2026 Team Preview: Manzano Monarchs

OVERVIEW   When Manzano decided to move to Class 4A a couple of years ago, eyebrows were certainly raised around New Mexico high school football. But the move has worked out the way the Monarchs hoped. They've reached the Class 4A playoffs the past two years, reviving interest in a program that had declined between 2019-23 when the Monarchs were a combined 7-33.   Manzano now has two more years in Class 4A ahead of them before a likely move back to Clas 5A based on student enrollment. A new head coach will lead the Monarchs in 2026 – Michael Holguin was hired away from Higley High School in Gilbert, AZ to take over Manzano. Holguin was Higley's defensive coordinator  when the Knights won the Class 5A state championship.   “The first few months have gone well. I'm trying to build the foundation,” Holguin told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Our guys won't get a full offseason with me and we've been playing catchup. But they've done a good job adjusting to the new ways of doing things. There's growing pains, as you always do when you have change, but our players have embraced it. They're hungry and they're eager. It was tough when we first started, but they're getting the hang of it.”   Before moving to Arizona, Holguin taught and coached at Organ Mountain (2019-22), serving as the defensive coordinator for the Knights. He also coached the freshman team. Before that, he coached at Centennial for two years. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 2023 and played on the Bulldawgs' 2012 state championship team.        OFFENSE   Multiple quarterbacks are battling for the starting job. The contenders include rising junior dual threat [player_tooltip player_id='1826205' first='Nick' last='Barela'] and rising freshman Jack Short, a promising 2030 prospect. Barela played mostly on defense in 2025. Barela and Short are the front runners for the starting job, Holguin said. Rising junior ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price'] is also involved in the competition based on his elite athleticism. Manzano could feature some Wildcat packages for him in 2026.   “Jack has a bright future of he does things the right way,” Holguin said. “So far, he's been there every day, he works hard and he's committed. He is earning the respect of the older players. And the way he plays is earning him respect on the field. Jack is more of a pocket passer. He's only 14, so he's still developing.”   Holguin is installing a run-dominant offense, so the Monarch running backs will have the ball in their hands a lot. [player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price'] will definitely touch the ball a lot after rushing for nearly 800 yards and 5 TD last season. He's also a talented receiver, finishing with 41 receptions. Rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1826189' first='Nehemiah' last='Morris'] will be involved in the ground game as well after seeing limited action with the varsity in 2025. Rising sophomore Diego Garcia is a good athlete and should get some carries too.     “Broden will get a lot of carries as a running back and will be split out as a receiver,” Holguin said. “He's our athlete back there. He'll be our do-it-all  type of player. Nehemiah will get some carries. Diego is a good little athlete. He's working on getting faster and stronger. We have a good group of running backs.”   Price is the top returning receiver by a wide margin. Rising 6-foot-3 senior [player_tooltip player_id='1272795' first='Vincent' last='Varela Jr.'] will play tight end. Varela is also an elite defensive end and was  recently offered by New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico.  Transfer Cruz Mora brings good speed to the WR/TE spots for the Monarchs. At outside receiver, rising senior Tristan Chavez comes over from baseball. This is his first year playing football. Rising senior Jared Carter will be a two-way player at receiver and defensive back. Jacob Vasquez is a promising rising junior.   Rising senior center [player_tooltip player_id='1790878' first='Urijah' last='Tafoya'] anchors the offensive line. Both tackle spots will be filled by O-Line newcomers Ise Houser and [player_tooltip player_id='1791017' first='William' last='Vautier']. Both are rising seniors, and are transitioning to the O-Line after playing other positions in previous seasons. Both stand about 6-foot-2, weigh about 240 pounds and are very athletic.   “We've told Ise and William that if they have success, we'll have success as a team,” Holguin said. “Right now, there's a lot on their plates. They're making a sacrifice by moving from their normal positions to the position the team needs them to play. We'll go as they go.”   Both guard spots are up for grabs. The contenders include rising seniors Antonio Gutierrez and Zerel Nez, rising juniors Brody Nolen and [player_tooltip player_id='1826208' first='Logan' last='Angelino'] and a few rising sophomores.   Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price'] (RB/WR), [player_tooltip player_id='1272795' first='Vincent' last='Varela Jr.'] (TE), [player_tooltip player_id='1790878' first='Urijah' last='Tafoya'] (OL).     DEFENSE   Manzano's defense has the potential to be very good. Seven of the 11 defenders with 20+ tackles are back in 2026, led by DL Ise Houser with 59 tackles, 7.0 TFL and 6 QB hurries last season. [player_tooltip player_id='1791017' first='William' last='Vautier'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1790878' first='Urijah' last='Tafoya'] will join him on the defensive line. Essentially, the Monarchs' offensive line becomes the defensive line when they don't have the football.       Manzano's defensive front seven will be stout. Next level prospect Vince Varela Jr. will be employed as a weakside linebacker (in the base defense) and edge rusher. He's deserving of the role after making a staggering 24.5 TFL and 10 QB hurries in 2025. As he showed during camping season, Varela is a rare combination of size, speed and strength.   “Right now, our biggest thing is developing depth on defense,” Holguin said. “We're trying to figure out who spells those guys and give them a break. Going both ways is tough. They can't do it the entire game. We need guys to step up and get in every once in a while. Right now, those guys are getting in shape and getting mentally right to play the entire game.   In Manzano's 3-4 scheme, multiple underclassmen are competing for the MLB spot alongside Varela. At outside linebacker, 6-foot-2 rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2114797' first='Aiden' last='Nieto'] is being counted on to fill one of those spots after an encouraging freshman campaign (37 tackles; 3rd leading returning tackler). Nieto is tall and fast. He'll play the weakside OLB spot.   The strongside (SAM) outside linebacker, a key spot in Manzano's scheme, likely be Tristan Chavez or [player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price']. The secondary will be filled by Jared Carter and rising senior Jose Gomez at cornerback. The safety spots are up for grabs. [player_tooltip player_id='1826205' first='Nick' last='Barela'] has experience there. [player_tooltip player_id='1720624' first='Matthew' last='Jaramillo'] and Diego Garcia are competing for playing time. Zach Barela, Nick's twin brother, is also a candidate. He can play cornerback or safety.   Key Players: Ise Houser (DL), Vince Varela Jr. (LB/Edge), [player_tooltip player_id='2114797' first='Aiden' last='Nieto'] (LB), Jared Carter (DB).   2026 MANZANO SCHEDULE   Aug. 22 at Albuquerque Academy (Sat., 11 a.m.)                  Aug. 28 SANDIA                     Sept. 5 at Del Norte (Sat., 11 a.m.) *                  Sept. 12 BLOOMFIELD (Sat., 1 p.m.)*            Sept. 18 at Grants*             Sept. 25 RIO GRANDE*             Oct. 2 Bye*                 Oct. 8 VALLEY (Thur.)              Oct. 16 ESPANOLA VALLEY*          Oct. 23 at Taos*             Oct. 30 at Bernalillo*          * District 4A-1 Game   All kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless indicated otherwise.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">[player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price'], Big season plays Statistics: 15 touchdowns Rushing: 789 Yards 5 touchdowns Receiving: 625 yards 7 touchdowns 208 return yards First team: All state RB All District WR All District RB All District OLB Second Team: KOR— [player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price'] (@broden23496) <a href="https://x.com/broden23496/status/2050718397877633443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2026</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">[player_tooltip player_id='1272795' first='Vincent' last='Varela Jr.'] C/O 27 DE/TE 2nd team all state, 1st team all metro, 1st team all district Sacks-7 TFLs-25 Turnovers-5 (2FF)(1INT) (2FR) Tot tackles-60, Solo-46 21 Rec for 365 yds and 6 TDs 6”4 225 lbs, 3.8 GPA<a href="https://t.co/1pbljDqibx">https://t.co/1pbljDqibx</a><a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a>— Vincent Varela Jr (@VinnyVarelaJr22) <a href="https://x.com/VinnyVarelaJr22/status/2042233914178371605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">2027 Manzano DE Vincent Varela was offered by WNMU following today's camp in Albuquerque. <a href="https://t.co/OIxkL4B0I4">pic.twitter.com/OIxkL4B0I4</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/2063386914288435660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2026</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The classroom comes first at Manzano Football. We are proud to recognize these student-athletes for earning a 3.0 GPA or higher during the Spring 2026 semester and demonstrating excellence both on the field and in the classroom. <a href="https://t.co/a54l7oNp3m">pic.twitter.com/a54l7oNp3m</a>— Manzano Monarch Football (@Manzano_FB) <a href="https://x.com/Manzano_FB/status/2060361850114716014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2026</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">First week of spring ball in the books. The hustle is just getting started. The M.O.N.A.R.C.H standard, one rep, one play, one day at a time. 👑🦁🏈 No shortcuts. No excuses. Just Monarch football. <a href="https://t.co/bAPMPWobeA">pic.twitter.com/bAPMPWobeA</a>— Manzano Monarch Football (@Manzano_FB) <a href="https://x.com/Manzano_FB/status/2055503551271752008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2026</a></blockquote>

OVERVIEW