Top Five Running Backs in Class 3A

Last season taught us that the future is bright for running backs at the Class 3A level. Many of the top ball carriers in that classification are sophomores or juniors. Here are the top five running backs in Class 3A: <strong>Cayden Walton, Raton</strong>: No doubt whatsoever as to the best Class 3A running back going into the spring. And Walton is just a sophomore after rushing for 1,907 yards and 19 touchdowns on 233 carries as a freshman last season. Raton already has arguably the top QB in Class 3A in [player_tooltip player_id="26234" first="Dylan" last="Quartieri"], giving them the most dynamic QB-RB in the classification. The Tigers are a title contender after going 6-6 in 2019. <strong>Jordan Armijo, Socorro</strong>: The Warriors went 11-2 and reached the 3A state championship game last season on the strength of a productive ground game (5 rushers with 280+ yards) led by Armijo, who totaled 588 yards and five touchdowns in 71 carries, an average of 8.3 yards per carry. Armijo is a junior, so he has two more years of HS football ahead of him. <strong>Damian Gallegos, West Las Vegas</strong>: Continuing the trend of talented young running backs in Class 3A, Gallegos rushed for 773 yards and 8 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019 when WLV finished 7-5 and reached the quarterfinals of the 3A playoffs before falling to cross-town rival Robertson. Gallegos got his feet wet as a freshman in 2018 with 109 rushing yards on 14 carries. Thus, he enters the spring needing just 108 yards for 1,000 career rushing yards. <strong>Jesus Gonzalez, Hatch Valley</strong>: Gonzalez was Hatch Valley’s busiest running back in 2019 with 535 yards on 106 carries. He was one of four HVHS ball carriers with 225 yards or more. The Bears ran the ball a staggering 320 times. If Gonzalez can boost his numbers in the spring, Hatch Valley could jump up the 3A standings after a 1-9 record last season. <strong>Richard Contreras, Dexter</strong>: Contreras stands out among a group of talented running backs for run-dominated Dexter. As a team, the Demons ran the ball 291 times and averaged 8.8 yards per attempt in 2019. Leading the way was Contreras, who finished with 452 rushing yards and averaged 9.4 yards per attempt. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so expect Contreras and Dexter to stay grounded in the spring. <strong>Honorable Mention</strong>: Cameron Zamora, Hot Springs; [player_tooltip player_id="26261" first="Matthew" last="Gonzales"], Robertson (also plays QB); [player_tooltip player_id="26250" first="Daymon" last="Lujan"], St. Michael’s.