The high school sports season was filled with plenty of highs and a few lows and through it all, there were standout boys who rose above all others so take a look back the area’s top boy players in each sport across fall, winter and spring.
Sophomore Jonathan Martinez, Mesa Vista High School. Martinez was 11th at the Class 2A state meet, finishing in 17 minutes, 1 second, just over a second behind 10th and All-State status. “It was pretty good, but I started out kind of slower so I had some guys to pass to make it to the top 10,” he said. “But I missed it by one place. I gave it my all to try, I almost had it but next year we are coming back better.”
Football
Junior Cody Coffeen, Española Valley High School. It was a disappointing season overall for the Sundevils, but Coffeen did his best to keep the team going. He was an absolute force as a receiver with 38 receptions for 916 yards — more than 24 yards per catch. He turned that into a team-best eight touchdowns, so every 4½ catches, he was getting into the end zone. He had a huge game in a key District 2-4A, 24-18 win over Moriarty, making four catches for 136 yards and two scores.
Soccer
Senior Raudel Rivera, Pojoaque Valley. If nothing else, team leader Rivera could have gotten the Michelin Man award just for the amount of rubber he faced and the number of saves he deflected as he was the last line of defense for a young and inexperienced Elks team that suffered frequent defensive lapses. In 18 games in net, Rivera faced 306 shots or an average of 17 per game and he was able to make 214 saves, among the highest in Class 4A.
Basketball
Senior Jordan Gallegos, Mesa Vista. The 6’5” power forward has been the catalyst behind the Trojans’ consecutive deep runs in the Class 2A state tournament, including a championship game appearance in 2025. While a force under the basket and around the paint, perhaps Gallegos’s signature moment came at the end of the quarterfinals with Rehoboth Christian when he drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. He finished the game with 26 points.
Power lifting
Junior Lucas Martinez, Española Valley/McCurdy. Martinez, who attends McCurdy but competes for the Sundevils because the Bobcats do not have a power lifting program, finished fourth at the 4A state meet in the 148 pound weight class. He lifted 985 pounds across the three disciplines and he also set a state record in the bench press at 265 pounds. Martinez “was outstanding all year,” Española coach Rudy Martinez. “His fourth-place finish was awesome. He has put in hard work for two years.”
Wrestling
Sophomore Edward Tapia, Pojoaque Valley. Seeded 12th at 120 pounds entering the Class 1A-4A state meet, Tapia immediately showed he was going to be a threat, looking tough in a 5-1 loss to No. 5 Sam Trujillo of Cobre. He earned the Elks only boys point with a 7-2 win over Kirtland Central’s Wesley Atcitty before rallying from an early 7-1 deficit against No. 11 David Prettyboy of Bloomfield. Although Tapia ultimately lost that match 14-9, Tapia showed that he is quickly maturing into a contender.
Baseball
Junior Ryan Valdez, McCurdy. Valdez is the consummate middle-of-the-order hitter, smacking the ball at a .459 clip. Of his 28 hits on the season, 16 went for extra bases: eight doubles and eight triples. He drove home 22 runs and scored 23. Valdez “is quiet when he’s on the baseball field and he lets his playing do all the talking,” Bobcats coach Ian Maestas said. “His offense production continues to grow every season. I am really looking forward to seeing him lead his team next season as a senior.
Golf
Senior Daniel Purdy, Española Valley. Purdy has been a member of the golf team since a freshman and this season he stepped into the role of No. 1. His best round came in the St. Pius tournament when he shot an 83 at Los Altos in Albuquerque. “He’s improved steadily every year,” Sundevils coach James Flores said. “He was team captain not only for the boys but the entirety of the golf program. He’s a very consistent hitter with is irons. He very rarely misses with his irons and he plays with confidence.”
Track and field
Junior Ezequiel Nevarez, Mesa Vista. In addition to being the Class 2A runner-up in both the 800- and 1,600-meter races at state, Nevarez had a stranglehold on the anchor leg of the Trojans’ record-setting 4×800 relay team that finished in a time of 8 minutes, 22.17 seconds. He polished off the event by recording a blistering 1:59 split. And he etched himself deep into the Mesa Vista record book in his open events, running the 800 in 1:59.33 and the 1600 in 4:38.99.
Tennis
Senior Zach Montoya, Española Valley. Sliding into the role atop the line-up, Montoya upheld that responsibility with aplomb despite facing many of the top players in the state. “Zach played the No. 1 for our tennis team this year in a loaded district,” Sundevils co-head coach Nancy Suazo said. “He had to compete against eventual state champions and runner ups. He competed with heart and class in every match.” Montoya displayed leadership and character that his teammates will be able to follow in future years, she added.