The Last Month of My Life Watching 5A Football Through a Lens of 80s Pop Culture in Reverse Chronological Order

by Brandon Bernardin

There are two weeks left in the high school football regular season. District championships and playoff seedings will be settled throughout the next 10 days. Thus, I am not going to waste your time speculating about who has to beat who, strength of schedule, and guessing playoff seedings. That will all take care of itself. Instead, I am going to tell you all you need to know about every relevant high school team in New Mexico in terms that everyone can understand, even those who haven’t watched a lick of the regular season in-person so far: classic John Hughes’ films. The late filmmaker was THE storyteller of this generation. If you know anything about the likes of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, or Christmas Vacation, you will be able to understand every football team in the state. Any questions?

Manzano Monarchs (6-3, 0-2 district, #7-ranked): they are Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, with QB Angel Gonzales and RB Corey Morrow starring as Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye. Gonzales spreads the field with four WRs but the offense revolves around his read-option running game with Morrow carrying the load. And when defenses start to overplay the run, Gonzales can operate an efficient passing game with quick WR screens and short passes. The best example of Manzano’s potential was their 56-24 shellacking of playoff-bound Valley High on October 5^th. The duo had the read-option working for 169 yards on 31 combined carries with four rushing touchdowns. Valley’s linebackers tried to catch Ferris in the act, but instead they got kicked in the face. Beware of the Monarchs peaking too early though. District rivals Sandia and La Cueva started to figure out how to make Manzano look awfully one-dimensional over the past two weeks. Last night, Gonzales and Morrow combined for 92 rushing yards on 26 carries and no scores in a 28-12 loss to La Cueva. La Cueva did exactly what Sandia did a week ago – contain the read-option at all costs and force Gonzales to beat them through the air. And while Gonzales is capable (28-50, 255 yards, 2TD, 3INT v. La Cueva), he often stares down receivers and lacks a huge arm to beat teams over the top. La Cueva star linebacker, Mitch Cantwell, moved to strong safety last night and squatted on all button hooks and square outs, nabbing two INTs in the red zone. Only once did Manzano truly have a chance to get back into the game in the second half. WR Skylar Walker (9 catches, 65 yards, TD) had been baiting defenders with short routes all game, biding his time for a double move deep. Down by two TDs at the start of the fourth, Walker pulled his double move and beat all three Bear DBs. Gonzales finally unleashed a deep ball and it hit Walker square in the paws on the run but he dropped it. Game over. Manzano will need to hit on big plays like that with consistency if they want to be more than a one-and-done in the playoffs. Ferris Bueller started to look an awful lot like a one-trick pony at the show’s end. He even would have been caught by Principal Ed Rooney and exposed as a farce…except Jeanie became smitten with a strung out Charlie Sheen at the big house and bailed Ferris out. Is there a Jeanie Bueller lurking out there to bail Manzano out against stingy run defenses? Perhaps not, but if you sleep on Manzano, don’t blame me if you wake up only to find Gonzales and Morrow have taken your Ferrari out for a joy ride.

Eldorado Eagles (3-4, 0-1 district, #11-ranked): they are John Bender from The Breakfast Club – so much potential, so entertaining, but very very lost right now. Eldorado fell to Atrisco Heritage, Rio Rancho, Volcano Vista, and La Cueva by a combined 15 points. Against Atrisco, QB Zach Gentry was injured and the offense struggled to do anything productive. But that was all the way back in week one and they had plenty of chances to redeem themselves. Rio Rancho was the killer. Eldorado waltzed into #2-ranked Rio Rancho’s stadium on October 12^th and had the upset in the palm of their hand. Senior RB George Pacheco broke his forearm one minute into the game so Young Gentry had to fling the ball around 33 times for 289 yards, 5 TDs, and no turnovers. Five TD’s and no turnovers on the road?! I watched Gentry pimp-strut back to the sidelines with his confidence boiling over after his fifth TD put the Eagles back on top 35-31 with five minutes left. Too bad the defense let Rio Rancho go 60 yards in 45 seconds, and gave up a two point conversion, to blow the game 38-39. That win would have cemented Eldorado’s playoff chances and could have put them on a roll. Instead, they have lost three straight and are looking at eight straight weeks of detention. As it were, now they need to pull off an upset against Sandia tonight and/or Manzano next week just to get in. You know, years like this happen to everyone. Injuries and bad luck cripple good teams all the time. To be honest, Pacheco is missed more at his free safety position on defense than he is carrying the ball on offense. I have watched Pacheco fire through blockers to break up a screen pass or take on pulling linemen so his linebackers can make tackles as much as anybody this year. Without his aggression and tackling skills on the last line of defense, Eldorado is suddenly thin in the secondary. It might not be your year, Eldorado, which is nearly criminal given your talent. Then again, that’s why you are John Bender. I won’t forget about you shall you sneak into the playoffs as a dark horse.

Rio Rancho (7-1, 1-0 district, #2-ranked): they are Home Alone starring an at-the-peak-of-his-powers Macaulay Culkin. Everyone knew Home Alone was going to be a huge box office draw when previews dropped in 1990. The Rams had a similar projection in the preseason and should contend for a state title. They are fun to watch just like Kevin McCallister was in his funhouse of booby traps. Heck, Rio’s offense even looks like a schoolyard full of second graders at times. QB Easton Bruere will roll out to his right or left with a brigade of blockers, run around to buy time, wait for his receivers to get open, then set his feet and throw. I can only imagine his play call sounding something like this: “Okay fellas, trips left, designed roll-out, run around ‘til you get open then work back towards the ball. I will take care of the rest. Break!” His line is great and his athleticism is the reason that schoolyard offense works. Through eight games, Bruere leads the state in passing yards (2,330) and TDs (24) as a sophomore. [Note: my colleague Phil Lopez correctly called Bruere the best QB in the city in our current issue of ABQ Sports on newsstands now.] No DBs can stay with his trio of WRs (Austin Patterson, Tristen Foley, and Nathan Jojola) when Bruere scrambles and gives his playmakers five seconds to get open. Youth is where Rio Rancho can be susceptible to trouble. Bruere does not seem to have a complete grasp on the concept of throwing the ball away or taking a sack quite yet. That is partly why the Rams turn the ball over so much. Bruere forces a lot of throws when he doesn’t have to. Luckily for Rio Rancho, they are so high powered that they can lose the turnover battle and usually score enough points to make up for it anyhow. Careful. Sophomore decisions can be lethal in the playoffs. As long as Bruere keeps progressing as a decision-maker, the bad guys should be driven out of their house every weekend. And even if they regress some, they can regress back to 1989’s Uncle Buck and still leave us completely satisfied.

La Cueva (8-1, 2-0 district, #3-ranked): they are the entire National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise. Seriously, can you ever get enough Clark W. Griswald? Every time I watch La Cueva I cannot get enough. They are the most balanced team week in and week out. RB Michael Rose is banged up but he is still the primary option for the Bears. Last night against Manzano he was doing everything he could to limp on and off the field in order to make plays and balance his rest. La Cueva’s toss sweep left to Michael Rose is nearly unstoppable. Even when everyone in the stadium and everyone along the sidelines knows it is coming, defenses are still having trouble containing that killer play. Rose is so dangerous in open space when he patiently follows his pulling blockers. Since La Cueva has seemingly clinched a first-round bye after their second district victory last night, the Bears have the option to rest Rose for an extra week should they choose to do so. But let’s not forget about the supporting cast, a who’s who of superstars that compliment Clark Griswald so well. QB Zach Silva could throw a jump ball to WR Chris Thompson every play and La Cueva would be competitive. Picture Cowboys’ TE Jason Witten playing against high schoolers and you will get the picture. Last night at Manzano, Thompson caught seven balls for 135 yards and two TDs. He can work from the slot and run a wheel route down the sidelines. He can work from the slot and catch passes over the middle. He can shift wide and win jump balls in the end zone. He can catch a TE screen and will his big body through would-be tacklers for five yards whenever he wants. Silva is a smart decision-maker, a senior leader that understands how to manage the game in order for his team to win. And don’t forget about Mitch Cantwell on defense. If it were up to me, he’d be given the NM prep defensive player of the year award. His flexibility to shut down the run and guard the pass is something Coach Ed Lucero is a genius at exploiting. What can stop La Cueva? Maybe only a power outage.

Sandia Matadors (6-2, 1-0 district, #5-ranked): they are 1987’s Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – an underrated show that gets better with each subsequent viewing. Sandia is peaking at the right time, just like Steve Martin and John Candy were for this epic Hughes film. Sandia is powered by their defensive line. Junior Jeremiah Thompson is 275 pounds worth of angry aggression clogging up the middle. And senior Terrance Barela bats down more passes from his DE position than anybody else I have watched play this season. Sandia figured out how to slow down Manzano last weekend in a 34-19 victory – their first district win in three years. If they can beat Eldorado tonight, they will set up a winner-take-all showdown with La Cueva for the district title next weekend. QB Craig Coffman really is a tremendous pocket passer and WR Brendan Barker has been the second-most consistent threat I have watched all season behind Chris Thompson. Plus, Sandia is healthy and playing with confidence. I could keep going on about the things I like about Sandia, but let’s not make this awkward.

Valley High (5-3, 3-0 district, #13-ranked): Valley is Sixteen Candles. Boys are a bit young yet and struggle to play up to quality teams. La Cueva, Eldorado, and Manzano have each had their turn exposing the Valley linebackers for over 200 yards on the ground. Valley has handled everyone in their district so far, including Atrisco Heritage and West Mesa, meaning they are going to earn an automatic playoff berth. The Vikings are fun to watch, but it might take a miracle to win even one playoff game.

Las Cruces (6-1, 2-0 district, #1-ranked): Las Cruces can be Pretty in Pink. I only saw them play once and it was a long time ago against one-win Cibola. But everyone says they are really good and something must have garnered that #1 ranking they have been carrying for nearly the entirety of the season. I thought they looked overrated, but again, they have probably improved a lot since September. If I had to compare, Las Cruces and Sandia remind me a lot of each other: big linemen, smart QB, speed at the skill positions.

Clovis, Mayfield, Cleveland, Volcano Vista, & Carlsbad: Weird Science, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Great Outdoors, & Curly Sue, respectively. Clovis = RB Kamal Cass is making his case as the best football player in the state, but Clovis only carries a 3-5 record so far. They are scary, but how much is due to reputation? It’s all a bunch of Weird Science. Mayfield = the state runner-up from last year is always a tough opponent but there does not seem to be an overwhelming consensus on the merits of this team (and movie). Cleveland = the defending state champs play Volcano Vista tonight in a district game that could double as an elimination game. Let the game begin in the Great Outdoors between these two rivals. Carlsbad = cute, but not much of a threat when you get down to the meat and potatoes. So there you have it. I don’t think I could have been much clearer. I may love high school football a bit too much, but there can never be enough love for John Hughes. RIP.

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Three Games in Two Days (Sept. 14-15)

Los Alamos v St. Pius X (9.15.12)

One pregame thought: I had to check out a 4A game featuring an Albuquerque school sooner or later. Hopefully I won't be seeing my second blowout of the day.

5:39 First Q: After Pius and LA trade 3-and-outs to start the game, Pius finds itself with great field position on the Hilltopper 30-yard line. QB Ryan Hernandez runs the triple option with running backs TJ Sanchez and Nic Stafford for six plays. Every runner establishes himself as a threat and Stafford caps the 2:47 drive with a two-yard TD plunge. St. Pius leads 7-0.

4:10 Second Q: Fullback Sanchez converts a 4th-and-1 at midfield with a 35-yard scamper up the gut. The defense was keying on tailback Stafford but Sanchez took the carry as first back through the line. Four plays later, Stafford gets six yards on a 4th-and-2 at the seven and Sanchez scores his first TD on a one-yard dive the very next play. Pius is up 14-0.

There is absolutely nothing fancy about this game. It is a field position battle so far and St. Pius is winning by converting half of their third and fourth down plays. Both teams run the exact same offense - only three ball carriers have touched the ball for either team. It looks like each team essentially calls the same three plays over and over.

18.8s Second Q: Los Alamos gets the ball at their own 10-yard line after a Pius punt with 39.1s remaining in the half. QB Brice Van Etten throws up a jump ball to his WR in single coverage but Pius DB Austin Baca comes down with the INT at LA's 25. What a disaster scenario for the Hilltoppers. Sanchez runs in his second TD of the half (three yards) to give Pius a 21-0 lead, then records two QB sacks from his defensive end position before the halftime horn sounds. And during the break, the Sartan dance squad officially becomes the most talented team I have seen all season. The halftime entertainment bar has been raised.

9:07 Third Q: The Sartans' Pete Mora Jr. recovers an LA fumble at the Hilltopper 37. Sanchez carries the ball on four out of the next five plays (for 31 yards), including a two-yard TD dive to put Pius ahead 28-0.

This game is the TJ Sanchez show. St. Pius runs the pistol formation on offense with Sanchez standing adjacent to QB Hernandez and Stafford five yards behind both. I cannot blame St. Pius for being so bland. Might as well keep calling the same plays to the same people until LA proves they can do something to stop it. The Sartan linemen are simply bigger and stronger than the Hilltoppers'.

8:20 Fourth Q: Hernandez finds the endzone for the first time today on a four-yard QB keeper. He definitively trucks a Hilltopper DB at the goal line to give Pius the same 41-0 lead they will win by. Pius rebounds from their loss last week to St. Mike's and improves to 2-1 on the season. LA falls to 1-2.

[All stats unofficial - by my count only.] Sanchez gets the game ball: 18 carries for 102 yards and 4 TDs. On defense he records two QB sacks, one fumble recovery, and a couple of tackles for loss. Stafford rushes 19 times for 99 yards (one TD) and Hernandez is good for 44 yards on seven carries (one TD). The Pius ground game eats up an astonishing 316 total yards, allowing Hernandez to attempt only four passes all day. The Sartans also force four turnovers and limit LA to less than one hundred yards of total offense.

Las Cruces v Cibola (9.15.12)

Only one pregame thought: Manzano v Clovis is a better matchup happening at Wilson Stadium right now, but I couldn't resist seeing the #1-ranked team in the state coming to Albuquerque for the first time this season.

8:07 First Q: Cibola goes 3-and-out on the game's opening possession. The Bulldawgs take over and move the ball 58 yards in six plays. J.J. Granados runs the ball three times for 20 yards, including an eight-yard TD to give Cruces a 7-0 advantage.

3:59 First Q: Cibola botches a handoff and Cruces recovers the fumble at the Cibola 30. QB Jonathan Joy converts a 3rd-and-14 with a 15-yard scramble on a pass call. Three plays later RB Austin Salas scores on a two-yard toss-sweep to put Las Cruces ahead 14-0.

Cruces attacks the edges of the Cougar defense mainly with toss-sweeps - QB Joy often looks to throw lead blocks after he pitches. The Bulldawg RBs are constantly snooping out cutback lanes to make Cibola pay for over-pursuing. And on defense, Cruces crowds the box with nine defenders (a 5-2-4 look), including both CBs in press coverage. Cibola's wide receivers are often in single coverage but not a single one can go win a jump ball at its highest point. Plays are available to be made but Cibola is not executing.

12:00 Second Q: Cibola finally gets a first down on a pass interference penalty on WR Drew Janis. Unfortunately, QB Derek Martinez throws an interception three plays later to Cruces DB Michael Holguin. Martinez starts the game 0-for-9. Cibola's best play of the quarter is when DE Kevin Sandoval bats a pass to himself for an INT. Cibola fails to capitalize as they get their FG attempt blocked.

5:47 Second Q: After Las Cruces senior RB Adrian Lucero becomes the third different Bulldawg to find the endzone (21-0), Cibola needs to respond. The coaches call the perfect play on first down - a halfback pass - that fools Cruces with WR Elijah Winfield getting behind everyone wide open. The ball somehow finds the turf and the wind leaves the Cougars' sails for good.

9:05 Third Q: Jonathan Joy completes three straight passes for 62 yards, the last of which is a 32-yard TD floater to WR Holguin that extends the Bulldawg lead to 35-0. Joy bought time with some fancy footwork in the pocket before lofting a rainbow into double coverage. Both DBs misjudged the ball, jumped and missed it, then had to watch Holguin celebrate his gift-wrapped TD catch.

4:19 Fourth Q: WR Janis records his first catch of the day, a 65-yard TD post pass that splits the cornerback and safety down the middle of the field. A successful two-point conversion puts Cibola on the board 42-8 and kills the running clock mercy rule.

Cruces Head Coach Jim Miller must not have appreciated that Cibola TD and two-point conversion. He has his second stringers run the hurry-up offense (even calling two timeouts) just so that RB Salas can score his second TD of the game on the final play at the horn. Las Cruces wins 48-8. Running up the score alert!!! The Bulldawgs were solid in every facet of the game but Cibola's lethargy made the state's #1 team look more unstoppable than they probably are. The balanced Cruces running game: Lucero 5-for-31, TD; Granados 12-70, 2 TDs; Salas 8-for-17, 2 TDs. Joy finishes 8-for-17 for 131 yards and one TD pass. WRs Holguin (4 catches, 61 yards, TD) and Michael Calzada (3-for-58) are Joy's primary targets. Cibola RB Vincent Gallegos leads Cibola with 13 carries for 56 yards. [Note: stats unofficial, by my count.]

Volcano Vista v Sandia (9.14.12)

Two noticeable pregame details: 1) Sandia's red and powder blue uniforms just may be the snazziest I have seen yet this season; 2) what a pleasant fall night - the sun is reflecting off the Fung Lin apartment complex windows behind Wilson Stadium so beautifully.

8:01 First Q: Sandia opens the contest with the most efficient drive I have seen in-person throughout eight games this year: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:59 possession, TD. QB Craig Coffman starts 4-for-4, hitting three different WRs for 72 yards, the biggest going to Brendan Barker on a 44-yard fly pattern down the weak sideline in single coverage. Senior RB Aaron Smith caps the drive with a one-yard TD plunge.

2:25 First Q: After trading 3-and-outs, Volcano Vista responds with an impressive drive of their own: 11 plays, 62 yards, 2:34 possession, TD. Sandia LB Josh Abeyta appears to stymie the drive with a minus-7 yard QB sack on third down. But Volcano Vista's all-state track sprinter, Joe Searcy-Ortega, runs in a fake field goal 16 yards untouched on a FG-holder-sweep-left. The game is tied 7-7.

The Hawks' running game consists of off-tackle stretch runs with zone blocking up front. If RB Dominico Chavez can get the corner he takes it, but his backdoor one-cut north-south is the preferable option. The Hawks are trying to counter Sandia's size advantage up front with a no-huddle offense. Every player for Volcano Vista wears a play-card on his wrist. A hand signal from the sideline precedes everyone checking their play-card for the correct call. Will Sandia's big men get worn out from the pace?

6:29 Second Q: Both teams traded interceptions on their last possessions. QB Coffman forced a pass into double coverage, found his receiver anyways, but watched the ball ricochet off his wideout's shoulder pad for an easy INT by Searcy-Ortega. The Hawks drove 35 yards down to the Matador 15 before QB Reid Hendricks overthrew his WR on a slant pass, allowing Wesley Dugger to intercept the ball in the endzone and return it out to the 37.

2:39 Second Q: Sandia continues to unleash their balanced attack on offense: 9 plays, 63 yards, 3:50 possession, TD. Aaron Smith leads the way rushing (4-for-20) while WR Brandon Lamphier-Shaffer hauls in the drive's biggest play, a 17-yard play-action pass. Coffman coverts a 4th-and-1 at the Hawks' four-yard line before Marcus Quintana scores on a one-yard toss-sweep right. 14-7, Sandia.

0:00 Second Q: Sandia takes over at their own 30 with 1:11 left in the half and no timeouts. WR Zach Garcia catches three consecutive passes for 38 yards, getting out of bounds twice and absorbing a personal foul from the Hawks to stop the clock again. Coffman is wide left on a 39-yard FG at the horn. What a nice drive with nothing to show for it.

These two teams are evenly matched and have devised some interesting game plans. Coffman finishes the first half 9-of-13 for 133 yards to five different WRs [stats unofficial, by my count.] Hendricks is 6-of-12 for 56 yards to four different wideouts. And both teams have had five different ball carriers run the football (70 yards for Sandia, 90 for Volcano Vista). To top off the great first half, the VV band covers Outkast's "Hey Ya" to perfection.

6:02 Third Q: These teams are both in mid-season form tonight! Tightening the screws a little should lead to both teams peaking at the right time. Case in point, Volcano Vista controls the second half opening kick for 16 plays and 5:58 possession but does not score. The key play is a pass interference penalty on WR Searcy-Ortega in the endzone on a fourth down pass play. The Hawks missed a 30-yard FG four plays later thanks to a QB sack by Tyler Ireland that pushed VV just out of FG range.

5:18 Third Q: Hawks' CB Brandon Madrid ties the game with a 25-yard INT return for a touchdown. Coffman goes play-action and attempts the hardest throw in high school football - a square-out from one hash mark all the way across the field. He had the arm strength to get it there, but Madrid was too quick and had enough time to recover and jump the route. Game tied at 14. The Hawks' student section starts a "We Can't Hear You!" chant directed at Sandia's suddenly quiet student body. The momentum has indeed noticeably shifted.

6:32 Fourth Q: Sandia LB Daniel Cones recovers a Chavez fumble on his own 39-yard line to kill a Hawks' drive. Cones follows up with a 30-yard fullback run, and Smith completes the kill shot with a 31-yard TD pass to Barker. Sandia suddenly leads 21-14.

The good ol' two-play drive in 19 seconds after a huge turnover! For some reason, Head Coach Kevin Barker decided to put Smith in at QB and delegate Coffman to part-time WR duty at the start of the 4th. It seemed like an overreaction to Sandia's lousy third quarter, but it worked. Sandia's student section starts a "Can You Hear Us?" chant directed back at Volcano Vista. Ahhh, those kids.

2:00 Fourth Q: LB Cones wants the game ball. He made an INT on an attempted screen pass three minutes ago that led to a Coffman 28-yard FG. Now he scoops up his second fumble recovery of the game after a devastating QB sack by Ireland and Jeremiah Thompson. Smith ices the game with a one-yard TD run. Final score: Sandia wins 31-14.

Volcano Vista was done in by their mistakes late in the game. The Matador defense recovered two fumbles, picked off Hendricks three times, and recorded six sacks for minus-41 yards. The Sandia big men did not get worn down by the Hawks' pace, a credit to their conditioning and depth. Chavez finished with 110 yards on 24 carries for the Hawks, while Smith went for 51 on 16 carries and 2 TDs. Sandia is 3-0 now, just like La Cueva and Manzano. District play will be a blast come late October.

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