'Our ultimate goal': Las Cruces football seeks end to 11-year state title drought

Las Cruces High School football is aiming high in 2024.

The Bulldawgs pulled off a deep playoff run in 2023 after missing the playoffs in 2022, reaching the 6A semifinals. As the No. 7 seed, Las Cruces took down Los Lunas and District 3/4-6A champion Centennial before falling to eventual 6A state champion La Cueva in the semifinals.

For coach Mark Lopez, there’s only one way to build on that success.

“We want to win a state championship now,” said Lopez, who’s entering his ninth season as the Bulldawgs’ coach. “We’ve got several goals we’d like to reach along the way, but that’s our ultimate goal.”

Lopez was a part of six 5A state championship teams as a Las Cruces assistant coach from 1997-2015, with the last coming in 2013. But the Bulldawgs have yet to win it all at the 6A level, nor have they won a state title since Lopez became their head coach in 2016.

Having gone over a decade without a state championship, Lopez has centered the offseason around obtaining one.

“Everything we do is preparing ourselves for that,” Lopez said. “It’s not something that we’re going to hide from.”

He prioritized attention to detail this offseason, both on and off the field. On the field, Lopez wanted his team to prepare for practices and workouts better and study film and playbooks more thoroughly. Off the field, he wanted the Bulldawgs to be more “aware” of their surroundings, such as keeping their locker room clean and picking up trash in the school hallways.

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Lopez believes this emphasis paid off. He says Las Cruces improved its weight training and understanding of its offensive and defensive schemes, which Lopez hopes translates to success during the season.

“That’s one of the areas where we grew a lot,” Lopez said. “You're kind of trying to get them to understand what we're doing and understand what it takes to be successful… and we have a good bit of that going into the season.”

Lopez also hopes to carry the Bulldawgs’ “spirit” and camaraderie that he believes helped them reach the semifinals.

“A lot of our guys are on that same boat for 2024,” Lopez said. “If we're carrying one thing over… we really need to carry that spirit of caring for each other, loving each other and respecting each other, so that every Friday night we can go out and play for each other.”

Lopez indeed has many guys on the same boat, as Las Cruces returns 14 starters this season. Junior quarterback Gunnar Guardiola is one of them after throwing for 2,783 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023. Lopez was impressed by Guardiola’s preparation as a sophomore last season, as he would prepare multiple scouting reports on opponents by himself for him and his teammates every week.

Lopez loves Guardiola’s attributes like his football smarts and arm talent, but also his personable traits like his character and leadership.

“He really has a high level of preparation,” Lopez said. “He can make every throw on the field. That’s hard to find in a high school setting. He’s really special.”

Alongside Guardiola are two key returners in junior running back Daniel Amaro and senior wide receiver Nate Libby. Amaro earned Second Team All-State honors recording over 2,000 all-purpose yards in 2023, while Libby led the Bulldawgs with 1,089 receiving yards.

Libby brings speed to Las Cruces’ offense, while Lopez regards Amaro as the Bulldawgs’ top offensive weapon.

“He’s a dynamic playmaker for us,” Lopez said of Amaro. “He’s a great receiver out of the backfield, he’s elusive, and he’s got great speed and power.”

The Bulldawgs also return senior two-way starter Riley Mendez, who received Second Team All-State honors as a guard and linebacker last season.

“He’s one of our nastiest football players,” Lopez said. “He loves to play physical football, and it’s why he plays both sides of the ball. He’s an anchor for us.”

Las Cruces returns six defensive starters, including senior linebacker Dalin Walter. Walter played outside linebacker in 2023, but Lopez feels his speed and physicality are better suited for inside linebacker in 2024.

Senior defensive end Caleb Lewis and junior cornerback Issac Gomez are two fellow key returners. Lopez has high expectations for both, believing Lewis and Gomez could become All-State players.

“I think Caleb has a big season of sacks ahead of him,” Lopez said. “Issac had a great sophomore campaign and is one of our most talented guys coming up. He does a great job in studying opponents, and really understands how to cover and how to lock down his side.”

Lopez wants his team to be “relentless” this season, which he defines as playing fiercely from start to finish. A week one matchup with Mayfield provides an early chance to show those traits, the first time Las Cruces’ biggest high school rivalry opens the season.

A statement win against the Trojans could be a building block for the Bulldawgs’ high ambitions, especially before entering a district including two teams ranked in New Mexico’s top 10 by MaxPreps last season in Centennial and Hobbs. Lopez believes physicality and discipline will be crucial throughout Las Cruces’ season, something he hopes becomes his team’s identity.

If the Bulldawgs can put all of those things together, Lopez thinks the sky is the limit.

“We’re looking to keep that identity rolling,” Lopez said. “If we can do all of those things, we’re gonna have a good chance to win each Friday night.”

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Las Cruces Bulldawgs

Head coach: Mark Lopez (9th season)

2023 record/result: 7-6 (4-1 District 3/4-6A)

2023 result: 2nd in district, lost in 6A semifinals vs La Cueva

Base offense: Multiple

Base defense: 4-3

Returning starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)

Top returners: QB Gunnar Guardiola, RB Daniel Amaro, G/LB/DT Riley Mendez, OT Joaquin Wofford, WR Nate Libby, LB Dalin Walter, DE Caleb Lewis, CB Issac Gomez

Season schedule

*denotes District 3-6A game

• Aug. 23 — Mayfield at 7 p.m.
• Aug. 30 — at Volcano Vista at 7 p.m.
• Sept. 6 — at Rio Rancho at 7 p.m.
• Sept. 12 — Cleveland at 7 p.m.
• Sept. 20 — at Hobbs at 7 p.m.*
• Sept. 27 — at Organ Mountain at 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 4 — Clovis at 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 17 — Alamogordo at 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 25 — Carlsbad at 7 p.m.*
• Nov. 1 — at Centennial at 7 p.m.*

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: 'Our ultimate goal': Las Cruces football seeks end to 11-year state title drought