2026 Team Preview: Hot Springs Tigers
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In this article:
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>The Louis Howell Era begins at Hot Springs. Previously the head coach at Hatch Valley from 2017-22, Howell accepted the Tigers' head coaching job following three seasons as an assistant at Mayfield under Gary Bradley.</p>
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<p>“I always wanted to be a head coach again, but I wasn't in a huge rush,” Howell told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “I learned a lot from Coach Bradley about being a head coach. When he retired after last season, I thought it was time to get back into it. When I heard the Hot Springs job was open, I applied for it and got it. I'm excited for another shot.”</p>
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<p>Former Hot Springs head coach Maximus Buckingham led the Tigers to their first playoff win in 14 years last November, so Howell takes over a program with some positive momentum. However, Howell is also Hot Springs' fifth different head coach in the last six seasons. Understandably, Howell faced a group of skeptical players when he first met the team following his hire.</p>
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<p>“The first thing I told the players was I'm not going anywhere,” said Howell, who still lives in Hatch. “I have 14 more years until I can retire. I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere else. I'm not going to move residences. It's about the same commute as Mayfield. And I love the four-day school weeks. It's really nice. When I met the returning players individually in the spring, one of the most frequently asked questions was how long I would be here.” </p>
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<p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker']</strong>, the fastest player on the team and one of the strongest, returns at quarterback after a solid sophomore campaign in 2025. He's a dynamic dual threat with the potential to join the prestigious 1,000-1,000 club this season. </p>
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<p>“Zaiden is very coachable,” Howell said. “He shows up every day. He outworks everybody else. He trains on his own after the team workouts. He never stops working. He's the guy at quarterback. He'll have to carry the ball some, too. But he's big enough and definitely fast enough to carry some of the load for us.”</p>
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<p>The backup quarterback will be sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2256788' first='Gabriel' last='Polanco']</strong>, He'll serve as the JV QB in 2026 as Hot Springs will field a JV team for the first time in seven or eight years, allowing the Tigers' freshmen and sophomores to gain some experience.</p>
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<p>Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1827365' first='Cole' last='Montoya']</strong> and <strong>James Oros</strong> are the favorites to take over at running back. Oros could also play some slot receiver. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker']</strong> will, of course, get his share of carries as well.</p>
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<p>Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155121' first='Billy' last='Baca']</strong>, a three-sport standout, is back at receiver after leading the Tigers in receptions last season with 41 for 565 yards and 4 TD. <strong>James Oros</strong> should be a reliable receiver in the slot. Senior <strong>Evan Aguirre</strong> (12 receptions in 2025) has good speed and soft hands and will contribute. Six-foor-2 senior <strong>Robert Sanchez</strong> will get opportunities as well. </p>
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<p>“[player_tooltip player_id='1155121' first='Billy' last='Baca'] is a dude,” Howell exclaimed. “I knew Billy could run down some deep ball and he has good ball skills. He has good body control and can keep his feet in on sideline throws. Whenever he gets one-on-one coverage, he's getting the ball and everybody in the stadium is going to know it. I'm happy with the four guys we have at receiver. If you man us up, you'll be doing yourself a disservice.”</p>
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<p>The anchor for the Tigers' mammoth offensive line will be 275-pound junior center <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1827370' first='Dominic' last='Terrazas']</strong>, who was a camp warrior this summer, including the Prep Redzone Exposure Series camp in Albuquerque. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155335' first='Evan' last='Byers']</strong> is a state champion powerlifter and can bench over 400 pounds. Sophomore <strong>Adrian Veleta</strong> weighs about 250 pounds and has excellent mobility. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1791372' first='Andrew' last='Torres']</strong> weighs about 290 pounds. Freshman right tackle <strong>Benjamin Bierner </strong>weighs close to 280 pounds. The tight end will be junior <strong>Breylin Rubio</strong>. </p>
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<p>Hot Springs will have at least three starting offensive linemen that tip the scales at 270+ pounds.</p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker'] (QB), [player_tooltip player_id='1827365' first='Cole' last='Montoya'] (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1155121' first='Billy' last='Baca'] (WR), [player_tooltip player_id='1827370' first='Dominic' last='Terrazas'] (OL).</p>
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<p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155121' first='Billy' last='Baca'] </strong>will serve as one of the anchors on defense from his free safety spot. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker']</strong>, <strong>Evan Aguirre</strong>, <strong>Robert Sanchez</strong> and <strong>James Oros</strong> join him in the secondary in Hot Springs' 3-3-5 alignment.</p>
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<p>Senior <strong>Chris Baca-Flint</strong>, the sixth offensive linemen, will start at defensive tackle. Sophomores <strong>Christian Archuleta</strong> and <strong>Curtis Trejo</strong> are set to play defensive end and the edge.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2256788' first='Gabriel' last='Polanco']</strong> will see action at MIKE linebacker. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1791390' first='Aaron' last='Gill']</strong> joins him on the second level. He has good speed. Trejo will play some linebacker in addition to DE.</p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1155121' first='Billy' last='Baca'] (LB), [player_tooltip player_id='2256788' first='Gabriel' last='Polanco'] (LB), Chris Baca-Flint (DL),[player_tooltip player_id='1791390' first='Aaron' last='Gill'] (LB). </p>
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<p><strong>2026 HOT SPRINGS SCHEDULE</strong></p>
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<p>Aug. 20 at Tularosa (Thur.) </p>
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<p>Aug. 28 Bye</p>
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<p>Sept. 4 DEMING </p>
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<p>Sept. 11 at Socorro* </p>
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<p>Sept. 18 MORIARTY* </p>
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<p>Sept. 25 McCURDY </p>
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<p>Oct. 1 at Silver (Thur.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 8 HATCH VALLEY (Thur.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 16 at NMMI* </p>
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<p>Oct. 22 HOPE CHRISTIAN (Thur.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 30 at Ruidoso* </p>
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<p>*District 3A-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="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/FeedTheCats?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FeedTheCats</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/FFPDF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FFPDF</a> <a href="https://t.co/eFHiBBQXkB">pic.twitter.com/eFHiBBQXkB</a></p>— Louis Howell 🏈🌵 (@Coach_Howell3) <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Howell3/status/2077136795972866367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's My Sophomore Year Varsity Film:<br><br>C/O: 2028 / Center<br>6'0 270lbs<br>Hot Springs High School, NM<br>4.2 GPA<a href="https://t.co/8qKo6TGFNb">https://t.co/8qKo6TGFNb</a><a href="https://x.com/coachjrick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachjrick</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachM_Justin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachM_Justin</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachRRod70?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachRRod70</a> <a href="https://x.com/TerrenceIsaac1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TerrenceIsaac1</a> <a href="https://x.com/CanaanYarro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanaanYarro</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachTaufaasau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTaufaasau</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_TSanchez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_TSanchez</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachCannova63?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachCannova63</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_CBooth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_CBooth</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1827370' first='Dominic' last='Terrazas'] (@DominicTerraza4) <a href="https://x.com/DominicTerraza4/status/2055946308901564623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Had a great time hosting Hatch in 7v7 and Lineman Challenges. Here's my reps from the One on Ones. <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Howell3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Howell3</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/CoachTaufaasau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTaufaasau</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachRRod70?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachRRod70</a> <a href="https://x.com/CanaanYarro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanaanYarro</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_TSanchez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_TSanchez</a> <a href="https://x.com/ArtBrilesENMU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArtBrilesENMU</a> <a href="https://x.com/coachapatterson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachapatterson</a> <a href="https://x.com/CouchPSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CouchPSports</a> <a href="https://t.co/zgdxlJ3r9v">pic.twitter.com/zgdxlJ3r9v</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1827370' first='Dominic' last='Terrazas'] (@DominicTerraza4) <a href="https://x.com/DominicTerraza4/status/2077571294275739826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can't wait too start this next season expect a ring on me and my teammates hands 😤😤😤 <a href="https://t.co/zWcRAey6IS">pic.twitter.com/zWcRAey6IS</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker'] (@ZaidenBakebbxy) <a href="https://x.com/ZaidenBakebbxy/status/2078549117710794817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This upcoming season going to be special😤😤😤 <a href="https://t.co/GwVLxoukkN">pic.twitter.com/GwVLxoukkN</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker'] (@ZaidenBakebbxy) <a href="https://x.com/ZaidenBakebbxy/status/2067420478935900369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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