2026 Team Preview: Silver Fighting Colts
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>The Kelley Lee Era begins in Silver City. The Fighting Colts pulled off one of the major coups of the off-season by hiring Lee shortly after his tenure as Eastern New Mexico head coach ended in December. In his first seven months, Lee has transformed the program based on his philosophy of how football should be played. It's certainly not for the meek. Sumer workouts have focused on getting bigger, faster and stronger.</p>
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<p>“We've made a lot of progress,” Lee told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Our kids have really gotten stronger. Hopefully, that keeps us healthy and allows us to be pretty good on the offensive and defensive lines. Th strength of our team is being physical on both lines. Our skill position guys are going to be young. We're going to be a run-oriented team. But we will throw the ball too. Our scheme will be similar to what folks saw at Eastern.”</p>
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<p>About 40 to 50 different players participated in summer workouts, Lee said, with 25 or so showing up every day. </p>
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<p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>There's no question who the starting quarterback will be for the Colts. Six-foot-3, 200-pound rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114491' first='Kingston' last='Lee']</strong> is one of the most impressive athletes in the state. He deadlifts 505 pounds, he squats 500 pounds, he runs the Pro 5-10-5 Shuttle in 4.3 seconds, he runs the 40 in 4.8 seconds and he won the 4A state title in the discus as a freshman in May, , beating the second place finisher by 10 feet. He also finished fourth in the shotput and reached the finals in the javelin.</p>
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<p>“He's had a good summer,” Lee said. “He's throwing the ball well. I'm excited to see him on the defensive side of the ball, too. That's something he didn't get a chance to do last year. He's probably one of the stronger players in the entire state of New Mexico for his age. He's put up some impressive numbers in the weight room for a 15-year old.”</p>
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<p>Freshman <strong>Mathew Diaz</strong> (2030) will be the backup QB. He got an abundance of work during 7-on-7 season.</p>
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<p>Silver's run scheme will typically employ three running backs. The top RB will be junior <strong>Ty Gonzalez</strong>, arguably the strongest player on the team. He bench presses 315 pounds, deadlifts 550 pounds and runs the 40 in 4.72 seconds. He finished second in the 165-pound class at the state powerlifting championships in April. Impressive strength and speed. Gonzalez played mainly defensive last season but was moved to RB to take advantage of that rare, impressive combination of speed and strength.</p>
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<p>Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826113' first='Cody' last='Cooper']</strong>, whose 2025 season was limited by an injury, will be another key running back for the Colts. Cooper is fully healthy and Lee expects him to have a solid season. Numerous younger players are battling for a spot in the RB rotation, Lee said.</p>
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<p>“We play with three running backs every down,” Lee said. “Right now, the two guys guaranteed to see a lot of action are <strong>Ty Gonzalez</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826113' first='Cody' last='Cooper']</strong>. The other guys are still battling. They all have different skills. Some are bigger guys, some are smaller. They all bring something different to the table.”</p>
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<p>Sophomores <strong>Andre Oaxaca</strong>, <strong>Quentin Montoya</strong> and <strong>Regan Gutierrez</strong> will highlight the wide receiver corps.</p>
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<p>“Andre has some speed and he's pretty good with the ball in his hands,” Lee said. “He did well in 7-on-7s. He'll probably be our big play guy. Quentin and Regan run good routes and catch the ball well. They'll be our possession guys. We have a young group at receiver, but they really improved over the summer. We're excited about them.”</p>
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<p>Lee strongly believes football games are won and lost in the trenches. So who plays offensive line is extremely important. The anchor will be 6-foot-2, 281-pound senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1787702' first='Al' last='Cohn']</strong>, who won MVP honors at the recent Western New Mexico Elite Prospect camp. Another returning starter is 6-foot-2 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826118' first='Jason' last='Chadwick']</strong>, who has impressed Lee with his physicality and aggressiveness.</p>
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<p>“Al and Jason are All-State caliber guys,” Lee said. “Al is smart and big. He's gotten a lot stronger in the weight room. I think he's going to have a very good year. Jason can really move. He's very physical.” </p>
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<p>Joining them on the Colts O-Line will be 250-pound sophomore <strong>Elijah Barriga</strong> and junior <strong>Robert Montoya</strong>. The fifth spot is up for grabs. Six-foot-5, 245-pound senior <strong>Julian Valenzuela</strong> will be in the mix.</p>
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<p>“Once our offensive line has a full grasp of our scheme and has some time to play together, I think they'll be as good as any offensive line in Class 3A,” Lee said. </p>
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<p><strong>Key Players</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='2114491' first='Kingston' last='Lee'] (QB), Ty Gonzalez (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1826113' first='Cody' last='Cooper'] (RB), [player_tooltip player_id='1787702' first='Al' last='Cohn'] (OL),</p>
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<p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p>
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<p>Like many other Class 3A schools, most of the aforementioned Silver offensive players will also play defense. The linebackers will be <strong>Ty Gonzalez</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826113' first='Cody' last='Cooper']</strong> and junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826129' first='Andrew' last='Gnader']</strong>.</p>
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<p>Along the defensive front, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826118' first='Jason' last='Chadwick']</strong> will play defensive end. <strong>Elijah Barriga</strong> and <strong>Robert Montoya</strong> will be the defensive tackles. Freshman <strong>Adrian Perea</strong>, who deadlifts 500 pounds, will get an opportunity to earn a starting spot on the D-Line.</p>
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<p>In the secondary, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114491' first='Kingston' last='Lee']</strong> will be the strong safety. <strong>Andre Oaxaca</strong> can play cornerback or safety. Senior <strong>Julian Valenzuela</strong> will start at safety. Junior <strong>Steven Figueroa</strong> will start at corner or safety.</p>
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<p><strong>2026 SILVER SCHEDULE</strong></p>
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<p>Aug. 21 at Legacy Academy </p>
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<p>Aug. 28 DEMING </p>
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<p>Sept. 4 at Gadsden </p>
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<p>Sept. 11 MORIARTY (6 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Sept. 18 at Socorro* </p>
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<p>Sept. 25 Bye </p>
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<p>Oct. 2 HOT SPRINGS* </p>
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<p>Oct. 9 RUIDOSO* </p>
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<p>Oct. 17 at Hope Christian (Sat., 1 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 23 NMMI* </p>
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<p>Oct. 30 at Hatch Valley* </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="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/mGx1z2JmQa">pic.twitter.com/mGx1z2JmQa</a></p>— Silver High Fighting Colt Football (@SHSColtFootball) <a href="https://x.com/SHSColtFootball/status/2082168254383215021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">July Top 10 <a href="https://t.co/JivpLCOOnR">pic.twitter.com/JivpLCOOnR</a></p>— Silver High Fighting Colt Football (@SHSColtFootball) <a href="https://x.com/SHSColtFootball/status/2081385637907943543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It was great to see this former Fighting Colt great. Thank you for stopping bye to watch workouts and visit with our players!!! <a href="https://t.co/SllxtiaL6h">pic.twitter.com/SllxtiaL6h</a></p>— Kelley Lee (@CoachKelleyLee) <a href="https://x.com/CoachKelleyLee/status/2069884254679618031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blessed to be ranked as the #1 2029 NM Prospect by <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> Thank you for the write up!<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/s6jsP3L7Te">https://t.co/s6jsP3L7Te</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='2114491' first='Kingston' last='Lee'] (@kingston_lee10) <a href="https://x.com/kingston_lee10/status/2016966920248184970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What's your QB Bench? Ours reps 260 x 3 <a href="https://x.com/kingston_lee10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kingston_lee10</a> Built different! <a href="https://t.co/MsplTap1lW">pic.twitter.com/MsplTap1lW</a></p>— Silver High Fighting Colt Football (@SHSColtFootball) <a href="https://x.com/SHSColtFootball/status/2074535992372105310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congratulations to 2027 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1787702' first='Al' last='Cohn'] for winning OL MVP Honors at <a href="https://x.com/WNMUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WNMUFootball</a> camp yesterday <a href="https://t.co/GuBgx5VSEZ">pic.twitter.com/GuBgx5VSEZ</a></p>— Silver High Fighting Colt Football (@SHSColtFootball) <a href="https://x.com/SHSColtFootball/status/2079262216621302256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2028 170 lb. OLB Ty Gonzales benching 315 <a href="https://t.co/jeIEpYv9Up">pic.twitter.com/jeIEpYv9Up</a></p>— Silver High Fighting Colt Football (@SHSColtFootball) <a href="https://x.com/SHSColtFootball/status/2069471690636312836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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