Brent is in the front row (#1). Cibola plays their first game vs. La Cueva Thursday, August 30. Go Cougs!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
PREP FOOTBALL Cougars Expecting Good Run in '07

By Will Webber
Journal Staff Writer

    JOURNAL POWER RANKING: NO. 2 CIBOLA
    That seismic shift you just experienced was Rio Mares lurching toward another overmatched lineman.
    Born as a mere 71/2-pound, 20-inch baby some 16 years ago, the anchor of Cibola's beefy front line now stands 6-foot-6, 350 pounds.
    "I've been bigger than every teacher I've had since about the third grade," said Mares, a junior. "Except for when I was born I've always been big."
    Thankfully for the Cougars, Mares is also plenty strong. Perhaps, then, it should be of little surprise that the second-ranked team in the Journal Power Rankings will run the ball his way more often that not this season.
    "Rio weighs 350 pounds so every time I get the ball I'm going to want to run and hide behind him," said 170-pound fullback Chase Bennison. "When you have a line like ours, all we should do is run the ball. ... If we ever do pass the ball, I'm running down the field to recover the fumble."
    With Mares at right tackle, Cibola's starting O-line averages 6-2, 262. That includes right guard Stephen Baurer, a scant 6-1, 200, when standing next to Mares.
    Depth could be a factor at some spots, but a relatively soft schedule should help the Cougars remain healthy for the long run.
    Depth helped last year when Cibola set a school record with 10 wins. The Cougars won their district title in coach Judge Chavez's first year, then capped it with two wins in the playoffs before losing a heartbreaker to Alamogordo in the semifinals.
    "I came here because I thought we could win a state championship," Chavez said. "But did I think we'd win 10 games and get as far as we did in the first year? Probably not."
    Last year's success has expectations through the roof this season. Those expectations will be put to the test Thursday when the Cougars open with fifth-ranked La Cueva.
    Chavez stops short of saying his club is one of Class 5A's best, but admits he does feel good about the talent he's got right now.
    "I don't mind talking to my team through the media," he said. "By telling you guys how good I think we can be, I think it sends a message to these players, our fans and the community that we should take pride and have a little fun with this."
    He's right. Never before have the Cibola faithful had a chance to rally around their football team like '07.
    The offense is led by quarterback Jonathan Mader, a 6-4 senior who passed for 1,700 yards as a junior. That might not sound like much, but for a Chavez-coached team it may as well be 10,000 because his clubs usually run first and ask questions later.
    "I've always liked running the ball, but in this sport you've got to be balanced," Chavez said. "Some of the teams down south or wherever throw for 3,000 or 4,000 yards, but they can't run the ball when they need to. I don't care what they say, you've got to run it if you want to win."
    Bennison is the feature back behind Mader while the wideouts are seniors Brent Jorgensen, Brandon Simpson and Mycah Huitron. Marcus Barry will see plenty of time at running back; Indiana Jones will play both ways as a tight end and linebacker.
    Jones is one of several big-play guys on defense. Others are pass-rush specialist Corey Roybal at defensive end and Aaron Schuetze at corner.
   
AT A GLANCE
    No. 2
    Team: Cibola Cougars
    Last Year: 10-3, reached 5A semifinals
    Coach: Ralph Chavez (2nd year, 10-3)
    Returning Starters: 6 offense, 6 defense
    Key Players: Jonathan Mader (Sr., QB, 6-4, 210); Chase Bennison (Sr., RB, 5-9, 170); Rio Mares (Jr., RT/DT, 6-6, 345); Terrance Motley (Sr., OL/DT, 6-4, 275); Cory Roybal (Sr., DE, 6-1, 225); Indiana Jones (Sr., LB, 6-1, 225); Aaron Schuetze (Sr., DB, 5-9, 160); Brent Jorgensen (Sr., WR/DB, 5-10, 155); Brandon Simpson (Sr., WR/DB, 6-3, 165).
    Key Matchup: The regular-season finale against Rio Rancho will determine the 1-5A title, but the Oct. 12 visit to Clovis is this team's chance to join the ranks of the elite.
    Bottom Line: The Coogs set a school record for wins last year and came within an eyelash of a trip to the finals. A relatively soft nondistrict schedule will cost them style points, but it should help pile up the wins heading into the playoffs.

2007 Schedule
    Aug. 30: vs. La Cueva, 7 p.m. (Wilson)
    Sept. 8: vs. Piedra Vista, 1:30 p.m. (Milne)
    Sept. 14: vs. St. Pius, 7 p.m. (Milne)
    Sept. 21: vs. Rio Grande, 7 p.m. (Milne)
    Sept. 29: at Oņate, 1 p.m.
    Oct. 6: vs. Sandia, 7 p.m. (Wilson)
    Oct. 12: at Clovis, 7 p.m.
    Oct. 25: vs. West Mesa-x, 7 p.m. (Milne)
    Nov. 2: at Gallup-x, 7 p.m.
    Nov. 9: vs. Rio Rancho-x, 7 p.m. (Milne)
    (x-denotes District 1-5A opponent)

2nd Article

High school football: Cibola expects a winning season and state playoff berth

By James Staley, Albuquerque Tribune
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Photo by Steven St. John
Tribune

Cibola quarterback Jonathan Mader puts on his helmet after a water break during practice. Last year, the Cougars won 10 games and made the state semis. This year? "I get people coming up to me in the halls all the time asking, `Are we going to take state, Mader?' " he said Tuesday.

Cibola quarterback Jonathan Mader (left) celebrates with teammate Mycah Huitron after a long completion in practice. Mader has already received a scholarship offer from New Mexico, and his coach expects more to come as this season progresses.

During a respite between snaps, Cibola defensive end Corey Roybal offered a bit of free advice to his football coach.

"Don't run it this way, Coach!" a smiling Roybal shouted to Cougars head man Judge Chavez, the offense's play caller during Tuesday's drill. "Don't run this way!"

Chavez laughed. He's been known for ribbing others throughout his career and doesn't mind taking some.

But Chavez seemed to extract special joy from his defensive end's lighthearted bravado. He had spent much of last season trying to build the Cougars' swagger. Now, they seem to have it.

Add this spiced-up attitude to Cibola's throng of key returnees, a potential Division I quarterback and an experienced defense, and it's not hard to understand why the Cougars are the No. 1 team in The Tribune's Tour of Camps. They are the metro area's top contender for a Class 5A state title.

Excitement for football season seems to have billowed through the Cibola community. Fans appear eager to see the Cougars build on last season's school record of 10 wins and state semifinal berth.

"This year, it's a ton different," Cibola senior quarterback Jon Mader said Tuesday. "I get people coming up to me in the halls all the time, asking, `Are we going to take state, Mader?' and stuff like that. Everybody's pumped up. It's great. You've got to have that."

Cibola Athletics Director Phil Schroer has received a large volume of e-mails and phone calls regarding the Cougars.

Many of these fans are expecting Cibola's experience to power a very successful season.

"We know (we're good)," said Cougars linebacker Indiana Jones. "It's not just us expecting it now. It's the community. It's the school. It's everyone else. I like having it all on our back, so we can do it ourselves."

How Cibola handles the target treatment likely will play a role in how its season unfolds.

Chavez has been there before.

In 1995, he was a rookie coach at Highland. Chavez's first Hornets team, featuring Bobby Newcombe and Jarrod Baxter, surprised many and zoomed to the semifinals where they lost to Clovis, 35-0.

The next season, with much hype swirling around the team, the Hive advanced to the semis again, where they fell to Las Cruces Mayfield, 21-14.

It's eerily similar to Chavez's first two Cibola teams.

"I just hope it ends better," he said.

The Cougars seem to have done enough to alter the pattern. Chavez called the offseason the best he's seen by a high school team in 29 years as a coach.

Chavez and his assistants haven't made dramatic changes to the Cougars' offensive and defensive schemes, but they plan to showcase Mader's ability more. He's already received a scholarship offer from the University of New Mexico, and Chavez expects offers to come from New Mexico State University and possibly the University of Texas at El Paso for his star quarterback.

Expect more passing to what Mader calls an improved group of receivers.

Pleased by Mader's maturation as a leader and passer, Chavez has given him the green light to change the play at the line of scrimmage.

Cibola also has made efforts to improve its secondary. Cibola had trouble against the pass at times in 2006. Visits to multiple seven-on-seven passing camps, where players compete against others in programs prone to air it out, have helped.

"They're flying around now," Mader said.

Then there's the swagger.

"The thing about this year that's a little different is we're going to hit you back, over and over," Jones said.

That's what Chavez likes to hear.

Cibola Cougars

2006 record: 10-3, lost to Alamogordo in semifinals

Coach: Ralph "Judge" Chavez (96-44 entering 13th season overall, second at Cibola)

Key returning players: Jon Mader (QB, sr.), Terrance Motley (OL/DL, sr.), Chase Bennison (RB, sr.), Rio Mares (OL/DL, jr.), Marcus Barry (RB, sr.), Brent Jorgensen (WR/DB, sr.), Brandon Simpson (WR, sr.), Mycah Huitron (RB/DB, sr.), Corey Roybal (TE/DL, sr.), Indiana Jones (LB, sr.), Matt Chavez (LB, sr.), Aaron Schuetze (RB/DB, sr.)

Newcomers: Stephen Bauer (OL/DL, sr.), Sam Potter (DB, sr.), Brannon Onell (OL/DL, jr.), Daniel Fiaseu (RB, jr.), Jeremy Hines (OL/DL, sr.)

Offense/defense: Wing-T/split

Outlook: A huge senior class. A potential Division I quarterback. A truckload of weapons and a seasoned defense. The Cougars have plenty of reasons for championship-level expectations in 2007. Will the pressure get to them?