ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – They are the preseason favorite to repeat as Class 6A football champions. The La Cueva Bears will start their 2024 run with a wealth of talent, losing only one lineman and a couple of receivers on offense and boosting a stout defense that terrorized opponents the previous season.
“I think we can’t get complacent,” said La Cueva Quarterback Cameron Dyer. “We got to always work, put in the work like we did to get up here and to keep that top spot. We got to stay true to ourselves, true to our hard work and what we do around here.”
The Bears have a triple threat of talent in a quarterback, offensive lineman, and linebacker who are headed to division one college Power Five teams.
“I’ve never had that as a coach or as an assistant coach either,” said La Cueva head coach Brandon Back. “It’s pretty special that you’re able to be a part of something when you get kids that come through like that but, you know, being a Power Five, these days you got to be the right height, the right size and we’re blessed to have that. But, you got to have great talent and I feel like we have great talent in a variety of positions.”
The talented players give their teammates credit for helping them succeed. “All three of us work hard, even our teammates too. They push us even more and I just feel like our team chemistry right now is going great, said La Cueva linebacker Mason Posa.
Posa is headed to Wisconsin after her senior season. La Cueva quarterback Cameron Dyer is Arizona State-bound while teammate and offensive lineman Mark Handy is going to Minnesota.
Before that, the trio will focus on a season that has them traveling out of state to play a game this season. La Cueva, who opens the season against Volcano Vista, will play Pinnacle high school out of Phoenix, Arizona, in a neutral site game in Flagstaff.
“That’s going to be an exciting opportunity, really for the state of New Mexico, because we got kids that can play football, clearly at all levels but, you know, we’re a smaller state so we get often overlooked,” said La Cueva head coach Brandon Back. “But, this is a good opportunity for us to go and compete and kind of show everybody else, especially around our region what kind of kids we have here.”
La Cueva and Volcano Vista will open the season against one another on Aug. 23. The Bears matchup against Pinnacle is the following week, Aug. 31.
