Week 5 Look Ahead: Six Defensive Players On The Rise

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're often guilty of not showing defensive players enough love. So, entering Week 5 of the New Mexico High School football season, here are 6 defensive standouts on the rise:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613495' first='Colt' last='Ayon'], Raton</strong>: Hidden in far Northern New Mexico along the Colorado border, Ayon has been one of the state's top defensive players since the beginning of last season. He had 123 tackles as a sophomore in 2025. This season, he has a team-high 46 tackles in Raton's first four games. The Tigers go to Estancia to face the Bears in Week 5. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dusty Debeer, Bernalillo</strong>: Debeer is the statistical (and probably spiritual) leader of Bernalillo's ‘Goon Squad' defense with 43 tackles and 16 TFL. He leads the entire state with 10 sacks. In fact, he has at least three more sacks than anybody else. He's wreaking plenty of havoc in opposing backfields. The Bernalillo defense will be tested in Week 5 by Bloomfield's prolific offense. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680161' first='Haziel' last='Goitia']/[player_tooltip player_id='2114600' first='Ben' last='Olivarez'], Eunice</strong>: Only one school in the state has TWO defensive players with 50 or more tackles, and that's Eunice. Goitia and Olivarez prove the Cardinals are more than just a powerful offense. Goitia leads with 55 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, team-high 5 QB hurries and 3 forced fumbles. Olivarez has 50 tackles and 5 passes defended. Eunice has non-district matchups with Gallup and Lamesa (TX) before the intense District 2A-4 battles begin Oct. 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Trujillo Lawrence, West Las Vegas</strong>: Strong defense has been a major factor in WLV's 4-0 start. The Dons have allowed just 24 points in the last three games, enabling them to win defensive struggles against Dexter (12-7) and Raton (14-7). Lawrence, a junior, has emerged as one of the top defensive linemen in northern New Mexico. He leads WLV with 42 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679730' first='Gavin' last='McPherson'], Hobbs</strong>: Southern New Mexico is filled with talented defensive players. Count McPherson in that group. He's tied for fourth in the state with 50 tackles. He's active in pass coverage with 5 passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries. Hobbs must travel to Albuquerque for a Week 5 clash with Eldorado. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->