Today we look back over the last 50-years of New Mexico High School Football.

Rio Rancho High School completed the perfect season going 13-0 under Head Football Coach David Howes to win the first ever Class 6A New Mexico State Championship defeating Mayfield 33-31. On the season Quarterback Easton Bruere threw for 4,567-yards and was named New Mexico Mr. Football by NMPreps.com. In Class 5A the Artesia Bulldogs won their 28th state football championship going 12-1 on the year defeating Belen 49-21. The Class 4A state football championship was set at a neutral site in the Field of Dreams as Ruidoso defeated Cobre 35-28 in a thriller. Estancia defeated Clayton in the 2A finals, Escalante finished 12-0 defeating Hagerman to win the 2A championship, Melrose brought home another state championship under Head Coach Dickie Roybal, and Hondo Valley defeated Lake Arthur 72-33 in the 6Man title game. Additional Notes: 6-foot-7, 240 pound Eldorado quarterback Zach Gentry switched his commit from Texas to Michigan

 

The Mayfield Trojans and the Manzano Monarchs played in the highest scoring state championship game ever with the Trojans winning 69-42. The state title marked the 4th time the Trojans had brought home a Blue Trophy to Las Cruces since the 2005 season. In Class 4A The Artesia Bulldogs won their 27th state championship defeating the Aztec Tigers 45-34 and finished out the season 8-4. Lovington won their second state championship in a row under Head Coach Jamie Quinones as the Wildcats beat Academy 60-43 in a shootout. Santa Rosa would begin a three peat under new Lion's Coach Mario Trujillo (would win 2011 and 2012). The Lions beat Tularosa 13-6, in Class 1A it was Ft. Sumner beating Hagerman, in Class 8Man Melrose completed a three-peat under Dickie Roybal defeating Mountainair 22-20, and finally in Class 6Man Clovis Christian beat Lake Arthur 60-13. Additional Notes: Lovington Quarterback Jacob Jameson threw for 3,624-yards and accounted for 60 touchdowns, Ronnie Daniels a senior at La Cueva would score 42 touchdowns on the year, the Class of 2011 which played during the 2010 season as seniors is considered one of the best football classes ever:

List of prospects that signed D-1 scholarships

Abram Holland - Cleveland - New Mexico State

Brandon Betancourt - Mayfield - New Mexico State

Brandon Branch - Academy - New Mexico

Dustin Walton - Raton - New Mexico

Matthew Hegarty - Aztec- Notre Dame

Matthew Jaramillo - West Mesa - New Mexico State

Matthew Ramondo - Mayfield - Michigan State

Ronnie Daniels - La Cueva - Texas Tech

Tyler McCuclloch - Eidorado - Colorado

10-Years Ago In 2005

2005 was the last time that Mayfield Head Football Coach Jim Bradley Sr. would lead the Trojans to a state championship completing the perfect season at 14-0. In the finals, Bradley defeated another coaching great in Eric Roanhaus as Mayfield would beat Clovis 17-7. Jim Bradley Sr. would turn the reigns over to his son Michael Bradley the following year and the Trojans would go on to complete a three-peat winning titles in 2006 and in 2007 with a combined record of 39-1. Bradley passed away at the age of 82 last week. In Class 4A the Silver Colts defeated the Aztec Tigers for the 4A state title 27-20, the Robertson Cardinals went 13-1 under Head Coach Chad Roanhaus and beat Lovington 28-27 for the 3A title, in Class 2A the Hatch Bears were in the middle of a three peat and beat Tucumcari 54-7 under Charles Gleghorn, in Class 1A the Ft. Sumer Foxes beat Texico 14-7, and in 6Man Gateway defeated Melrose 78-447. Additional Notes: Aztec's Ryley Hegarty led the state passing with 3,738-yards and 43 touchdowns, La Cueva's 28 game winning streak was snapped, and Hatch's Roy Hackey ended his career with 188 receptions for the Bears (3rd all-time).

15-Years Ago In 2000

Las Cruces won their second title in a row under Jim Miller as the Bulldawgs went 13-1 on the year beating Kirk Potter and Carlsbad Cavemen 45-21. The Bulldawgs were an incredible 27-1 during those two years. In Class 4A the Roswell Coyotes then coached by New Mexico Hall of Fame member Jack Cisco were led by Dontrell Moore at running back and defeated the Piedra Vista Panthers 35-31 in the finals. Moore would go on to be an All-American for the New Mexico Lobos. Speed Faith would lead Lovington to a 3A stat title defeating the Cobre Indians 42-7, Lovington would win it again in 2001 beat Robertson 59-3. In Class 2A the Eunice Cardinals beat Tucumcari 9-0, Hagerman won Class 1A beating Ft. Sumner and New Mexico Coaching Legend Mario Martinez 17-7, and in 6Man the Floyd Broncos went 10-0 beating Ramah 81-70. Additional Notes: Roswell Running Back Dontrell Moore scored 33 touchdowns on the season, Chad Spitzer of Deming caught for 4 touchdowns against Hot Springs.

20-Years Ago In 1995

Jim Bradley Sr. and the Mayfield Trojans once again defeated the Clovis Wildcats for the big school title game. This time it was the 4A championships with Mayfield winning 13-12 and going 13-1 on the season. The Trojans would win again in 1996 defeating Manzano 14-0. The Lovington Wildcats coached by Speedy Faith defeated the Silver Colts 24-7 and would finish the year a perfect 14-0. On the roster for the Wildcats was Brian Urlacher who was an All-State Receiver and committed to play at New Mexico, then would play in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. Eunice under Coach David Lynn defeated Santa Rosa's Frank Ortiz and the Lions 19-0 to win Class 2A, Ft. Summer led by Mario Martinez defeated Animas 28-27, and in 6Man Ramah beat Melrose 41-30. Additional Notes: The 1995 Lovington Wildcats are considered one of the All-Time Greatest New Mexico High School Football Teams checking in at No. 6 out of 100 in the NMPreps.com's Greatest 100. The Wildcats scored 555 points on the year allowing just 126 and defeated opponents by an average of 40-9. Ft. Sumner's Ben Segura completed his season at Ft. Sumner rushing for a total of 6,075-yards in three seasons.

25-Years Ago In 1990

Clovis was the Class 4A State Champs as Head Coach Eric Roanhaus led the Wildcats to a 28-0 victory over the Eldorado Eagles coached by Bill Gentry. Fast forward to the present where Eric Roanhaus has 328 career victories and Bill Gentry fished with 305. The Lovington Wildcats won Class 3A under Coach Jerry Brown defeating Bloomfield 13-7, Animas won their 7th state football title in a row beating Lordsburg 36-0 under Head Coach Billy Henson. Texico won the 1A title beating Hagerman 28-0 and Mountainair won 6Man beating Lake Arthur 47-46. Additional Notes: Animas' Run was national news. The small southwest Copper Mining town turned into a prep football power from 1984 to 1990 where at one point they were riding a 72-game winning streak. Also of note: Highland's Bob Koski recored 151 tackles on the season and Jason Arsenault from Gallup ran for 2,368-yards on the year.

50-Years Ago In 1965

Highland led by Head Coach Bill Gentry defeated the Hobbs Eagles 13-10 to win the Class 2A state championship. NMMI won the A title game beating Deming 33-0, Eunice won Class B defeating Tularosa 20-0, and Roy won Class C beating Capitan 30-7. 

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