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Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Sunday, April 17, 2011
New Highlands Coach Focuses on Defense
By Vince Kong
Journal Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Barely a trace of snow remains on the high peaks in the Pecos Wilderness; in town the trees are starting to green up.
Spring is finally in the air, and with it, comes an annual rite of passage — New Mexico Highlands football fans get a first glimpse of their Cowboys at a special spring game, held Saturday at Perkins Stadium. But with the annual game comes another and seemingly new tradition at the school: the ushering in of yet another head coach.
This season, the game of musical chairs ended with Eric Young taking over as the Cowboys' 10th head coach this decade — and the third this academic year. Young follows the unceremonious departure of Chad Roanhaus, who left due to medical reasons after an 0-4 start this past season and later resigned after year three with a record of 4-22.
So basically, Young's got his work cut out for him — and he knows it. But he's optimistic.
"Things are turning around," Young said. "These guys are beginning to understand what it is to work, and what it is to finish. We only have a handful of bodies right now — and they're tired — but once we have the players in place and the systems in place, we can begin shaping their outlook and how they compete."
COACHING OVERHAUL: Young's first order of business in changing the culture at Highlands began at the top, retaining just Art Abreu Jr., Artie Allen and Chris Ferragamo from the previous staff.
Allen will work with the wide receivers, Abreu with tight ends and Ferragamo is listed as a volunteer defensive assistant.
New on offense will be Sheldon Cross, who most recently was a graduate assistant at Washington State University, as well as quarterbacks coach.
Chad Raymond, who most recently was a graduate assistant at the University of Texas-El Paso, will serve as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
And former College of the Sequoias wide receivers coach Kenny Jackson will serve in the role this season at Highlands.
On defense, Robbie Quinn, formerly of Fresno City College, will serve as the Cowboy's defensive coordinator. Young then brought in his former defensive line coach and director of football operations, Tony Pavlic, from the College of the Siskiyous, in California.
Ivan Cordova rounds out the new staff as linebackers coach. Cordova was a graduate assistant at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
YOUNG FOCUS ON SHORING UP DEFENSE: Highlands ranked last in scoring defense, gave up more yards on the ground than all but one team in the conference and allowed the most points in the red zone last season. So it's no surprise where Young's main focus lies this season.
"A lot of it will come down to recruiting," said Young, the former Siskiyous head coach, who had previously spent his career as a defensive coach. "We need bodies — we only had three healthy defensive linemen today — and talent to run our schemes. But coach Quinn and Cordova will do a great job, and I'm confident that those rankings will be a thing of the past."
COMPETITION UNDER CENTER: Clovis graduate Jordan Mendoza and Raton product Robbie Armijo took nearly all the snaps for the Cowboys this past season, with Mendoza finishing with 1,040 yards passing, five touchdowns and 14 interceptions and Armijo at 712 yards, one touchdown and eight interceptions.
With both players now gone — Armijo to graduation and Mendoza to injury (concussion) — Noel Johnson Alexander, who was a medical redshirt last season, and junior transfer Joey Frias took all the snaps Saturday.
The position battle, however, is only beginning.
"Noel hurt his foot or leg last season and still isn't 100 percent, but his head and his arm is fine, and he did all right today," Young said. "Joey came in the time we did and had a good spring as well, but we're going to bring in some transfer quarterbacks and some freshmen. So we're looking at around five or six come fall camp and it definitely is an open battle."
WILLIAMS LOOKS TO BUILD ON BREAKOUT SEASON: It is true, Highlands is coming off a less-than memorable season — that is, except for the individual performance of Kevon Williams.
The Highlands kick returner and wide receiver finished as the conference leader in all-purpose yards and was sixth in the nation with 1,933 after his freshman season. So what's next for the 6-footer from Houston, who hauled in a pair of touchdowns in the spring game?
"I'm trying to forget about all that," he said. "It really gets under my skin that I was a couple hundred yards from being No. 1 in the nation. I'm going to try real hard to be No. 1 this year."
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