Zach Gentry and his Eldorado teammates will have a tough task with facing Mayfield this week.
Photo by Ken Rutt
It's definitely the New Mexico football game of the week. In fact, it could end up being the regular season game of the year when
Mayfield (Las Cruces) travels to
Eldorado (Albuquerque) on Friday night.
They are two of just three Class 6A teams in the state that have perfect 4-0 records so far this season. The
MaxPreps Computer Rankings list Mayfield at No. 1 in the state and Eldorado at No. 4.
Adding to the ballyhoo is an individual battle between two of the state's premier quarterbacks - both three-year starters. Eldorado's
Zach Gentry actually is ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the state by 247Sports. But Mayfield's
Kavika Johnson also is in the hunt for the state's Gatorade Player of the Year award.
Kavika Johnson, Mayfield
Photo by Lou Novick
Gentry, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior, has completed 56 of 85 passes for 949 yards and 12 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He has good speed and also has run 32 times for 265 yards and five touchdowns. He already has made a commitment to the University of Texas.
He gets plenty of help on the ground from junior
Noah Sweitzer (6-1, 190), who has gained 227 yards and scored four times on just 34 carries. Top wide receivers are juniors
Jayce Jackson (5-9, 155), who has 11 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns, and
David Inman (6-1, 175), who has 11 catches for 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Eagles' leading tackler is
Dominic Fascitelli, a 5-4, 160-pound senior linebacker, who has 26 tackles in just three games. The offensive line will give away size to Mayfield and its only returning starter is 6-foot, 240-pound senior center
Cole Babcock.
Johnson has some impressive stats of his own. The 6-2, 195-pound senior who has several offers from Division I colleges, has completed 40 of 70 passes for 724 yards and four touchdowns, while running 56 times for 579 yards and eight scores.
Mayfield coach Michael Bradley says Johnson "is having a lot better year than last year (when he accounted for almost 2,700 yards and 24 touchdowns). He's pretty calm under pressure, puts the ball on the money and runs the ball well."
Eldorado coach Charlie Dotson adds, "He (Johnson) is not as big as Zach, but probably faster."
Johnson's top ground support comes from senior
Payson Rogers (5-9, 160), who has carried 64 times for 488 yards and five touchdowns. Six different receivers have caught at least one pass.
Senior linebacker
Ryan Escalera (5-10, 180) paces the defense with 19 tackles and 12 assists. The offensive line has a good size advantage with the likes of senior tackles
Cameron Mills (6-3, 265) and
Dominik Trujillo (6-2, 250), with Trujillo going both ways.
"Our offensive line has really stepped up," Dotson said proudly.
That offensive line probably has a lot to do with Mayfield's onslaught of 213 points in just four games. The Trojans have yielded 118 points, but they probably have played a stronger schedule so far than Eldorado, which has a 164-20 advantage against its four opponents.
It appears to be a nail-biter down to the wire.
Bradley analyzes, "Whoever steps up defensively, I think, is going to win the game."
Dotson says, "They play a lot of kids and wear you down. They are the No. 1 team, but we're going to have four big games in a row (starting Friday night). This game isn't going to make or break us. We've got to keep it in perspective."
