Speedy Cibola
Coach counts on fast players on both sides of the ball to improve team’s performance
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today Rio West continues to preview the 2017 high school football season for the eight high school programs in the area. Coming next week: Valley and Bernalillo.
If the Cibola Cougars are to carve out a successful 2017 football season, they’ll do so expeditiously.
“Speed,” fifth-year head coach Rod Williams, “is our big thing this year.”
Speed on offense, speed on defense. Plus a renewed vigor to bulk up in the offseason, and a team not nearly as inexperienced as the one that got exposed a year ago. Put it together, and the Cougars have designs on blossoming into a much more competitive team this fall.
“We needed to be more disciplined, and we needed more experience,” said Williams, reflecting on Cibola’s 3-7 campaign a year ago. “And we expect these guys to step up and be a lot better this year.”
The Cougars, who open Aug. 25 in an 8 p.m. matchup at Nusenda Community Stadium against La Cueva, return eight starters on offense — but will have a new starting quarterback — but only two on defense.
On that offense, junior Marcus Steele takes over at QB, and he’s got a veteran line in front of him, with nearly all of them returning, plus a trio of starting receivers that he can’t praise enough.
“These guys can do it all,” Steele said. “They’re gonna play physical and hard and fast.” The running game for Cibola is in transition with the loss of Kazy Martin to Eastern New Mexico.
But Williams is high on the perimeter trio of Nathaniel Manzanares, Michael Quintana and Brandon Garcia. Manzanares led the team in receiving last season. And Cibola is loaded at this position, beyond even those three, the coach said.
If Steele, a QB with a strong arm and deft touch, can deliver the ball in space to his receivers, Cibola likes its chance to move up and down the field. Steele also should prove mobile with scrambles should the need arise to tuck and run.
An older, more mature offensive line should help keep Steele’s efforts in the passing game. It should help Cibola in every facet.
But the Cougars won’t have the same luxury on defense.
“On defense, we’re inexperienced, but we have a lot of speed,” said Williams. “They fly to the ball.”
They’ll have to, given that few of the athletes on that side started last year. And that is a daunting prospect given the strength of Cibola’s schedule, a slate that includes games against La Cueva, Eldorado, Manzano and Las Cruces — and that’s just in the nondistrict, before the Cougars have to face Rio Rancho, Cleveland and Volcano Vista.
“Honestly,” Williams said, “I feel the way they’ve worked this summer, and being such a tight-knit group, to me, even though they lack experience, they’ve been good football players for a long time. No doubt they can compete.”
Said junior linebacker Elijah Davis, “Inexperience won’t matter, as long as we play physical and hard.”
Speaking of being physical, adding sessions in the weight room was important for Cibola if it wants to prevent larger teams from “leaning on us all year long,” Williams said.
“We’ve been in the weight room every day, so we can compete with these teams,” said Davis. “And I’m sure we can hold our own now.”