October 30, 2009

Kyle Henderson
NMPreps.com Publisher

The New Mexico NMPreps.com Mr. Football Award powered by the New Mexico Sports Authority is given to the top prep football player in the land period. There are several requirements that the athlete must achieve throughout the course of the season (G.P.A, off the field decisions, a coaches recommendation) among several other key factors.

Question: How does Mr. Football Differ From Player of the Year?
Answer: Only two Mr. Football Awards are given out. One To the Big School (5A/4A) Mr. Football Winner and one to the Small School (3A/1A) Mr. Football Winner.

• Complete Mr. Football Watch List Here
• Big School Player of the Year Candidates
• Small School Player of the Year Candidates
• All-Academic Team

Big School On The Rise - Offense

Rio Rancho senior quarterback Tyler Baker hate him or love him, is putting up some monster numbers on the year. Through only eight games so far he has thrown for well over 2,500-yards and 27 touchdown passes. His go-to receivers Adam Shapiro and Jeric Mangnant have hauled in a combined 2,178 of those yards, each has breached the 60 reception mark. With his smooth delivery and quick release, Baker could hit 3,500 if Rio Rancho gets two additional games in the play-offs. Complete Mr. Football Watch List Here

One player, that I wish I could watch night in and night out is Hobbs Eagle running back Patrick Smith. Last week he ran for over 319-yards and six touchdowns against Carlsbad in a 49-28 victory. The 5-foot-8, 175 pound do it all back has run for over 1,700-yards on the season (School Record) and scored an outstanding 18 touchdowns on the year. Talk to any coach that faces Smith, he is well respected and very tough to prepare for. Try to watch Smith before the season is over, people will be talking about his 2009 performance for years to come.

We dip to class 4A for our next candidate highlight. Farmington senior Taylor Hough is having one of the biggest seasons of any quarterback in class 4A and you probably do not even know about him. In week nine he ran for 225-yards and four touchdowns against inner city rival Piedra Vista, bringing his total rushing yards over the 1,000-yard mark on the year. Farmington (5-3) this year plays Aztec tonight for a shot at their first district title since 2001. Keep an eye on Hough, he's a good one.

Big School On The Rise - Defense

The Belen Eagle's are off to their best start in school history riding an eight game winning streak at (8-0) through the first nine weeks of play. Their offense has been very potent over the first eight games, but their defense has also played a vital role in their season success allowing only 69 points from the opposition (8.6 Points per game). A key contributer that has certainly risen to the occasion during his senior year is 6-foot-0, 155 pound Sean Willis from the linebacker position. Willis who is gaining strong interest from Wyoming, has already totaled 114 total tackles which places him atop the list in the statewide tackle category. Complete Mr. Football Watch List Here

Another linebacker that has showed well through the first nine weeks is Emery Sierra out of Clovis. At 5-foot-9, and 185 pounds Sierra is arguably one of the best overall linebackers at the class 5A level. He has a knack for the big play (71 Tackles/3 Int's) and always come to each Friday night with loads of intensity. Sierra's stock is definitely on the rise.

Staying on the defensive side, we have to highlight Manzano defensive back Darrelyn McCloud. The 5-foot-10, 150 pound senior is leading the state in interceptions with nine picks. McCloud blew up in the Monarch's eighth game of the season collecting three picks on consecutive defensive plays, each was returned for a touchdown. Mr. Football Favorite Jayson Serda who is also from Manzano has six picks and over 20 total interceptions in his varsity career.

Small School Watch

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Dustin Walton
It's tough to overlook a quarterback that is 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and has already thrown for 29 touchdowns and 2,500-yards through nine games. Walton out of Raton, New Mexico is a sure shot D-1 quarterback that will blow up on the recruiting trail once he camps hard again during the summer of 2010. He is everything you want to coach as a coach and everything you want in a leader from a player's prospective. The Raton Tigers have not won a state title since 1956, Walton could be the key that was missing 53-years later. Complete Mr. Football Watch List Here

Nick Saenz
Tularosa do it all quarterback Nick Saenz might be the best player in class 2A. He has thrown for over 1,600-yards on the season and picked up another 710-yards rushing the football. The Wildcats are the real deal, something not a lot of so called experts (Me) expected at the beginning of the season. It does not hurt that Saenz has 6-foot-4, 180 pound Emery Coleman to throw to either. Saenz carries and 3.9 G.P.A and should be the Class of 2010 Salutatorian at the end of the school year.

Jacob Jameson
Play makers are a dime a dozen each season, but then there are those certain high school football players that were bred to win championships and Jameson fits that mold better than any other quarterback in the state. We have not received a Lovington stat update, but Jameson has thrown for over 1,700-yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. We all know that Lovington is going to be there at the end and if 2009 is truly their year, count on Jameson to have an epic performance in the state title game.

Kevin Clauss
Here is one prospect that you might not have heard of. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds Clauss is one of the best overall athletes I have come across in the 2009 football season. He can hit, he has very good speed, and he is just overall very underrated. He has thrown for 997-yards on the year and ran for another 690. Don't forget about Clauss and the Chargers as we head down the stretch.

Three Linebackers To Watch
The first comes from St. Michael's. 6-foot-2, 220 pound Micheal Lamb is a player and a prospect and he is only a junior. He is one of the best I have seen all year. He is that good. Lamb plays fullback and inside linebacker for the Horsemen. Santa Rosa's Chris Sanchez at 5-foot-10, 220 pounds and Texico's Seth Bailey who has similar dimensions are two of the best linebackers in class 2A. Bailey has a bit more athleticism, while Sanchez has a bit more strength. These are three linebackers that could play for any class 5A program and start right away.