Staff Report
MaxPreps.com
Best Player: James Hall, Sr., RB, Las Cruces
Hall is the top player on what could be the top team in New Mexico in 2008. As a junior, Hall led Las Cruces to a 10-2 record while gaining 1,711 yards and scoring 27 touchdowns. He earned New Mexico 5A first team all-state honors. Returning State Leaders – Passing: Jordan Carlini, Raton, 235-406, 2,656 yards, 28 TDs; Rushing: Hall, Las Cruces, 1,711 yards, 27 TDs.
Best All-Time Player: Tommy McDonald, Highland
McDonald was one of the top receivers in the NFL during the late 1950s and early 1960s. A member of the NFL Hall of Fame, McDonald caught 495 passes for 8,410 yards and 84 touchdowns. His receiving yardage total ranked as the second best in NFL history when he retired in 1968. He played for five teams in his NFL career, including the Philadelphia Eagles, who he helped lead to the 1960 NFL championship.
2008 Must See: Eldorado vs. Cibola
Eldorado and Cibola go for the gold on Sept. 13. The last time these two teams met, Cibola knocked off cross-town rival Eldorado in the Class 5A quarterfinals 16-12. Both schools are already golden. Cibola is the name taken from one of the seven cities of gold sought by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Eldorado is the name taken from South America and refers to “the land of the golden one.”
On The Throne: Mayfield
A loss to Montwood of El Paso in week two of last year is all that kept the Trojans from posting their third straight undefeated season. Mayfield is 39-1 over the past three years with three 5A state championships. All-State quarterback Matt Sandoval is gone, but junior QB Austin Hooker will lead the Trojans along with standouts Jacob Ceniceros in the backfield and tight end Matt Flores.
Best Rivalry: Las Cruces vs. Mayfield
Dubbed “The Civil War in Title Town”, the annual cross-town rivalry between Las Cruces and Mayfield is an intense one, often dividing family loyalties and friendships. Tens of thousands pack the stands each year, including a reported 29,000 at the 2002 game. The two teams are often among the top teams in the state with Mayfield winning three straight state championships. Mayfield leads the overall series 24-17-1.
Future Star: Ronnie Daniels, So., RB, La Cueva
Daniels was being compared to the best three-sport athletes in New Mexico over the past 20 years before he even played his first high school athletic contest. An outstanding sprinter and basketball player, Daniels ran for 712 yards and had 1,349 all-purpose yards for the La Cueva varsity squad. He earned all-district honors and was a starter on the varsity basketball team, averaging 5.0 assists per game.
Fun Fact
In 2002, Brett Henson of Hatch Valley had a pretty good season, throwing for 32 touchdowns. Not bad for a sophomore. The next season as a junior, he doubled that total, throwing for a state record 64 touchdowns. What did he do for an encore his senior year? He merely topped his old state mark by throwing for 70 touchdowns, which was good enough to rank third on the all-time national list. Henson’s 166 career touchdown passes ranks fourth in national history.
MaxPreps Preseason All-State Team
WR – Anthony Ratliff, Santa Fe
WR – Isiah Fuller, La Cueva
WR – Jacob Lilley, Las Cruces
TE – Matt Flores, Mayfield
OL – Rio Mares, Cibola
OL – Mikey Long, Manzano
OL – Shane Smith, Eldorado
OL – Nate Crayton, Del Norte
OL – Matt Padilla, Kirtland Central
QB – Dante Caro, Las Cruces
QB – Eric Flores, Onate
RB – James Hall, Las Cruces
RB – Raul Rodriguez, Los Alamos
RB – Jacob Cecineros, Mayfield
ATH – Ronnie Daniels, La Cueva
K – Emmanuel Lares, Artesia
DL – Chance Roberts, Los Lunas
DL – Mike Bernal, Las Cruces
DL – Malcolm Butters, Rio Rancho
DL – Juhreese Thompson, Hobbs
LB – Zach Drapeau, Rio Rancho
LB – Dallas Bollema, Artesia
LB – Carlo Lirosi, Rio Rancho
LB – Zach Daugherty, Onate
LB – Taylor Allcorn, Moriarty
DB – Jami Abdullah, Eldorado
DB – Trevor Hammergren, Aztec
DB – Ray Herrera, Moriarty
DB – Zach Mang, Los Alamos
P – Robert Valencia, Albuquerque
