Los Alamos coach Garett Williams gives direction during practice last year at Sullivan Field. The Hilltoppers may have lost some seniors from a squad that went 9-3 last season, but Williams is still optimistic about their chances.
Los Alamos coach Garett Williams gives direction during practice last year at Sullivan Field. The Hilltoppers may have lost some seniors from a squad that went 9-3 last season, but Williams is still optimistic about their chances.
LOS ALAMOS -- To call Garett Williams an optimist would be an understatement.
Entering his 15th season as head coach of the Los Alamos football team — his 17th overall dating to his two years as an assistant to then-coach Bob Scott — the pride and joy of a small West Texas town has developed an unflappable edge to him when talking about his team.
“The way I see it,” he begins, his gritty voice straight out of central casting for a no-nonsense ranch hand in a Kevin Costner movie, “I’ve been through a lot in my time here, and I know when we’ve got something. We’ve had some struggles and we’ve had some good times. This team, it has something. When I look at what we got and what’s in front of us, we can compete. I know we can.”
The Hilltoppers won nine games a year ago and reached the second round of the state playoffs in a top-heavy Class 5A. A good portion of that team has been lost to graduation, although enough key starters are back to make things interesting this fall.
“We lost that big senior class, but we’ve got about 12 [seniors] coming back who’ve been through a lot with us so I’m not too worried,” Williams said. “We’ve got some young dudes in there, but we’ve got a lot of speed, a lot of guys who got some experience last year when we had all those injuries. Our depth is young but what we’ve got up front is experienced guys.”
It starts with quarterback Kyle Evenhus, a senior who platooned at QB to start last season while dealing with a shoulder injury. He’s healthy and ready to take the reigns as the undisputed voice of the huddle.
“He’s looking like a senior should, man,” Williams said. “That dude is out here leading this team and bringing these guys out there like you’d want a returning senior starter to do at quarterback. He’s played like crazy this summer, done everything we’ve asked since we got started. No worries with him.”
The line in front of Evenhus returns three starters, although pretty much everyone else is new-ish to the top of the depth chart. Nowhere is that more accurate than the backfield where senior Nate Larson takes over as the primary ballcarrier.
Behind him is sophomore Jordan Herrera, a starter on the junior varsity last season who’s now expected to see plenty of field time this fall.
“That’s one of the spots we’re having to replace with some young or inexperienced guys but we’ll be good,” Williams said.
The returning starters in the trenches are Diego Garcia, Matt Brousseau and Jaydon Dudley, each of whom will fill the void on defense, as well. Garcia’s the biggest player on the team and will start at guard, although his versatility might allow him to shift as the situation dictates.
The skill positions will be a work in progress. Gone is speedster Melaki Gutierrez, now a freshman at the University of New Mexico.
“Well, you don’t replace a guy like Melaki who, if I’m being honest, is the fastest dude I ever coached,” Williams said. “He had some guys on the track team with him last year and those guys are back. We’ll have speed, just not Melaki Gutierrez-kinda speed. But, I mean, who does?”
Akim Leija returns as the most seasoned vet at receiver. The 5-foot-9 senior was a starter a year ago and has the speed to extend the field with vertical routes. Evenhus is known as a big-armed QB, so there may be the need to stretch it — assuming the running game does its part. Same, too, with playmakers like Dylan Baca and sophomore Ben Brousseau out of the slot.
Like everyone else, Los Alamos is dealing with new surroundings.
Drastic realignment has left 5A with just two districts. They essentially cut the state in half with teams from the north and central part of New Mexico in District 1 with the Hilltoppers, and a southern-based league that houses powerhouse programs like Artesia, Lovington, Roswell, Goddard and Mayfield.
Los Alamos is joined by Capital, Rio Grande, Belen, Valley, Del Norte, Highland and Miyamura. Those seven district games leave just three tuneups for a schedule that has four of those 1-5A opponents visiting Sullivan Field.
“Look, man, I’m excited about our chances,” Williams said. “You don’t need to win the district since there’s only two left, but playing well with those teams is something we can do right now. We might not be as deep as we were last year, but we’re right there.”
And with that, another season of Hilltoppers football under the West Texas guy (and former Eastern New Mexico player) commences.
“And you know what?” Williams said, pausing to shoo away a wayward fly, “I like what we’re doing here. We’re ready for this.”
