2015 Fall Sports Preview

2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
(Homecoming)
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
*Denotes District 1-4A game
Head coach: Greg Jenks
KIRTLAND CENTRAL
Aug. 28
Sept. 4
Sept. 11
Sept. 18
Sept. 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Bayfield, Colo.
Farmington
Aztec
Los Alamos
Piedra Vista
Bye
Zuni*
Thoreau*
Wingate*
Shiprock*
Bloomfield*
Home games played at Bronco Stadium
Aug. 28
Sept. 4
Sept. 11
Sept. 18
Sept. 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 9
Oct. 17
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Head coach: Jared Howell
Home
Home
Away
Away
Away
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
THE DAILY TIMES
Head coach: Storm Tallbull
Home games played at Bobcat Stadium
Away
Away
Home
Away
Home
NAVAJO PREP
Aztec
Pojoaque Valley
Socorro
Taos
Hope Christian
Bye
Wingate*
Shiprock*
Thoreau*
Zuni*
Kirtland Central*
7 p.m.
PIEDRA VISTA
Away
Home games played at Fred Cook Memorial Stadium
Aug. 28
Sept. 4
Sept. 11
Sept 18
Sept. 25
Oct. 3
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
(Homecoming)
7 p.m.
Noon
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Aug. 28
Sept. 4
Sept. 11
Sept. 18
Sept. 25
Oct. 3
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Laguna Acoma
Estancia
Escalante
Zuni
Shiprock
Thoreau
Bye
Dexter
Tohatchi*
Newcomb*
Crownpoint*
Home games played at Navajo Prep
San Juan, Utah

Goddard
Durango, Colo.
Moriarty
Kirtland Central
Roswell
Farmington*
Miyamura*
Aztec*
Gallup*
Bye
Home games played at Hutchison Stadium
Head coach: Jeff Dalton
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Home
Away
Home
Home
FARMINGTON
Bloomfield
Durango, Colo.
Kirtland Central
Del Norte
Cobre
Valley
Gallup*
Farmington*
Piedra Vista*
Bye
Miyamura*
Aug. 28
Sept. 4
Sept. 11
Sept 18
Sept. 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Los Lunas
Kirtland Central
Belen
Durango, Colo.
Los Alamos
Grants
Piedra Vista*
Aztec*
Bye
Miyamura*
Gallup*
Home games played at Hutchison Stadium
SHIPROCK
Aug. 28
Sept. 4
Sept. 11
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 2
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Head coach: Eric Stovall
Head coach: Bob Allcorn
BLOOMFIELD
AZTEC
2015 FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Head coach: Matthew Steinfeldt
Aug. 28
Sept. 5
Sept. 11
Sept 18
Sept. 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Socorro
Chinle, Ariz.
Bye
Questa
Navajo Prep
Newcomb
Thoreau
Bloomfield*
Zuni*
Kirtland Central*
Wingate*
Home
Home
Away
Home
Away
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Home
Home
Away
Home
Away
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Away
Away
Home
Away
Home
Home
( H om e c om i n g )
Home
Away
Away
Home
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
1 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Home
Home
Away
Away
Home
Away
Home
Home
Away
Away
( H om e c om i n g )
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
1 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Away
Away
Home
Home
Away
Home
Away
Away
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Home
Home
TBA
7 p.m.
Home
Home
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Home
Away
Home
Home
Away
Home
Away
Away
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Home games played at Chieftain Stadium *Denotes District 1-4A game
THE DAILY TIMES
AZTEC TIGERS
Aztec looks to reload and

recapture district title
Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times

Aztec High Schools offense runs plays during football practice Aug. 12 at Aztec High School.
The Aztec Tigers have

their sights set on another
District 1-5A title.
The team finished last year
with an 8-3 record and rolled
through its district schedule
4-0 for the title. The Tigers
earned the No. 5 seed in the
5A state playoffs and reached
the quarterfinals before
falling to No. 4 Goddard.
But after losing 21 seniors
from last years roster, this
years Tigers are a different
squad.
Gone are starting quarterback Marcus Crawford, who
threw for 2,670 yards; wide
receiver Josh Harris, who
pulled in 73 receptions for
1,548 yards and 27 touchdowns on his way to first
team All-State honors; and
second team All-State linebacker Jake Harris.
Despite that, Aztec head
coach Matthew Steinfeldt

believes the Tigers will
reload, rather than rebuild,
this season.
I dont think rebuilding is
appropriate. Expectations are
always
high
for
us,
Steinfeldt said. I think this
district will be very competitive, and I expect to be there
with everyone else.
This
season
marks
Steinfeldts fourth, making
this the first senior class to
spend its entire high school
career with him at the helm.
While this year s squad
lacks experience compared to
last years team, Steinfeldt
said, they have a strong grasp
on the offensive and defensive schemes.
Im very excited about
this football team, Steinfeldt
said. What I see day in and
day out, in meetings, on the
field, is a great savviness.

They understand what were
trying to do schematically,
and they apply it very well.
Offensively, the Tigers will
stick to the spread offense,
throwing around the ball
with sophomore Cody Smith
likely getting the starting
quarterback job.
The sophomore will come
into the season at 6 feet 1 1/2
inches tall and 215 pounds.
That will give the Tigers the
size and arm strength to
work in the pocket, and
Smiths athleticism will allow
him to tuck the ball and hurt
opposing defenses with his
legs
Smith with have a dangerous weapon on the outside in
senior wide receiver Dylan
Sutherland.
In the three games
Sutherland played last sea-
Aztecs Dylan Sutherland (7) receives a throw during

football practice Aug. 12 at Aztec High School.
son before breaking his foot,

he pulled in 26 catches for
326 yards. In a game Sept. 5
against Durango, Colo., he
set a state record for receptions in a game with 15,
though that record was broken three weeks later when
Las Cruces Aeneas Reynolds
caught 18 passes against
Centennial.
We look to him to really
factor in on our offense and
defense, Steinfeldt said of
Sutherland, who will also
start at linebacker. His performance has been outstanding so far, and hes
going to be a good football
player on both sides of the
ball.
Steinfeldt also expects senior receiver and defensive
back Derek Baca to take on
more of a leadership role in
his final year with the Tigers.
Baca started for the first half

of the 2014 season at defensive back before breaking his
wrist.
I think were going to be
solid. We have a lot of
speed, Baca said. I think
its going to be a good run for
the district. Well just have to
see how it goes.
Sutherland agreed, saying
this years Tigers could be
better than those last season.
But, right now, hes looking forward to the first game
of the season on Aug. 28
against Bloomfield, when he
can hit someone other than
his teammates.
Weve been hitting each
other for about a week and a
half now, and we still have a
couple
weeks
left,
Sutherland said. Were
ready to play some people
already.
THE DAILY TIMES
BLOOMFIELD BOBCATS
Bloomfield ready to build on strong 2014 season
Despite implementing a brand new system

on both sides of the ball,
Bob Allcorn navigated
Bloomfield to a 9-2
record last season in his
first year as head coach.
Bloomfield won the
District 1-4A title, going
5-0 in district play. After
dropping the first game
of the season, the team
won nine consecutive
games, scoring at least
30 points seven times
and eclipsing the 50point threshold three
times.
This year, Allcorn
said the team is already
in midseason form when
it comes to understanding the playbook.
The kids understand
the concepts a lot better.
Defensively,
theyre
picking things up pretty
well, Allcorn said.
Even though weve got
a number of new
starters, those kids are
catching on and getting
familiar
with
our
schemes.
Thirteen seniors from
the 2014 team have
graduated, but Allcorn
said a lot of his underclassmen
received
meaningful playing time
last year and are ready
to step up.
He pointed to a trio of
senior two-way players
JD
Robinson,
Brendan Ramsey and
David DeHerrera as
his leaders and standout
playmakers.
Robinson racked up
63 tackles as an inside
linebacker while also
Jon Austria/The Daily Times
Bloomfield High Schools David DeHerrera practices with his teammates during football practice Aug. 18 at Bobcat Stadium in Bloomfield.
Bloomfield High Schools Chauncey White works out with his teammates during football practice Aug. 18 at Bobcat Stadium in Bloomfield.
manning the fullback

position on offense. The
senior starting middle
linebacker
said
he
believes the Bobcats can
be even better this season if they can buy into a
team-first mentality.
Its about building a
brotherhood, and that
starts in the weight
room every summer,
Robinson said. This offseason is the most Ive
seen the guys come
together as a team in my
four years.
DeHerrera plays right
tackle and defensive end
for the Bobcats and
thinks the defensive line

could be a bright spot.
We got a senior, in
me, and a junior on our
line. That should be a
strength, DeHerrera
said. We got a lot of
sophomores and some
freshmen (in the secondary), so its kind of on
the defensive line to
make things happen.
Junior
Brendon
Charley will be the starting quarterback. He has
a full year of experience
under his belt after starting under center his
sophomore season.
Allcorn
said
Charleys grasp on the

offense is getting better
by the day.
Hes come in really
prepared after getting a
feel of what the position
demanded from him as
a sophomore, Allcorn
said. Mentally, you can
see hes taking ownership of the offense, and
he really understands
what were trying to do,
in depth.
During the last year,
Charley said his biggest
improvement has been
reading defenses. He
will also be expected to
limit the turnovers and
effectively manage a
run-first offense, which
is becoming less common among San Juan
County teams.
Everyones
gone
pass happy, and they
want to pass the ball, but
were kind of old school
in that we want to establish the run, Allcorn
said. We definitely
have to have a physical
mindset. Its not a
finesse game like it is for
some.
Physicality on both
sides of the ball will be
Bloomfields identity in
2015,
according
to
Allcorn. And its why

his players have spent
so much time in the
weight room during the
offseason.
Our
defense
is
designed to be quick to
attack, and we need to
be strong in order to run
block
on
offense,
Allcorn said. Thats
why weve been hitting
the weight room so hard
as a team.
Bloomfield opens the
regular season at Aztec
on Aug. 28. The Bobcats
hosted Aztec to kick off
the season last year and
lost 20-0.
THE DAILY TIMES
KIRTLAND
BRONCOS
Kirtland Central adjusts to new coaching staff
The Kirtland Central High School football team practices defensive plays during
football practice Aug. 14 at Bronco Stadium in Kirtland.
Kirtland Central High Schools defensive team practices hitting and blocking drills
during football practice Aug. 14 at Bronco Stadium in Kirtland.
Its been a summer of

learning for Kirtland Central
High School.
This spring, the Broncos
hired former Farmington
football assistant Greg Jenks
as head football coach. A new
coaching staff usually comes
with an overhaul in team
strategy, and that has been
the case for the Broncos.
Ive seen the typical
growing pains because the
system is new and different,
Jenks said. Its really not different football, its just learning all the different language
our staff is teaching them
versus what theyre used to.
The Broncos went 5-6 last
season and 4-1 in District 14A. They got off to a rough
start, losing four of their first
five games, but then reeled
off four straight wins to start
their district schedule. They
gave up only six combined

points in those four victories.
Kirtlands top three players in all-purpose yards from
a season ago Bryceson
Arthur, Josh Belin and
Davidson Wyatt have
graduated. So in addition to a
new system, the team needs
to find new offensive playmakers.
Part of that responsibility
falls on quarterback Riley
Hamblin, who will be the
starting signal-caller for the
first time.
Much like his teammates,
Hamblin is learning a lot
every day. A positive part of
the seniors learning process
has been his comfort with
Jenks offensive playbook,
which calls for plenty of balance between passing and
running the ball.
The offense is actually
pretty simple for me because

its pretty similar to what a
lot of us did in little league,
Hamblin said.
Speed is among Hamblins
assets, and the former wide
receiver said he thinks the
Broncos will be faster this
year.
Our backfield is probably
the fastest it has been since
Ive been in high school,
Hamblin said. I think our
(offensive) line is going to be
fast and quicker on their feet
than last year, too.
One speedy member of the
backfield who Hamblin will
hand off to is Aiden Cockrell.
The senior scored five touchdowns in only 37 carries last
season and should see a lot
more touches this year.
The three-year varsity starting running back said hes
embracing his role as a leader.
Im doing my absolute
best to show the younger
guys how to carry themselves like winners, he said.
Cockrell will also be the
teams starting middle linebacker and is looking to put
his improved defensive
awareness on display.
The longer you play and
the longer you start, the
smarter you get, I think,
Cockrell said. Knowing how
to seek things out and being
able to read and react is
something I feel I can do.
Still, Jenks said, the team
needs to improve its physicality. He mentioned harking back to the hard-nosed
style of play favored by former Kirtland coach Bill
Cawood, a member of the
New Mexico High School
Coaches Association Hall of
Honor.
Getting more physical as

a unit is our No. 1 focus right
now, Jenks said. We want
to get back to the Coach
Cawood era of bringing the
wood.
In district play last season,
Bloomfield was the only team
to beat Kirtland. Just like any
other program, Jenks said his
goal as coach is to win a district title.
We believe we can win a
district this year, he said.
Were glad that Shiprock
and Bloomfield are our last
two regular season games.
We should be firing on all
cylinders by then. We had
better be ready for those
games.
But long before the
Broncos face off against their
district foes, they will host
Bayfield, Colo., in their first
game Aug. 28.
THE DAILY TIMES
NAVAJO PREP EAGLES

Navajo Prep looks to conquer challenges this season
Navajo Prep will

have to overcome a lot
of changes to claim a
fourth
consecutive
District 1-3A title.
Rod Denetso, who
took over the Eagles
program
in
2012,
resigned Aug. 7, three
weeks before the first
game of the season.
Five days later, Storm
Tallbull, the Eagles
defensive coordinator
in 2014, was hired as
the head coach.
In
three
years,
Denetso compiled a 2014 record, going 11-0 in
district play.
Navajo
Prep
Executive
Director
Betty
Ojaye
said
Denetso resigned voluntarily but declined
to comment about why
he left the program.
Efforts
to
reach
Denteso were not successful.
Tallbull said his
focus has been making
the transition between
coaches smooth.
For these kids, the
biggest thing is we
have an entirely new
staff to the program,
but, at the same time,
were not changing
things too much from
the coaching staff that
was here, Tallbull
said. We didnt skip a
beat, and the biggest
thing that Im proud of
is how they came
together.
The players mindsets have helped with
the transition.
I think everyone is
adjusting to it really
well because were
focusing on what we
need to do and what
we need to get done
instead of everything
else, said Anthony
Piochee-Lee, a junior
offensive and defensive lineman for the
Eagles.
Senior
linebacker
and running back Ryan
Tso said the team has
bonded over the recent
changes.
With
all
the
changes, the main
thing the coaches said

was to stick together as
a team, Tso said. I
feel like weve come a
long way since then.
We have a lot stronger
and tighter bond than
we did before.
Coaching wont be
the only change for the
Eagles this season.
They will also need to
replace standout quarterback Tyler Sorensen,
who threw for 9,746
yards and 108 touchdowns in the past three
seasons.
Moving into starting
quarterback will be
sophomore
Dakota
Halliburton,
who
transferred from Aztec.
With
Halliburton
leading the offense,
Tallbull said he plans
to run a similar, highpassing attack.
As far as the
offense, we dont plan
to make many changes.
Were pretty much
going to be doing the
same things weve
been doing, Tallbull
said. We might add in

some stuff, but it all
depends on the game
plan and adjust for
that.
If the Eagles operate
this season like they
did the three previous
ones, then another district title will be within
reach.
Itd be great, especially for the seniors
who have been here for
all four years because it
would make us district
champs for all four
years, said senior
wide receiver and safety Dant Alonzo. I
think for all of us seniors it would be amazing. Itd be everything
we wanted, four district titles and possibly
a state title. And I think
we can make it to the
state title game.
Navajo Preps Kordell Dugi carries the ball during football practice Aug. 18 at Navajo Prep in Farmington.
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Navajo Preps Ryan Tso carries the ball at football practice Aug. 18 at Navajo Prep
in Farmington.
THE DAILY TIMES
PIEDRA VISTA PANTHERS

Armed with experience, PV looks toward the future
Quarterback Trent Thomas throws the ball during practice Aug. 13 at Piedra Vista
High School in Farmington.
Coach Kevin Worth goes over a play with his team during practice on Aug. 13 at
Piedra Vista High School in Farmington.
Last season, the Piedra

Vista Panthers were young
and inexperienced. Theyre
still young this year, but after
getting thrown into the thick
of District 1-5A, the Panthers
now have plenty of experience.
PV finished the 2014 season with a 7-5 record and
went 2-2 in district play to
earn the No. 9 seed in the 5A
playoffs.
The
Panthers
knocked off No. 8 Valencia
44-21 before losing to the
eventual champion Artesia
in the quarterfinals.
Thats an invaluable
experience, PV head coach
Jared Howell said of the
Artesia game. No matter
how much you prepare, you
dont know how youre
going to play until you go
there and do it. Thats an

experience that was really
big for our program, so next
time around, we know what
to expect.
PV grew not only mentally, but also physically, over
the last year. After an offseason in the weight room, the
Panthers are prepared for the
games physicality.
Literally and figuratively,
theyve grown. Physically,
were just bigger human
beings than we were last year
with all those returning
kids, Howell said. Were
out of large helmets and
have a lot of medium helmets, whereas last year it
was the opposite.
This season, the Panthers
will field a team thats deep
at the skill positions, includ-
ing the running back duo of

senior Scott Ramirez and junior Elijah Gamboa, who complemented each other last
year with an inside-out running game.
On both sides, I think we
have pretty good team
speed. Weve lost some kids
to injury, but we still have a
bunch of good kids to fill in,
Howell said. We have inexperience on the line, and our
strength is in the skill
groups. Defensively, its
probably the same.
With a young and inexperienced defensive line, the
Panthers will rely heavily on
their linebackers and secondary. And senior linebacker
Shawn Morris said he has
confidence in that.
Things have been going
great, Morris said. I think

were going to have a great
linebacking corps this year,
and we have a lot of skill
players who are fast and
physical.
Before they try to add the
District 1-5A title to their trophy case, the Panthers will
get a chance in the first two
weeks of the season to
avenge two of last seasons
losses when they host San
Juan High, of Blanding,
Utah, and Goddard.
PV fell to San Juan 35-8 in
the season opener last year
and then lost to Goddard 470 the next week.
But this version of the
Panthers is different than the
team that suffered those two
losses last season. Morris
said the team has come
together and has a better

chemistry as the 2015 season
approaches.
I think this team is more
of a team. Weve bonded
well, and were just more of a
team, Morris said.
Morris added that while it
would be great to end his
high school career with a district title and a deep run in
the state playoffs, the coaching staff has been preaching
one game at a time.
And thats for a good reason.
Weve got the type of
schedule that if you look
ahead to anybody else,
youre asking for trouble,
Howell said. Every day
were trying to be a little better than we were the day
before.
THE DAILY TIMES
FARMINGTON
SCORPIONS
Scorps aim to recapture success of 2013
Farmington Highs offensive team practices passing and receiving Aug. 12 during football practice at Hutchison Stadium in Farmingtons.
Last season was a

rebuilding year for
Farmington
High
School.
After winning the
state title in 2013, the
Scorps finished 2014
with a 7-6 record
while going 1-3 in
District 1-5A. They
snagged the No. 10
seed in the 5A playoffs
and advanced to the
quarterfinals, where
they fell to Belen 47-9.

Now, with new head
coach Jeff Dalton taking
over the program, the
Scorps are ready to put
last season behind them
and show that 2013 wasnt a fluke.
These kids showed
up committed, and
thats the first big step,
said Dalton, who served
as Farmingtons defense
coordinator before being
promoted to head coach.

This is probably the
most guys weve had
come out in probably
close to 10 years. Its
kind of new territory for
us, but were learning a
lot, and the kids are
embracing every minute
of it, and I really believe
theyre getting better
every day.
While the Scorps first
step in the offseason was
getting familiar with the

new coach and system,
senior wide receiver Jeb
Pinckley said it has been
a smooth transition.
Everyone is fitting
into the changes perfectly. Its going a lot better
than
I
expected,
Pinckley said. I was
expecting someone to
come in from somewhere else, but since
(Coach Dalton) was
already here, and we all

knew him, theres been a
lot of changes, but its
also like nothing has
changed.
Lineman
Chris
Romero said he shares
that view. Not only was
the senior happy about
the transition, but,
Romero said, he was
optimistic about how
the team would thrive
under Dalton.
With a new offense

and new coaching, I
think we came together
fine, he said. Our line
is mainly all upperclassmen, and our skill position groups are really
good. And we have
Diego Elebario at quarterback.
Elebario, a senior, is
back
to
lead
THE DAILY TIMES
The Farmington High School football team warms up during football practice Aug.
12 at Hutchison Stadium in Farmington.
Farmingtons offense after a strong junior season when he first started.

At 5 feet 6 inches and 150 pounds,
Elebario proved to the team and coaching
staff that what he lacks in size he makes
up for in work ethic and skills.
I like it when people talk about
that small quarterback because they
dont see him in the weight room
squatting over 400 pounds and just
working as hard as he does, Dalton
said of Elebario. Maybe he does have
to work a little harder, but thats what
we want. Thats who we are.
In addition to work ethic,
Farmington has focused on an attention to detail in its training camp. The
team has embraced Daltons philosophy that games arent just what happens on the field on Friday nights;
they reflect the time and effort put in

during the offseason.
The little things add up, and right
now were focused on getting all the
little things right, Elebario said.
Were not taking any shortcuts
because shortcuts mean short seasons.
The Scorps will open their 2015
campaign on the road against Los
Lunas on Aug. 28.
I think these seniors had a bad
taste in their mouth, especially after
the Belen loss (in the 5A quarterfinals) last year, Dalton said. I think
theyre looking for an opportunity
to show that thats not who they are.
I think they want the chance to get
that off their back. Were all ready to
get football started.
Good Luck
to All
Fall Sports
Participants!!
10
THE DAILY TIMES
SHIPROCK
CHIEFTAINS
Shiprock focuses on team unity under new head coach
Jehrad Smith, right, gets ready to practice hitting and defense with Donavan Chee
during football practice Aug. 17 at Chieftain Stadium in Shiprock.
Players line up while learning different tackling techniques during football practice Aug. 17 at Chieftain Stadium in Shiprock.
The Shiprock High football training camp placed an

emphasis on brotherhood
this year.
Shiprock is one year from
a 3-7 season. With two of
those wins coming via forfeit,
first-year head coach Eric
Stovall has been working to
change the culture of the program.
It starts first with
Chieftain
brotherhood,
Stovall said. Every day we
work to develop a cohesive
family unit. And its definitely coming along.
The team is buying into
Stovalls family mentality, at
least early on. Senior running
back Julian Aspass said the
team wasnt always on the
same page last season, and he
welcomes a culture change.
Stovall actually pulled us
together as a team and
reminded us to do everything
as a team, Aspass said. In
the past years, we were just
falling apart at the end of the
season. We stopped communicating on the field and stuff
like that.
As for the on-the-field
product, Stovall wants to
pick up the tempo on offense.
Were going to throw the
ball around a lot, he said.
Were going to go no-huddle
a lot, and were going to
work as hard as we can offensively, not only to execute
fundamentally, but also to
score a lot of touchdowns.
For that up-tempo offense
to succeed, senior starting
quarterback Arjay Miller will
need to pick up the pace,
something he said hes comfortable doing.
I like it. I like running
more plays, he said. Id say
were going to pass the ball

around more and run a lot
more dink-and-dunk type
stuff. I think its going good
so far; it fits me.
Stovall said Miller has
many of the attributes needed to make his offense work.
He has a great arm, and
he has good instincts,
Stovall said. Hes got some
speed, hes not afraid to run
the ball downhill. He understands what were doing in
this system and in this
offense.
Pace and speed will also
be important to Shiprocks
defense, according to Stovall.
We want to put seven or
eight hats on the ball carrier
as much as possible, he said.
Attacking on defense is
something we want to do.
Special teams is an important
concept to what we do, too.
Along with Aspass and

Miller, center and defensive
tackle Zander Dale is also
expected to be a leader on the
field.
Zander just leads by
example in the trenches,
Stovall said of the senior. He
makes sure kids are properly
doing their assignments. Ive
seen some good things from
him.
Dale said Stovall stresses a
more disciplined brand of
football than the previous
regime.
Hes more disciplined for
sure. He does his best to
make sure we limit mistakes, Dale said. Hes more
about teamwork and overcoming adversity than he is
about stuff on the field; mind
over matter.
Stovall aspires to win a
District 1-4A title this year. In
what he perceives as a wide

open district, he doesnt
think thats too ambitious.
I think the district is balanced, and I think we got our
work cut out, but were going
to shoot for the high mark,
he said. We want to try and
win the district championship, thats our goal.
While Stovalls work isnt
limited to what happens on
the football field, he said
thats where the end goal lies.
We have to focus on the
little things, Stovall said.
That includes the academics, the behavior standard,
the brotherhood standard
and then fundamentally getting better so we can compete
at the highest level once district play starts.
Shiprock opens its season
at home against Socorro on
Aug. 28.
THE DAILY TIMES
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CROSS-COUNTRY
San Juan County runners gear up
After finishing secbasement of District 1ond at the state meet in

4A, listing just 10 runONLINE:
2014, the Shiprock Lady
ners on this years roster.
For full previews
Chieftains cross-country
Bloomfield
head
of the teams
team will have another
coach Julian Garcia will
competing in 4A
chance to bring home a
look to senior Donovan
and 5A, go to
state title this year.
Begay to lead the way
Shiprock lost just one
for the Bobcats.
daily-times.com.
senior from last year's
The Lady Bobcats will
group and returns its
face a similar challenge
top three state finishers Lacey this season. The Bloomfield girls rosHowe,
Khadija
Lapahie
and ter in 2014 included just six runners,
Cassandra Peters from last year's all freshmen, and Garcia believes
state meet.
there's nowhere to go but up for the
Shiprock head coach Alice Lady Bobcats this season as all six
Kinlichee said her team has been more girls return.
focused as the girls prepare for the
After finishing fourth at the state
season, knowing how close they were meet last year, the Navajo Prep girls
a year ago to a blue trophy.
are a serious threat for a podium finThe Shiprock boys lost a key mem- ish at the 3A state meet in 2015.
ber of their team when Shawvan Levi
Senior Sarah Chacon and sophograduated in the spring, but optimism more Blossom Yellowhair are back to
is growing among the Chieftains this lead the Lady Eagles after finishing
season.
10th and 16th, respectively, at last
Head coach Brian Paniagua said year's state meet.
he's looking to senior Domonic
The Prep boys also finished fourth
Crosby and junior Aaron Gould to at state last year with a team that had
take charge of the team this season
no seniors on the roster. They will be
A talented mix of upperclassmen in position to improve on that this seaand underclassmen make up Kirtland son.
Central's boys cross-country team as
Set to lead the Eagles this season
they make a push for the District 1-4A are Tyler Bahe, Deshane Begay, Mathis
title.
Quintana, Byron Mitchell and
The Broncos list severalsolid sen- Cameron Becenti, who all finished in
iors Aaron Bunny, Jace Curley, the top 35 of the 2014 state meet.
Sutton Bluehouse, Grey George and
At the 5A level, the Piedra Vista
Glendale Allen who will provide boys and girls cross-country teams
leadership for the underclassmen.
are looking to repeat their successes
The Lady Broncos showed signifi- last year. Both teams won the
cant improvement in the later parts of District 1-5A title last year, and the
2014 with the emergence of a young boys missed the podium at state by
crop of runners led by LaKyla Yazzie, just two points.
who is now entering her freshman
Back to lead this year's boys team
year at Kirtland.
are senior Ryan Krueger and junior
With Yazzie and fellow freshmen Benjamin Vanotteson.
Kimora Tso and Brittany Sandoval
The PV girls will return all but one
joining the upperclassmen, Kirtland runner from last season, including
coach Lenny Esson believes the Lady junior Paris Chee and senior
Broncos can compete with the Lady Cassandra Crowell, who were the
Chieftains for the district title.
team's top-two finishers at last year's
The Bloomfield boys will face a state meet.
tough challenge breaking out of the
After splitting time between cross-
THE DAILY TIMES
Daily Times file photo
Shiprocks Cassandra Peters and Lacey Howe run to finish line during Farmington High School's Totah Invite cross-country meet Sept. 28, 2013, in Farmington.
country and soccer in 2014 and finishing 16th at the state meet, Aztec's
Elana Kresl could be in for a big senior
year for the Lady Tigers.
The Aztec boys will return junior
Jared Diswood, who will look to lead
the Tigers after he finished 31st at
state last year.
The Farmington girls listed no seniors on last year's roster, setting up a
turnaround season for the Lady
Scorps. Back to lead Farmington is

senior Melina McDermott, who was
the team's only runner at the 2014
state meet, finishing 43rd.
Tanin McDermott was the only boy
Farmington sent to the state meet in
2014, with the freshman finishing
55th. Similarly to the Lady Scorps,
Farmington listed a young roster last
year and will return all but one runner.
VOLLEYBALL
THE DAILY TIMES
Piedra Vistas volbut that experience

leyball team has been
has prepared them
ONLINE:
at the top of District
for that challenge in
For full previews
1-5A for years. And
the future.
on the 5A, 4A and
after coming up short
Senior
Alex
3A volleyball
in the state title
Cambridge,
a
first
teams this
matches each of the
team
All-District
season, go to
last three years, the
player last season,
daily-times.com.
Lady Panthers are
will play on the outgeared up for another
side for Kirtland and
run.
is expected to be among the best
It wont be an easy task for PV, players in 4A.
which lost seven players to gradWith a number of top players
uation after posting a 20-4 record. returning for Shiprock, head
Despite that, PV head coach coach Terry Atcitty said she
Ron Becker said hed be disap- thinks her team will be in the
pointed if the team didnt make thick of the District 1-4A champianother deep run in the 5A tour- onship conversation.
nament.
Hitting will be a team
Aztec reached the 5A state strength, according to Atcitty,
tournament last year after finish- and the team's success in 2015
ing second in the district with a will rely heavily on the Lady
12-11 record. But the Lady Tigers Chieftains ability to put away
will have a new look this season points.
after losing eight players to gradSophomores Kylie McKinley
uation.
and Chamika Begaye, along
Back to lead the Lady Tigers with junior Tanisha Begay, are
are junior Vanessa Chavez and expected to pack a punch for
sophomore Myra McCaskill, who Shiprock as the teams elite
both played in 74 of 76 sets last middle hitters.
season.
Coming off a disappointing 4After missing the state tourna- 16 season and only one win in
ment in 2014, Farmington is in District 1-4A, Bloomfield head
great position to climb the coach Rae Collins said her team
District 1-5A standings in 2015.
will have to play with confidence
The Lady Scorps graduated to pick up more wins.
just two players from last years
Bloomfield lists just one senior
team which finished third in on its roster for 2015. But with a
the district with a 10-13 record host of talented sophomores and
and have a roster with meaning- juniors, Collins believes the Lady
ful varsity experience.
Bobcats can be a serious threat.
Among those returning are
Navajo Prep reached the 3A
setter Ashley Flack, who served title match last year, and the
as team captain in her junior year Lady Eagles are poised to make
last season and recorded 596 another deep playoff run this seaassists.
son.
In 4A, head coach Nadia
The Lady Eagles lost five playWatson has high expectations for ers from the 2014 squad, but will
her Kirtland Central squad.
return three All-State selections.
The Lady Broncos will return Jasmine Coleman returns for her
the majority of their 2014 roster senior year after being named
that went 16-6 and reached the first team, while Diamond Jones
4A state tournament last year.
and LeShauntai Adams return
Watson said her team wasnt after receiving second-team
used to playing at the state level, nods.
13
Teams look to rack

up points this season
Navajo Preps Jasmine Coleman spikes the ball against Texico in the 3A volleyball championship match on Nov. 16 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho.
14
THE DAILY TIMES
BOYS
SOCCER
Teams rebuild after graduation, rebound from injuries
Farmington cruised to
a District 1-5A title last
season, but the team this
year will have to replace
eight seniors from that
squad.
The teams defense,
which allowed just 10
goals in 21 matches, led
the Scorps to a 16-4-1
record in 2014, a district
title and the No. 4 seed in
the 5A state tournament.
Farmington
will
return second team AllState defender Branson
Carter, as well as Andrew
Moss, who earned an
honorable mention nod.
The Scorps will also
return a good group of
forwards, led by senior
Joaquin Gonzalez.
Chasing the Scorps
will be Piedra Vista,
which finished second in
the district with a 7-13
ONLINE:
For a full
preview of the
boys soccer teams
this season, go to
daily-times.com.
record and missed the
playoffs.
Once
again,
the
Panthers will be a young
team. Piedra Vista lost
just four players to graduation, but that included
the teams two leading
goal scorers, Joseph
Denny and Joaquin Sais,
who combined for 34 of
the teams 51 goals and
20 of PVs 26 assists.
Back to lead the
Panthers this season will
be juniors Richard Cross
and Angel Flores, who
were both named captains last year.
Aztec hit double-digit
wins in 2014, going 13-61, but struggled in the
second half of the season
and finished third in the
district.
The Tigers also lost
four seniors from last
years team and will

return a senior-laden roster this season.
Back to lead the offensive attack will be leading
goal
scorer
Bailey
Watkins, an honorable
mention on the All-State
team last year, and Zakk
Kimbel, who combined
for 29 goals last year.
Joining them will be junior Riley Barber, who led
the Tigers with 11 assists
in 2014.
In District 1-A/4A,
Bloomfield will look to
rebound from an injuryplagued 2-18 season with
new head coach Scott Reid
taking over the program.
Reid said he thinks he
has a couple of standout
players who will help put
last years season in the
rearview mirror. In particular, he is excited about
his
captain,
Edgar
Fonseca, who scored 13
goals for the Bobcats in
2014.
Reid
believes
Bloomfield will boast
a strong defense, with
three seniors on the
backline.
Farmingtons Kahlil Stoltzfus (19) kicks the ball down field during the first half of a
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THE DAILY TIMES
GIRLS SOCCER
The Lady Tigers will

be the team the rest of
District 1-5A will look
to overthrow in 2015.
The Aztec team will
see a lot of changes this
season. In addition to
new head coach Kelly
Kelso, the squad will
also deal with the loss
of nine seniors from
last year s team that
won the District 1-5A
crown with an unblemished
8-0
district
record.
Among the players
who graduated were
first team All-State
selections Hailie Morris
and Sarah Root. Morris
finished second in the
state with 37 goals in
2014, while Root was
an anchor for the
defense that allowed 16
goals during the season, the fewest in the
state.
But Aztec will return
a handful of All-State
honorable mentions,
including Kylie Brown,
Grace Olson, Paige
Adair and Lece Aviles.
Trying to knock
Aztec from the top of
the district will be
Farmington and Piedra
Vista, which both finished last season with
5-3 records in District
1-5A. Farmington was
ranked No. 2 in the district due to goal differential, and Piedra Vista
was No. 3.
Poised to take the
district crown this year
is Farmington, which
listed no seniors on its
2014 roster and will
enter 2015 with an
experienced team that
includes 12 seniors.
ONLINE:
For a full
preview of the
boys soccer teams
this season, go to
daily-times.com.
Leading the way for
the Lady Scorps will be
first team All-State forward and midfielder
Hannah Kelly, along
with second team selections Alissa Montoya,
Arin Coleman and
Riley Coleman.
In
2014,
Kelly,
Montoya and Arin
Coleman combined for
50 of the teams 71
goals and 30 of 38
assists.
PV will look to fill
holes in its defense
because of graduation,
including second team
All-State
midfielder
Jenna Brown, and AllState honorable mentions Sarah Engert at
keeper and Kendra
Smith at defender.
But
the
Lady
Panthers will return
three All-State honorable mentions from last
season and the bulk of
the offensive attack.
Leading goal scorer
Cydnie Stock, who netted eight goals in her
freshman
campaign,
will return to lead the
offense, along with
freshman
Madison
Cross
and
senior
Hayden
Carpenter,
who scored seven and
six goals in 2014,
respectively.
The
Kirtland
Central,
Bloomfield
and Navajo Prep girls
soccer teams will look

to turn things around
in 2015 and climb the
ladder of District 1A/4A.
Kirtland enters the
season
with
Chad
Kimball taking over the
head coach position
after four years as an
assistant.
The Lady Broncos
finished 7-13-1 in 2014
and will list eight seniors on the roster this
season,
including
Megan Silversmith and
Phyllis Kitseallyboy,
who will anchor the
backline.
Shannon
Nygren
will take over the
Bloomfield
program
after the Lady Bobcats
finished 2014 with a 715 record. Nygren will
be tasked with rebuilding a team that has finished with a losing
record for each of the
past five seasons.
Nygren will look to a
trio of juniors Teegan
Mosley, Bryanna Parish
and Kara Watchman
to spearhead a turnaround this year.
With only two wins
in the last two seasons,
its back to the drawing
board for fifth-year
Navajo
Prep
head
coach Stacy Irwin.
Prep finished 2014
with a record of 1-17-1
and went 0-12 in district play.
Sophomore defenders
Nichelle
Silversmith,
Alexandria Juan and
Dayna Littledog built a
solid rapport with one
another last year, and
Irwin hopes they will
build on that.
15
Local squads cope with

changes, graduations
Piedra Vista's Aspyn Tracy, right, gets control of the ball from Aztec's Grace
Olson, left, in a game on Oct. 8 at Piedra Vista High School in Farmington.
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THE DAILY TIMES

2015 Fall Sports Preview

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2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

*Denotes District 1-4A game

Head coach: Greg Jenks

Home games played at Bronco Stadium

Head coach: Jared Howell

THE DAILY TIMES

Head coach: Storm Tallbull

Home games played at Bobcat Stadium

*Denotes District 1-5A game

Home games played at Fred Cook Memorial Stadium

San Juan, Utah

Home games played at Hutchison Stadium

Head coach: Jeff Dalton

Home games played at Hutchison Stadium

Head coach: Eric Stovall

Head coach: Bob Allcorn