Small Schools, Big Talent: Five Mid-Season Standouts in Class 2A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we approach the halfway mark of the 2026 New Mexico high school football season, here are 5 players from the Class 2A you need to know moving forward:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2256797' first='Jared' last='Hawley'], Newcomb</strong>: Even though Newcomb has played only three games, Hawley ranks fourth in 2A in rushing with 734 yards on a staggering 100 carries, second most in 2A. He's averaging 33.3 carries per game. Impressive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1684748' first='Jermy' last='Jones'], Tucumcari</strong>: Jones has developed into one of the best two-way players in Class 2A with his speed and skills. He's been key to the Rattlers' 3-2 start as they seek a second consecutive 2A playoff berth. Offensively, Jones has rushed for 609 yards and 9 TD with four games of 100+ yards. Defensively, he's made 35 tackles with 1 INT. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2256783' first='Isaac' last='Melancon'], Eunice</strong>: Just a sophomore, Melancon is fifth in the state in passing yardage with 1,313 yards and 16 TD. He's led the cardinals to a 4-1 start. The District 2A-4 battles begin in Week 7. Eunice closes the regular season with showdowns against Texico and Dexter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605069' first='Preston' last='Muniz'], Santa Rosa</strong>: The Lions' Wing-T run-dominated attack requires physical ball carriers. Muniz fits the bill perfectly. Through five games, he's third in Class 2A in rushing with 751 yards and is averaging over 9 yards per attempt. His 13 rushing TD are second in 2A. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604784' first='Cael' last='Walton'], Raton</strong>: We know the surname ‘Walton' is a magical name in Raton. Cael is happily living up to the family legacy. He's second in Class 2A and second in the state behind Estancia's [player_tooltip player_id='2114509' first='Devon' last='Chavez'] in rushing with 916 yards and 11 TD on a state-high 118 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Jermy_Jones0/status/2101346633686368474","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Jermy_Jones0/status/2101346633686368474 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>      </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->