2023 Team Preview: Espanola Valley Sundevils
Photo: Twitter
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<p><strong>Espanola Valley 2023 Preview</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Head Coach</strong>: Tylon Wilder </p>
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<p><strong>Mascot</strong>: Sundevils </p>
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<p><strong>Twitter</strong>: @coachwilder0917; @evhsfootball505; @EVHSports</p>
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<p><strong>Colors</strong>: Red and Gold </p>
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<p><strong>2022 Record</strong>: 6-4 </p>
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<p><strong>Overview</strong>: Except for Espanola Valley falling inches short of the Class 4A playoffs, Tylon Wilder's first year as the Sundevils head coach was an emphatic success. Wilder, a former assistant at Silver, led EVHS to a surprising 6-4 record, just the second winning record at the school in the past two decades.</p>
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<p>Last season's leading rusher, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='815907' first='Alex' last='Chavez']</strong>, is making the move to quarterback and has proven during 7x7 season that he has the ability to make good decisions and make all the throws. Chavez is athletic, dynamic and fast. He runs the 100 in just over 11 seconds and qualified for the state meet in the 200. As Wilder said, he's a running back who can throw, making him potentially a superb dual threat QB. Receivers <strong>Adrick Deleon</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='592025' first='Kevin' last='Coffeen']</strong> have taken reps at QB as well. All three could see action during the course of the season. None are pocket passers but all three are exceptional athletes.</p>
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<p>Who will pair with Chavez in the running game? Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590170' first='Jack' last='Purdy']</strong> returns after rushing for 365 yards and 7 TD in 2022. Purdy is elusive and quick. He knows how to hide behind his blockers and pick up tough yards. Purdy is fast too and competed this spring on Espanola Valley's 4x100 relay team. Purdy is also a champion power lifter. He's strong enough to run between the tackles and take the physical punishment. Deleon will get some carries, as will promising 6-foot-2, 195-pound sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137865' first='Irvin' last='Primero']</strong>.</p>
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<p>Four of the five receivers with 10+ receptions last season are back. With Deleon (team-leading 34 receptions) focusing on quarterback and running back, junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837203' first='Victor' last='Parra']</strong> likely ascends to the No. 1 WR job. Parra is exceptionally fast and probably the fastest player on the team. He has soft hands and fast feet. Coffeen was Espanola Valley's second-leading receiver in 2022 with 31 receptions. He'll compete with Parra for the right to become the #1 WR. The Parra-Coffeen duo has the potential to be electric.</p>
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<p>Center <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='817229' first='Jose' last='Castillo']</strong> anchors the offensive line. </p>
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<p>Defensively, the Sundevils were inconsistent last season with wild fluctuations between good and bad. Junior <strong>Nick Sandoval</strong> will anchor the defensive line along with junior <strong>Cru Wilder</strong>. Six-foot-1, 200-pound middle linebacker <strong>Ezekial Cuevas</strong> spearheads the second level after getting his feet wet at the varsity last season. He's another Sundevil football player who ran track this spring. Cuevas possesses the speed and mobility to cover sideline-to-sideline. Cornerback <strong>Abraham Tamayo</strong> played late last season but should be available Week 1 this fall. Junior <strong>Jorge Rodriguez</strong> will start at safety. He's tall, lanky and makes plays. </p>
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<p><strong>2023 Schedule</strong>: </p>
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<p>Aug. 18 LOS ALAMOS</p>
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<p>Aug. 25 at Bernalillo</p>
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<p>Sept. 1 at Escalante</p>
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<p>Sept. 8 at West Las Vegas</p>
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<p>Sept. 15 GALLUP</p>
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<p>Sept. 22 SANTA FE INDIAN</p>
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<p>Sept. 29 at Kirtland Central</p>
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<p>Oct. 6 Bye</p>
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<p>Oct. 13 at Taos*</p>
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<p>Oct. 20 MORIARTY*</p>
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<p>Oct. 27 POJOAQUE VALLEY*</p>
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<p>* District Game </p>
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<p><strong>Coach's Comments</strong>: “The key was getting some excitement with the kids and give them goals. They embraced it and worked very hard. We wanted to get some structure in the program. They've had a new coach just about every other year. We showed up every day for the players and become a constant in their lives. Because of last year's success, we have a lot of energy going into this season. Offseason workouts have been going well. Our numbers are in the 50s right now on a daily basis. For our school, that's a lot of players coming out for football. When we went to Socorro for the 7-on-7, we had a full bus. We've had to build it from scratch. It didn't happen overnight. The kids realize now they have a coach who's going to stick around. They're embracing that. They're buying in. But we have a long way to go. We're nowhere near the peak of where we want to be.” – Espanola Valley head coach Tylon Wilder.</p>
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Espanola Valley 2023 Preview
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