'We have high expectations' Trailblazers believe 2023 could be special

Editor's Note: The El Paso Times continues its high school football countdown with No. 6 Americas. The regular season begins on Aug. 24-25.

Outlook for 2023 season

Veteran coach Noe Robles takes over an Americas program which had several successful seasons under Patrick Melton. Robles brings plenty of optimism and hard work to a program which wasn't far away from a big season in 2022. The Trailblazers have a good mix of experience and underclassmen, which are expected to contribute. The Trailblazers should be very good on offense and if the defense can be consistent, Americas could easily find itself in the playoffs.

A look back at 2022

The Trailblazers finished 5-5 overall and 5-3 in District 1-6A, but just missed on winning three more games. Americas lost 24-16 to Midland Christian, 24-22 to Eastlake and 20-19 to Eastwood.

How the offense rates

Quarterback Mark Moore is a proven playmaker and last year he passed for more than 1,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000.

Wide receiver Anthony Miranda returns after catching 53 passes a season ago and look for Omarion Dumas and Abdiel Rincon to also contribute at wide receiver. Up front, Josiah Morales will help lead the way and running back Cameron Johnson is expected to step in and contribute.

How the defense rates

Americas has some solid leaders on defense. Linebacker Sadante Scott-Gomez had 118 tackles last season, defensive end Timothy Galloway had 11 sacks as a junior and defensive back Mario Holguin is a playmaker on the backside of the defense. Look for Stephen Gutierrez to also play a key role on the defensive line.

What the coach is saying

"Our kids are working hard, are putting in good work and we've had some great leadership," Robles said. "We made some changes to our defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and we'll play more spread on offense. But our kids have adjusted and have been learning some new things every day. We play two tough non-district games and then we head into a tough district schedule."

What the players are saying

"We're excited for the season, we have high expectations and we believe we will be good on the defensive side of the ball," Gutierrez said. "We've grown as a team and we're doing good things."

Added Miranda: "We have high expectations and we plan on living up to them. We've built a strong bond and have good chemistry."

Added Moore: "We'll bring physicality and self discipline to the game this year. We're going for that gold ball and we're excited for the season. We've been growing each day, learning more with the new staff. We have a good mix of veterans and newcomers."

More: EP HS football players to watch Meet 50 El Paso high school football players to watch in 2023

Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: No. 6 Americas has potential to make major strides in 2023