2022 Team Preview: Las Cruces Bulldawgs

<strong>Las Cruces 2022 Preview</strong> <strong>Head Coach</strong>: Mark Lopez <strong>Mascot</strong>: Bulldawgs <strong>Twitter</strong>: @LCHSFOOTBALL; @mjlopezdawgs <strong>Colors</strong>: Red, Blue &amp; White <strong>2021 Record</strong>: 7-5 (Class 6A Semifinals) <strong>Overview</strong>: We always expect Las Cruces to field a strong football team and 2022 is no different. The new quarterback for the Bulldawgs will be junior<strong> Mathew Lashley</strong>, who solidified his status as the No. 1 QB with a solid spring and early summer after excelling at the JV level in 2021. He has been a workout warrior, getting bigger, faster and stronger while improving his arm strength and knowledge of the offense. He’s renowned for possessing a high football IQ and spending countless hours studying the game. Senior <strong>David Barela</strong> is the new running back after patiently waiting his turn. He differs from previous Las Cruces running backs in that he’s 6-foot-0, 195 pounds, so he brings good size and speed to the position. Barela qualified for the 100 meters at the state track &amp; field meet. Lashley’s top target at wide receiver is the dynamic junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="274714" first="Zakye" last="Hawkins"]</strong>. Not only is he a talented pass catcher but he’s a fantastic blocker as well. Las Cruces plans to expand Hawkins’ role within the offense on fly sweeps and other similar plays. The Bulldawgs are already drawing up plays to get him the ball in ways other than just vertical routes. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137934" first="Jacob" last="Maes"]</strong> and 6-foot-3 sophomore <strong>Nate Libby</strong> will be additional targets in the passing attack. The tall and lanky Libby has the potential to become one of the top wide receivers in the 2025 class. Las Cruces must rebuild the offensive line after losing all five starters. The Bulldawgs will be young and inexperienced when the season starts but Lopez hopes they grow as they attain more game experience. Sophomore center <strong>Josh Quintero</strong> could be special. Defensively, Las Cruces could possess one of the top defenses in the state. The Bulldawgs’ defensive front seven certainly ranks among the best in the state but the secondary promises to be pretty good too. Putting everything together, the Las Cruces defense should be stout and very difficult to score upon in 2022. Lopez believes the D-Line will be the strength of the unit with junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="340292" first="Kash" last="Alley"]</strong> (moved to DT) and junior DE <strong>Koa Hishijo</strong> anchoring the unit. Alley has gotten bigger, stronger and more explosive since last season, prompting the move to defensive tackle. Speaking of position moves, junior <strong>Rico Andrade</strong> shifts from OLB to become the Bulldawgs’ middle LB, making him responsible for running the defense. Six-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore <strong>Dalin Walter</strong> will play a major role at outside LB and serve as the team’s placekicker. Many of Las Cruces’ top defensive players are juniors, meaning they still have two seasons left in their prep careers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137933" first="Siddeeq" last="Shabazz"]</strong> is one of the state’s top defensive backs and talented enough to play at the next level. Maes is a standout DB as well. Hawkins will play more in the secondary this season after gaining DB experience last season. <strong>Schedule</strong>: Just like last season, Las Cruces has nine regular season games scheduled. The slate begins with a trip to Albuquerque to face Volcano Vista. Four straight home games, including one against powerhouse Cleveland, highlights the middle portion of the schedule. The regular season ends with a potentially district-deciding slugfest against rival Centennial. Aug. 19 at Volcano Vista Aug. 26 Bye Sept. 2 at El Paso (TX) Eastwood Sept. 10 CLEVELAND (Sat.) Sept. 16 MAYFIELD Sept. 23 Bye Sept. 30 HOBBS* Oct. 7 ALAMOGORDO* Oct. 14 at Organ Mountain* Oct. 21 at Carlsbad* Oct. 28 CENTENNIAL* * District Game <strong>Top Storyline</strong>: With the epicenter of New Mexico high school football steadily moving to Rio Rancho (Cleveland and RR) over the past decade, will a talented 2022 roster help Las Cruces regain its dominance in Class 6A? <strong>Final Thoughts</strong>: Some of the pieces are certainly in place for Las Cruces to have a special season. They have a senior RB, a great WR and a potential fantastic defense. But arguably the two most important positions in football are quarterback and offensive line. Those positions are where Las Cruces is inexperienced. If Mathew Lashley proves as good as advertised and the O-Line develops quickly, the Bulldawgs could be dynamite. The first three games will be a good litmus test. The Bulldawgs could be 3-0 or 0-3 when they face rival Mayfield on Sept. 16. Either way, look for Las Cruces to again contend for the district title. Everything could boil down to the regular season finale  against Centennial – district championship, top four seed, etc. If it does, you heard it here first. <strong>Coach’s Comments</strong>: “We started  out a little rough last season but then we found our identity. We dealt with some adversity early. We had to find a way to regroup and we ended up having a great season. This year, we’re going to have a much younger team. Some of our guys need to get game experience. We have to come out ready to go, stick with the plan and continue to grind and get better. Mathew Lashley is just one of those guys that will do whatever you ask him to do. He’s all about the team. He’s a very selfless kid. I think our players will respond very well to him. We have to put a heavy focus on the offensive line. We’ll be young at the beginning of the year. We have some guys who need game experience. Skill-wise, we have some guys who can play, but right now we need to build it. There is no substitute for game experience. They’re going to have to find a way to play our system and play with a nasty demeanor.” – Las Cruces coach Mark Lopez. https://twitter.com/HawkinsZakye/status/1466254537132584970 https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL/status/1534373349538791425 https://twitter.com/ColinDeaverTV/status/1428950297477529603