Five Eagles, two ’Cat named to All-New Mexico South team
With all the individual awards finished and out of the way, NMPreps.com released its All-New Mexico Football team Monday for offense. Of the 15 players to be named to the South Team, seven were from Lea County.
Hobbs had five players named to the team while Lovington had two. Of the five Eagles, three of them won individual postseason awards.
Gavin Hardison was named Mr. Football and QB of the Year while Cannin Prieto was named OL of the Year. Then there was Enrique Ramirez who won Kicker of the year. The two Eagles not to win an award were both wide receivers, Alec Finney and Semaj Cotton.
Hardison led the state in passing yardage and touchdowns. The Eagles’ QB threw for a state record, 5,347 passing yards while also throwing 59 touchdown passes. Ramirez kicked a Hobbs record 77 PATs while also making four of his five field goal attempts.
Finney led all receivers in New Mexico in receiving yard (1,617) and touchdown receptions (24). He was second in receptions (81), but played one fewer game than the leader. Cotton was third in the state in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. The junior hauled in 79 passes for 1,263 yards. He also finished with 10 touchdowns.
Lovington’s two representatives were wide receiver Evan Cesareo and offensive lineman Preston White. Cesareo was fifth in New Mexico in receptions with 61 while finishing seventh in receiving yards with 1,012. Cesareo also caught nine touchdown passes.
As for the rest of the South Team, only Artesia and Las Cruces had multiple players on the team. Artesia and Las Cruces each had three players. Centennial, Roswell, Hatch Valley, and Ruidoso all had one player named to the team.
Representing Artesia is QB Taylor Null, WR Tyler Greenwoon (who beat out Finney for WR of the Year), and OL Beau Kelley while Las Cruces’ players to be honored are RB Chase Chaloupek, WR Brandon Baeza, and OL Dominic Jimenez.
Running backs Isaiah Otero and Saul Trujillo made it from Ruidoso and Hatch Valley while OL Victor Bolanos and Nate Kimbrough made it from Roswell and Centennial.
The North Team had just one NMPreps award winner, RB of the Year Diego Casillas of Belen.
Manazano had the most players in the North, having four players honored. The four Monarchs to make the team were QB Jordan Byrd, RB Xavier Ivey-Saud, WR Andrew Erickson, and OL Greg Romero. No other school on the 15-person North Team had more than one player.
Miyamura’s Matt Chavez was the second QB on the team while Atrisco Heritage Academy’s Angel Ramirez was the third running back. Reece Wilkinson (La Cueva) and Justin Black (Aztec) made the team as wide receivers. Cassius Trujillo (West Las Vegas), Devon Gonzales (West Mesa), Evan Tafoya-Vallo (Rio Rancho), Michael Taylor (Cleveland), and Hunter St. John (Clovis) all were honored for their play on the offensive line. The North Team’s kicker is Hope Christian’s Vince Quezada.
