Americas head coach Patrick Melton preached to his team about putting themselves in position to make a run in the postseason. The Trailblazers nearly accomplished everything that they set to do, winning a share of the district title, winning their second ever playoff game, and advancing to the area round of the playoffs before falling to Abilene High.
When all is said in done, the Trailblazers had one of their best years thanks to one of the best running backs in the state. Josh Fields had one of the best seasons in El Paso high school football history, finishing with nearly 2,500 yards and 31 total touchdowns, which earned him a spot on the All-State first team for Class 6A by the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors. He will be gone next year, but another explosive player will be in line to take his place.
Tremaine Henderson was Americas’ leading receiver last year (680 yards, 9 TDs) and one of their most dynamic threats on the outside. From all indications, he will move over to the backfield next season and be a versatile weapon for the Blazers to use. That means the Blazers will have a completely different look at receiver as Arturo Rubio and Jacob Monarez are graduating as is quarterback Cristian Estorga.
On defense, the Blazers will have to replace several key starters including Monarez (5 INT) and Xavier Brooks in the secondary, linebacker Jason Vargas, and lineman Kolton Lindeman, Mike Muñoz, and Alex Guel among several others. Free safety Isaac Olmeda (49 tackles) will return next year as he may be one player Melton and his staff look at to step up in their absence. Gabriel Villa and Ivan Garcia both made solid contributions last season as juniors and could be in line for big roles as seniors.
Overall, the Blazers will have their hands full in a District 1-6A that is typically very competitive at the top. After sharing the district title Montwood and El Dorado, the Blazers will look to get back to the top of the city and make another run into the playoffs.
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