2022 Team Preview: Highland Hornets

<strong>Highland 2022 Preview</strong> <strong>Head Coach</strong>: Phillip Lovato <strong>Mascot</strong>: Hornets <strong>Twitter</strong>: @HHS_HornetsFB (Team); @CoachLovato (Head Coach) <strong>Colors</strong>: Navy Blue, Gold, and White <strong>Enrollment</strong>: 1,128 <strong>2021 Record</strong>: 3-8 (Played 8 Games; 3 Games Forfeited) <strong>Overview</strong>: Legendary college basketball coach and broadcaster Al McGuire always said the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores. If true, Highland could experience a significant jump in 2022 as they Hornets were one of the state’s youngest teams last season with a roster filled with freshmen. The Hornets had a run-dominated offense last season but the arm strength and passing abilities of sophomore southpaw quarterback <strong>Isai  Herrera</strong>, who has been impressive so far in the Albuquerque Metro Passing League, allows the Hornets to put the ball in the air more this season. When your coach describes you as ‘amazing,’ you know you’re doing something right. Herrera is a three-sport athlete who also excels at basketball and track. This is Herrera’s first season playing quarterback, so he faces a learning curve. But he certainly possesses the physical skills both throwing and running to play quarterback at a high level for the next three seasons. Sophomore <strong>Amiri Mumba</strong> (263 rushing yards in 4 games last season) leads the rushing attack. Mumba is very strong and could become Highland’s workhorse RB in 2022. After an offseason spent in the weight room, the Hornets offensive line led by senior four-year starter <strong>Aaron Loya</strong> (offered by New Mexico Highlands) should be much improved this season, opening the door for Mumba to have a big season. Six-foot-3, 200-pound senior <strong>Joseph Padilla</strong> goes into the season as Highland’s No. 1 WR. He’s big and physical. If Padilla and Herrera are able to build some chemistry, watch out. Padilla has been attending camps this summer and should be much improved in 2022. He could be a difference maker for the Hornets. Defensively, Highland face the difficult task of replacing LB Abraham Lopez, the heart and soul of the Hornets the past couple of years in the middle of the defense. As a result, the Hornets will likely change some things up on defense to make up for losing Lopez. Loya anchors the defensive line at nose tackle. Padilla will play defensive end. Mumba will line up at a hybrid LB/DB spot, while Herrera will spearhead the secondary at safety. The top cornerbacks are <strong>Acxel Morales</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="275558" first="Joziah" last="Rodriguez"]</strong>. Highland will be utilizing plenty of two-platoon players. <strong>Schedule</strong>: Phillip Lovato, Highland’s fearless head coach, has battled the APS for years over Highland’s football schedule. The clash reached a climax last season when HHS forfeited (boycotted?) multiple games against 6A teams for safety reasons. This year, Highland’s schedule is far more manageable with non-district games against a mix of Class 3A, 4A and 5A schools. October features three straight home games. A .500 record for the Hornets isn’t out of the question. Aug. 19 at Portales Aug. 25 ST. PIUS X (Thur.) Sept. 2 Bye Sept. 9 at Bernalillo Sept. 16 at Del Norte Sept. 22 HOPE CHRISTIAN (Thur.) Oct. 1 at Manzano (Sat.) Oct. 7 POJOAQUE VALLEY Oct. 14 BELEN* Oct. 22 PIEDRA VISTA (Sat.)* Oct. 28 at Miyamura* * District Game <strong>Top Storyline</strong>: How quickly can Highland’s many young players grow and develop over the course of the 2022 season and make the Hornets a factor again in  Class 5A? <strong>Final Thoughts</strong>: The dark days could finally be over for Highland, once a state power back in the 1960s and 70s. The future appears bright with so many young, talented players. Last year at this time Highland had fewer than 20 players on its active roster. Today, it has 45. The enthusiasm for the program within the school community is rapidly rising. If the Hornets win a few games early in the season, it will grow even more. Is this the beginning of the renaissance of Highland football? <strong>Coach’s Comments</strong>: “Last year was every emotion you could think of. We had 19 players for the first game we played. We had kids in positions they had never played before. From that first game to our last game, we saw our kids grow and develop[. More kids came out. We were very young but they wanted to do better and prove people wrong about Highland. I was very excited about the three wins we did get. It was what we needed. All that experience from last year will help our kids. They have a better understanding of what we’re doing. But we’re still young. Because our schedule is more (equitable) to who we are, we’re now in position to actually play entire games and not get blown out by 50 by some of these bigger schools. Looking to the future, that will benefit our kids the most” – Highland head coach Phillip Lovato. https://twitter.com/HHS_HornetsFB/status/1535782095578361856 https://twitter.com/Joseph_Padilla_/status/1537181900510580736 https://twitter.com/Aaron_Loya71/status/1536408998429151232 https://twitter.com/Joseph_Padilla_/status/1534353840060805120 https://twitter.com/Aaron_Loya71/status/1535992606722695176