Now in his 20th season as head coach, Joey Fernandez feels he has a real good ball club

St. Michael’s sure looked good in the shortened coronavirus pandemic season, winning all three starts in romps. In head coach Joey Fernandez’ 20th year at his alma mater, his Horsemen looked like all business.

But that’s history, now he thinks the time is now to contend for a 3A state championships. He opens in non-district play at Taos Friday night, then is home the following Saturday afternoon to city-rival, non-district opponent Capital, and on Sept. 3 is at Santa Fe High.

Meanwhile, Fernandez has had recent changes in his coaching staff. Of his former assistants, Joaquin (Wax) Garcia is in his first year as head coach at Capital, Andrew Martinez starts his sixth season coaching Santa Fe High, and Kevin Hauck departed to assist new Santa Fe Indian School head coach Bill Moon.

There are probably more from his staff that have changed teams, but for now, these are the three long-time assistants that were under Fernandez.

Besides this, Fernandez is happy with his present squad. In fact, he even visions this group to contend for the Blue Trophy. Two big tests could come against 2-3A schools, visiting West Las Vegas, and at Robertson, where it’s always a tough go.

“I’ve got three terrific running backs,” Fernandez said, “and a four-year starter in (Lucas) Coriz. We also have some good receivers led by senior Devin Flores, so we figure to have a well-balanced, talented offense.”

Fernandez added that the trio of running backs, seniors Daymon Lujan and Isaiah Salazar, and junior Marcus Leyba are among the best he’s had in years, Flores can catch anything, and Coriz, now 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, now has three years behind him to get better and better each time out.

From the team that lost nine seniors from last year’s pandemic squad that won its three games by a combined 125 points. It was that team that was projected as a state title contender, and most from that group is back for one final ride.

“These guys are playing with a sense of purpose,” said Fernandez, the most successful high school football coach in Santa Fe history, “for they have something to prove, especially the skill position players who play hard every single play, and that’s something I haven’t seen in three or four years.”

Fernandez said if Flores is locked down, Coriz can seek help from fellow wide outs Diego Armendariz and Issac Ruiz, who barely played last short season due to injuries, and is now expected to be a deep threat in the passing game all season.

The team has good size along both lines, with most of his linemen going both ways. Armendariz is a defensive back and is 6-1, 200, senior Devon Abetya is at linebacker and tackle and goes 6-1, 235, junior Matthew Pacheco is on both lines and is 6-3, 250, and senior Jordan Bernal is a tackle on defense and plays the line on offense, and he is 5-8, 220.

As for the heralded running backs, Leyba is 5-10, 165, Lujan at 5-10, 165, and Salazar stands 5-10 and weighs in at 160, and he also plays linebacker on defense.

There is depth, there is experience, there is size, there is the confidence of Fernandez. Doing the point-after kicks and field goals will be Milena Keene, the starting goalkeeper of the state-championship girl’s soccer team.

No back-ups have been mentioned, but Keene has grown three inches, lost a few pounds, and will not do kickoffs or punts for fear of contacts.