'We’ve improved in every phase': Organ Mountain aiming high after forgettable 2023 season

When a team finishes a season 0-10, many would assume there’d be sweeping changes in the ensuing offseason.

But for Kenneth Sanchez and Organ Mountain, the 2024 offseason was like any other. The quicker the Knights forget about the 2023 season, the sooner they can move on from it in his eyes.

“We approach it like we do any other year,” said Sanchez, Organ Mountain’s coach. “We don't really talk about the past. We just work on the things that we need to do to get better. Everyone gets a fresh start.”

The Knights may need to improve many things for an improved 2024 campaign. In that 0-10 2023 season, Organ Mountain had the worst offense and defense in District 3/4-6A at 67 points scored and 379 points allowed. Its 10 losses extended its losing streak to 15 games, dating back to 2022, and it will reach 709 days without a win when its season-opener against Eldorado on Saturday arrives.

Sanchez believed the first step to fixing these problems was to get stronger. The Knights had an extensive weightlifting program this offseason to improve their physicality and explosiveness. Sanchez mainly focused on lower body strength with squats and power cleans and emphasized smaller exercises with ankle flexions and dorsiflexions — workouts that aim to improve movement in the ankles and feet.

Organ Mountain’s players were lifting almost daily, giving Sanchez hope it can physically compete with its competition.

“The physicality is really important in football,” Sanchez said. “We want to get stronger… we want to make our kids looser so they can be more explosive. That was the point of emphasis."

Sanchez also wants his players to better understand Organ Mountain’s offense. The Knights run an up-tempo, spread offense designed to create a lethal passing attack and score many points, neither of which happened last season.

Sanchez had his players constantly studying film and the Knights’ playbook, and set goals for offensive production. He wants Organ Mountain to earn three first downs per drive, score a touchdown on every red zone trip and end every game with zero turnovers.

“We have to be able to drive the ball and keep possession more,” Sanchez said. “We had the defense on the field too much last season, so we’ve got to be better. When we have the ball, we better put points on the board.”

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Despite the run of recent losses, Organ Mountain possesses some talent. The Knights return two key starters in senior offensive lineman/defensive tackle Cody Burk and senior linebacker/tight end Julian Gonzalez. Burk is a strong, athletic presence in the trenches, while Gonzalez brings leadership as one of Organ Mountain’s team captains.

Senior quarterback Xavier Perez will start his first full season at the position. Another team captain, Sanchez says he’s improved as a passer and “vocal leader” by always pushing his teammates on the field and in the weight room.

“He’s done a really good job in the offseason,” Sanchez said. “I can’t speak enough about him.”

The Knights’ two other returning team captains are senior offensive lineman Diego Ramirez and senior defensive lineman/offensive lineman Luis Torres. Sanchez describes both as tough and physical “program kids” who boost Organ Mountain’s play at the line of scrimmage.

Sanchez has plenty of returning linemen, but a new receiver in senior Lennis Washington also excites him. Washington is in his first year of football after playing basketball throughout high school, and Sanchez hopes his speed, athleticism, and 6-foot-3 size help ease him into the sport.

“We got him to come out onto the field, and he’s done great things since then,” Sanchez said. “He’s very athletic and really good, so we’re hoping for big things from him.”

Expectations may be low for outsiders, but they’re lofty inside Organ Mountain’s building. Sanchez first wants to go 1-0 against Eldorado, something the Knights haven’t done in the past two seasons. Then, he wants to win the first District 3-6A game against Alamogordo on Sept. 20 to snap a 19-game district losing streak dating back to 2020.

He hopes defeating the Tigers spurs Organ Mountain to a district title and a deep playoff run.

Those may seem like unrealistic goals for a team that hasn’t done much winning lately. But, Sanchez feels he must aim high. After all, there isn’t anywhere to go but up.

“I think we’ve improved in every phase, and it’s why I think we can do those things,” Sanchez said. “We're going to have to continue to improve from where we're at now, It's going to get hard. We need to continue improving, and we need to hit our peak.”

Organ Mountain Knights

Head coach: Kenny Sanchez (2nd season)

2023 record: 0-10 (0-5 District 3/4-6A)

2023 result: Missed playoffs

Base offense: Spread

Base defense: 3-4

Returning starters: 10 (6 offense, 4 defense)

Top returners: QB Xavier Lopez, OL Diego Ramirez, OL/DT Cody Burk, DT/OL Luis Torres, LB/TE Julian Gonzalez

Season schedule

*denotes District 3-6A game

• Aug. 24 — Eldorado, 1 p.m.
• Aug. 30 — at Deming, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 6 — at Mayfield, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 14 — St. Pius X, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 20 — vs Alamogordo, 7 p.m.*
• Sept. 27 — vs Las Cruces, 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 4 — at Carlsbad, 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 11 — at Clovis, 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 18 — vs Centennial, 7 p.m.*
• Oct. 25 — at Hobbs, 7 p.m.*

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: 'We’ve improved in every phase': Organ Mountain aiming high after forgettable 2023 season