LAS CRUCES – After a week off, high school football returns to the Field of Dreams Thursday night.
Las Cruces is playing Carlsbad in a game that will have a significant impact on District 6A 3/4, and Centennial will face Organ Mountain in yet another cross-city match as the battle for the top team heats up in Las Cruces. Mayfield is out this week after losing to Roswell on Friday 29-21. So let’s take a look at which players with games this week will make the difference in the first week of the district game.
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Elijah Ogas, Sr., RB., Las Cruces
With Ogas running over 160 yards and four touchdowns against Carlsbad this week, as he did in the Bulldawgs’ 35-14 win over Mayfield, the Bulldawgs will be a daunting opponent for the remainder of the season.
Teammates, coaches, and community members alike have praised the senior running back’s skills and believe he can be a strong compliment to senior quarterback Dallas Boyd, who typically receives the most carries. Head coach Mark Lopez believes the sky’s the limit after overcoming some minor injuries and the Bulldawgs offensive line appears to have a new dynamic.
Ogas is officially a player to watch when Las Cruces goes into the district.
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Isaiah Abeyta, Jr., WR., Centennial
In a city dominated by quarterbacks and star running backs like Abeyta’s teammate junior running back Mikah Gutierrez, it can be easy for receivers to disappear from the limelight. But Abeyta’s 20 receptions, two touchdowns, and 259 yards (including an 11 catch performance, 126 yards in Centennial’s 49-21 loss to Cleveland) quickly made him one of the top receivers at Las Cruces.
Abeyta has caught a pass in every game this season and has become senior quarterback Ian Lopez’s favorite target in five games. Organ Mountain secondary school should have its hands full on Friday night. Don’t be shocked if the Knights attempt to double Abeyta, or at least put a collateral over the top to cover him as a deep threat.
Ian Lopez, Sr., QB., Centennial
Of course, what would a receiver be without a dime-dropping quarterback to get the ball?
It’s early days but Lopez appears to be the best passing quarterback in Las Cruces to go into the county game. Far from flawlessly and made a handful of expected high school-grade mistakes, he was efficient in Centennial’s biggest games of the season. Lopez has got around 50% of completion in most games this season and is the only Las Cruces quarterback to have scored a touchdown in every game so far.
Centennial head coach Aaron Ocampo will no doubt see Gutierrez get his share of the carries against Organ Mountain, but watch out for Lopez to crash into another cross-city rivalry against the Knights.
Sal Ronquillo, Sr., LB., Orgelberg
It’s no secret that the Organ Mountain defense has to play a few games to have a chance to piss off an extremely talented and well-trained centennial team.
Enter Sal Ronquillo.
There’s not a lot he hasn’t done this season. He has interceptions, tackles for loss, and even offensive touchdowns while playing as full-back in close range goal-to-go situations, although this week will face his second toughest test of the season against Gutierrez and the Hawks (Rio Rancho takes the top spot). But if there’s one Organ Mountain player who’s leading the charge and making a massive riot against Centennial, it’s Sal Ronquillo.
Koa Hoshijo, So., DE., Las Cruces
Las Cruces’ second defensive end has flown under the radar this season.
Until now.
Though his presence went largely unnoticed, Hoshijo was an important part of the Bulldawgs’ dominance over Mayfield and has steadily improved since the start of the season. He should only continue to improve when Las Cruces starts the District Games.
Karlovy Vary’s offensive will be an important test for Hoshijo in his first year at university. The cavemen’s use of multiple formations, speed, and different blocking schemes will no doubt measure Hoshijo’s football IQ and awareness, but his presence on the defensive line could be a determining factor in a competitive game.
Stephen Wagner is a sports reporter for Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be found on Twitter at @ stephenwag22 and can be reached at [email protected].
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