_tooltip player_id='1606155' first='Malachi' last='Chestnut'] (DL), Mateo Medina (DB).</p>
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<p><strong>2026 VALLEY SCHEDULE</strong></p>
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<p>Aug. 21 at Albuquerque High </p>
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<p>Aug. 29 WEST MESA (Sat., 11 a.m.) </p>
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<p>Sept. 4 at Rio Grande </p>
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<p>Sept. 11 DEL NORTE* </p>
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<p>Sept. 18 Bye </p>
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<p>Sept. 26 GRANTS (Sat., 1 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 1 TAOS (Thur.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 8 at Manzano (Thur.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 17 BERNALILLO (Sat., 11 a.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 23 at Espanola Valley* </p>
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<p>Oct. 30 at Bloomfield* </p>
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<p>* District 4A-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">Week 4 of summer workouts in the books!!! As the motto goes… “ALL IN OR IN THE WAY!” 🪓🪓🪓🪓<a href="https://x.com/CoachCobos77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachCobos77</a> <a href="https://x.com/_CoachTrujillo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_CoachTrujillo</a> <a href="https://x.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://x.com/nmprepcosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmprepcosports</a> <a href="https://t.co/ErqXvCEqoC">pic.twitter.com/ErqXvCEqoC</a></p>— Valley Football (@ValleyFB54) <a href="https://x.com/ValleyFB54/status/2070665937049796765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://x.com/tony_mccoy3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tony_mccoy3</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachCobos77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachCobos77</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://x.com/TerrenceIsaac1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TerrenceIsaac1</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachD_Delgado?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachD_Delgado</a> <a href="https://x.com/TyMull25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TyMull25</a> <a href="https://x.com/kjchampion1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kjchampion1</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Hendrix1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Hendrix1</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachReicoB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachReicoB</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachPollard36?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachPollard36</a> <a href="https://t.co/qU47uBU74Q">pic.twitter.com/qU47uBU74Q</a></p>— babyg_17 (@GabeGonzal84370) <a href="https://x.com/GabeGonzal84370/status/2069115358632640515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://x.com/tony_mccoy3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tony_mccoy3</a> <a href="https://x.com/TerrenceIsaac1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TerrenceIsaac1</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachD_Delgado?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachD_Delgado</a> <a href="https://x.com/TyMull25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TyMull25</a> <a href="https://x.com/kjchampion1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kjchampion1</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Hendrix1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Hendrix1</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachReicoB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachReicoB</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachPollard36?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachPollard36</a> <a href="https://t.co/dmQ4dRSRo3">pic.twitter.com/dmQ4dRSRo3</a></p>— Michael Garcia (@MichaelGar59009) <a href="https://x.com/MichaelGar59009/status/2068918784145109175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out sophomore year 25-26 on <a href="https://x.com/Hudl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hudl</a> <a href="https://t.co/JpZGzlu9v8">https://t.co/JpZGzlu9v8</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/hudl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hudl</a></p>— Jeremiah Rodarte (@jeremiah6610) <a href="https://x.com/jeremiah6610/status/2007961564671054051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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