Prep football preview: Which 6A teams can prevent Cleveland and La Cueva from a title-game rematch?

There is no way to start a conversation about Class 6A high school football in New Mexico this season without Cleveland and La Cueva being at the forefront.

These were the two state finalists nine months ago, and they are rated as the top two teams in the MaxPreps.com preseason ranking.

Cleveland has won state in each of the last three seasons in which New Mexico had a full season. The deep and talented Storm have a dozen starters back.

The defense is paced by a pair of superb linebackers, Strat Shufelt and Isaac Medrano. Medrano has offers from all three state schools; Shufelt is the state’s most recruited senior football player.

At a school where quarterback play has been stellar since it swung open its doors, sophomore Jordan Hatch steps into the fold. The 6-foot-3 Hatch, coach Robert Garza said, is a prototypical QB, elite and intelligent. “He’s advanced,” Garza said.

Running back will be problematic for defenses facing Cleveland. Senior Harris Mbueha was tremendous in the championship game against La Cueva, going over 100 yards and scoring four touchdowns. Andres Aguirre, who returned two interceptions for scores in that final, is moving to offense, and will be in the slot. Senior receiver Karter Weddle, Garza said, is the team’s fastest player.

Cleveland also returns a majority of its offensive front.

“A lot of guys know what it takes. We’re pretty fortunate to have some of the leaders we have,” Garza said. “The biggest thing is, we have to stick together and trust what we’re doing.”

La Cueva is expected to mount a serious run at a blue trophy, even as the Bears — much like Cleveland — graduated some vital pieces of their offense.

Versatile and dangerous 6-4 junior Cam Dyer, an elite dual-threat athlete, moves into the QB position. He will have at his disposal probably the fastest group of receivers of any school in the state: Jackson Hix, Tanner Montaño, junior transfer Kobe McGill (from Phoenix) and Cruz Markham. “Our team speed, especially on offense, is ridiculous right now,” La Cueva coach Brandon Back said.

Junior Eliseo Lumbrera becomes the primary ball carrier in the La Cueva offense, and his dynamic presence will bring added versatility to the Bears attack, Back said.

The defense, which returns six starters, is led by junior Mason Posa, one of the top handful of players in 6A football. He and fellow junior Nick Mertz are two crucial pieces on that side of the ball for La Cueva.

As for regrouping after the loss in the title game, Back said the Bears have tried to be practical.

“We look back on that as a lesson,” he said. “We never talked about taking the next step. It’s always about taking advantage of your opportunities.”

District 1-6A saw all five of its teams punch a playoff ticket last year, including four of the top eight seeds.

Although Rio Rancho went out in the quarterfinals last year to Centennial, the Rams return seven starters on both sides of the ball.

Senior Noah Nelson, who has plenty of experience, gets the early start at quarterback, while junior J.J. Arellano recovers from an ACL injury sustained in the playoffs. Running back Rayce Ramirez and receiver Anthony Raymer both will play large roles.

On defense, veteran senior inside linebacker Ryan Brown is the centerpiece

“We want to be playing on Thanksgiving weekend,” Rio Rancho coach Nate Pino said, “and this group will have the opportunity to do that.”

Volcano Vista, which lost to Cleveland in the semis last season, graduated 35 seniors; some of the top returners are tailback Alijah Gonzales, senior tackle Zach Markham and senior linebacker Kian Vander Wilt. As is often the case, the Hawks are extremely strong and deep at the linebacking position.

Quarterback will be an interesting, and untested, position. Junior Ilijah Hansen and freshman Dre Montgomery were battling in the offseason, although Hansen is expected to start Friday at Las Cruces.

“I think we’re right in the mix,” Hawks coach Chad Wallin said.

Atrisco Heritage expects to make continued strides. This is a fast and entertaining offense with terrific athleticism, including running back Marquise Renfro and receiver Latavious Morris. Quarterback Dean Marquez (injury) is not expected to be on the field until midseason, so junior Landon Griego will run the show at the start.

Defense, coach Howard Knezevich said, is much improved, which it will have to be if the Jaguars want to further close the gap on its District 1 rivals.

“We’re making strides all over the place,” he said. “And it’s gonna show.”

Repeated efforts to reach Cibola coach Chris Howe were not successful. The Cougars fell to Los Lunas in the first round last season.

District 2 is going to be the most quarterback-rich district anywhere in New Mexico. In addition to Dyer, there is Farmington’s Trel Griego and West Mesa’s Elijah Brody. Plus, Eldorado returns Brandon Olivas.

The Scorpions are a team many coaches are eyeballing to make noise in November. Griego (6-4, 250) brings a big and steady presence to Farmington’s backfield. The Scorpions are largely new at receiver, and the O-Line is inexperienced. The defense has eight starters back and should be a strength.

“Farmington is going to be the big sleeper,” Sandia coach Chad Adcox said.

West Mesa and Brody barely missed qualifying for the playoffs last fall, and the lefty may very well be New Mexico’s best overall quarterback. He accounted for 44 scores as a junior.

Although the Mustangs gradated most of their other skill-position athletes, the cupboard is not bare. Rick Martinez and slot Marcos Ochoa both will have prominent receiving roles.

“This will be the biggest difference between our offense last year and our offense this year,” Mustangs coach Landrick Brody said. “Last year, we were more explosive. This year, more consistent.”

Eldorado figures to be a productive offense. In addition to Olivas, the Eagles are solid at receiver with the likes of Josiah Mitchell and Josh Jackson, and running back J.P. Ludi also returns, plus three starters along the line.

Defense, however, is “going to be a wild ride,” veteran coach Charlie Dotson said. Only two starters return on defense, there is only one senior on that unit, and Eldorado also has a new coordinator

Sandia has about half its starters returning, but the senior class (12) is relatively small. Some of the players to watch for on the Matadors include receiver Jacob Adcox and quarterback Cruz Rivera, plus third-year cornerback Juanito Cruz who will face any number of cover challenges in this particular district.

Four of District 3/4’s teams qualified for the playoffs. Beyond Centennial and Hobbs, both Carlsbad and Alamogordo — each with veteran, senior-dominant rosters — also reached the postseason.

Centennial and Hobbs both have large aspirations this season to make a deep run in the playoffs.

The Hawks were in the final four last season, although this team is going to have a small number of seniors in the starting lineup.

Still, Centennial is projected as one of 6A’s best outfits, led by returning quarterback Daniel Hernandez, plus receivers Jordan Lucas and Christian Ortiz. Most of the offense is new, coach Aaron Ocampo said.

The Hawks’ best overall player is senior outside linebacker John Sierra, and the Centennial defense opens the season ahead of its offense with six starters back.

Hobbs lost a quarterfinal thriller to Volcano Vista last season, and the Eagles fully expect to be challenging in a strong way again this coming November despite losing a large graduating class and having many first-year starters.

“These kids are eager to make a name for themselves,” Hobbs coach Ken Stevens said. “It’s a good measuring stick. Are we where we think we are? Have we established the program where we can reload and continue to compete at a high level?”

This is perhaps 6A’s biggest team up front; the O-Line weighs in, collectively, at nearly 1,300 pounds. But the Eagles are new at most of the skill positions, including QB Brock Beaty and running back Saul Armendariz. Receiver Jeremiah Jaquez is the only returner who handled the ball regularly last season.

The Cavemen have their third head coach in as many years in Cale Sanders, promoted from within. Alamogordo got into the playoffs mostly because of a close district win over Las Cruces High, and the Tigers are having to replace a bulk of their most influential skill-position athletes.

Organ Mountain is one of the great preseason mysteries. The Knights and new coach Kenneth Sanchez canceled their scheduled appearance in a scrimmage versus Artesia, so little is known about how they’ll pan out. They are in Albuquerque on Friday to face Albuquerque High.

One team that seems certain to rebound from a subpar 2022 season is Las Cruces, a team with plenty of athleticism and size. The Bulldawgs had a rare year in which they missed the playoffs, but were extremely young.

“I’d be upset if we were not in the mix of this district,” Las Cruces coach Mark Lopez said. The Bulldawg roster is still youthful, with six sophomores who played as freshmen. “I really like the trajectory of our guys. I feel like we’ll make some noise,” Lopez said.

District 5 was a one-bid league last season, with champion Los Lunas advancing in its first season in the 6A division. The Tigers continue to rate as the district favorite despite graduating two dozen seniors. An experienced and bulked-up offensive line is a strength, and the receiving corps brings back standouts Fabian Trujillo and Ethan Olguin.

Quarterback is one position where Los Lunas is unsettled, with multiple players in the mix.

Andrew McCraw begins his second season as Clovis’ head coach, and the Wildcats figure to be improved, particularly on offense, as they chase Los Lunas.

Same with Albuquerque High and new coach Desmond Anaya. The Bulldogs are relatively young, especially on defense, and are led by senior offensive tackle T.J. McCarthy (6-3, 300 and with offers from all three state schools) and returning senior quarterback Frank Hren, from whom Anaya is expecting big things.

Capital was a .500 team last season with hopes to challenge for second place in the district, while Santa Fe struggled to a 1-9 mark.

Rio Grande continues to compete as an independent and has a new coach in Christopher Smalls. The Ravens (2-7 last year) have about 60 players in the program and plan to have both a varsity and C-team, a healthy sign for the program. “There’s a whole lot of enthusiasm out there,” Smalls said of his largely inexperienced group.