Volcano Vista likes its chances in super-competitive District 1-6A
Today, Rio West continues to preview the 2017 high school football season for the eight high school programs in the area. Coming next week: Cleveland.
Last season ended with a Southern-administered thud. No disgrace in that. But what’s easy to forget is, until Mayfield shipped them out of the playoffs, the Volcano Vista Hawks were having an excellent year.
And even with several crucial players having graduated, coach Chad Wallin — with a nod of respect toward Rio Rancho and Cleveland, which have combined to win the last three Class 6A state championships — finds more than a Hawk-themed silver lining.
“Optimistically, I feel like we have a shot to fight for something,” he said. “I like what we have coming in.”
Volcano Vista, 7-4 last year, will open Saturday, Aug. 26, against Valley at Nusenda Community Stadium.
The Hawks’ quarterback, starting tailback and leading receiver will all have to be replaced in 2017, and that’s the best place to start.
Senior Austin Blaisure is taking over at QB, Moses Young will become the featured back, and speedy Blaine Grant leads a super quick group of receivers for Volcano Vista.
“The depth with the guys at wide receiver, it’s ridiculous,” said Blaisure. “We have so many guys going in and out.”
The Hawks have eight starters (four on each side) returning this season as they look to assemble another playoff-caliber season out of an almost unfairly unbalanced District 1-6A, headlined by the Rams and Storm.
“I feel like we’ve had as good or better a summer as we’ve had in a while, and I’m excited about that,” said Wallin.
Blaisure tutored under his predecessor, Dillon Gassoway, and Wallin likes his understanding of the offense and his ability to deliver timely throws. Young’s athleticism in the backfield will be a welcome sight, Wallin said, and he’ll be behind a line that returns three starters, led by senior tackle Heath Skroch.
“I think he’s gonna have a big year,” Wallin said of Young. “(For our top skill kids), trying to live up to (previous athletes’) expectations is unrealistic. They have to play up to their strength.”
Nowhere is this more true than at receiver, where there is a huge vacancy now that David Cormier has moved on to play at Air Force.
But the 5-foot-8 Grant, 5-7 Joah Flores and 6-foot Jacob Werner give the Hawks more overall speed on the edge than last season, according to Wallin.
“They are more athletic, but they have to perform as a group,” Wallin said. “We don’t have one kid who is going to shine, we have to be creative in how we get them ball, and we have to get them the ball in space.”
Senior Joren Dickey is the key playmaker on defense for the Hawks. He was a first-team All-Metro selection last year, and is a danger at end or at outside linebacker. And often, he’ll simply walk up to either spot to provide run support or do what he does best, and that is rush the passer.
Said Wallin, “We plan on moving him around quite a bit.”
Three of Volcano Vista’s four linebackers return, including Jake Bulling and Cielo Gonzales-Kirkpatrick.
The secondary will be quick and athletic, led by Flores, Grant, Werner and Josh Escobedo. But the front will be entirely new, which will surely be a challenge throughout the season.
But Dickey wasn’t sounding alarm bells.
“Just this offseason, me and Jake have been training with some of the Rio Rancho players. They’re not superheroes,” Dickey said, smiling. “They’re the same kids as us.”