RIO RANCHO- The New Mexico high school football season has come to a close, and on December 4, Gatorade will announce the winner of the 2025 New Mexico Football Gatorade Player of the Year award. Here are the 10 players that we believe are in the conversation to earn the distinctive honor.

Below you will find some stats from the candidates, and some insight into each player. Please, keep in my mind that stats from yesterday’s state championships games have yet to be finalized. 

Now, based on past winners, the GPOY follows similar voting tendencies to that of an NFL MVP award. Here are some important things to know before looking at these rankings: 

1. Quarterbacks are valued higher than any position. After quarterback, running backs get the nod. The rest of the positions have an uphill climb to win the GPOY. 

2. The higher the class of football, the higher chances to win GPOY. 

3. The GPOY typically goes to a player on a contending team or a state championship team.

4. Strong recruiting profiles seem to help build cases for GPOY. 

Without further ado, here is our list (no order):

1. Las Cruces running back Danny Amaro (senior):

–2025 stats: 1,843 rushing yards, 42 rushing TDs, 23 catches, 417 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, and one passing touchdown.

BREAKDOWN: Danny Amaro has had one of the greatest seasons in New Mexico sports history. His rushing touchdowns (42) would place him second all-time, and his total touchdowns (46) would place him third all-time. Amaro has gashed defenses all year, and helped the Bulldawgs to a 6A state championship appearance. Amaro was a physical runner with the body control to dominate the line of scrimmage. The three-sport athlete will certainly be in the Las Cruces Bulldawgs hall of fame someday, and has generated a ton of interest to play football at the next level

2. Cleveland quarterback Jordan Hatch (senior):

–2025 stats: 2,808 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 120 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown.

BREAKDOWN: Cleveland has had a ton of notable quarterbacks suit up for the Storm, and I believe Jordan Hatch just might be the best of them all. Disciplined, methodical, and a live arm to dish out passes. Other Storm quarterbacks to win GPOY in Storm history include Cole Gautsche, Gabe Ortega, and Evan Wysong. I’ll have to check with the Cleveland brass but I believe Hatch’s 87 career passing touchdowns just might be the most in school history, and his 40 passing touchdowns this season is one more than Gautsche threw in 2011; the season Gautsche won GPOY.

3. Cibola athlete Hayes Baum (senior):

-2025 stats: 17 rushing touchdowns, 902 rushing yards, 116 total tackles, two interceptions, seven sacks, and 12 tackles for loss. 

-BREAKDOWN: Baum was a two-player in the highest class of football, and played in the hardest division in the state. Baum brought the boom as a flying linebacker, and as a downhill running quarterback. Baum filled up the stat sheets in every statistical category, and helped revitalize the Cougars football program. His biggest strength is his leadership both on the field and off it. Baum is also committed to play football for the UNM Lobos next season.

4. Los Alamos running back Jordan Herrera (junior): 

-2025 stats: 2,222 rushing yards, 34 rushing touchdowns, 224 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.

-BREAKDOWN: Herrera is a rare three-down back with the physicality, and nasty, to break wimpy tacklers and tire out defenses. Herrera was the focal point of the Hilltoppers offense, and helped Los Alamos to an undefeated regular season. Though they lost in the playoffs to Gadsden, Herrera still thumped his way to 193 rushing yards and two touchdowns.The junior led the state in rushing yards (2222), and is the only player to rush for more than 2,000 yards this season. His character is also outstanding, and  always wants to highlight the play of his offensive lineman, a group that are nicknamed, “The Hawgs.”

5. Hobbs quarterback Junior Medrano (junior): 

– 2025 stats: 1,679 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 1439 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns.

-BREAKDOWN: Gosh, was Junior fun to watch this year. For those wondering, the perfect option quarterback resides in Hobbs, New Mexico. Medrano has a ton of burst, and elusiveness, in open space to break a ton of ankles on the field. His success as a runner led to 1,400 plus rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.As a passer, Medrano can absolutely drop the pigskin in a bucket, and exploit the soft spots in zone. I’m also a big fan of the IQ he displayed on whether to pull the ball or allow one of his guys to bounce carries to the outside. The Eagles made a ton of noise this season, and even made a semifinals appearance in the 6A state playoffs. With Medrano returning to the fold, expect Hobbs to contend once again for a 6A trophy.

6. Artesia quarterback Derrick Warren (senior):

-2025 stats: 2,605 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns, and 176 rushing yards.

-BREAKDOWN: Warren has the quickest release out of any of the guys on this list, and was a dominant thrower while operating from the pocket. Moon balls, back shoulders, fast balls, etc. Warren could do it all. During the 2025 season, Warren proved to be one of the best pure passers in the state, and showcased a ton of grit this season. With the season on the line against Roswell,  Warren came up clutch in the state title game by throwing the game winning touchdown to receiver Jack Byers. The point after secured another 5A state championship, and proved that Warren has ice in his veins.

7. Bloomfield quarterback Manuel “Peanut” Chavarria (senior):

-2025 stats: 3,253 passing yards, 553 rushing yards, 53 passing touchdowns, and 14 rushing touchdowns,

-BREAKDOWN: Chavarria sat behind Bloomfield legend Blake Spencer for years before getting his turn as QB1. In 2025, the “The Peanut Show” took over 4A football. Chavarria was a “must watch” player who could make any throw, throw from many different arm angles, throw off platform, and was a threat as a runner. The Bloomfield offense scored more than 50 points in 11 games this season, and scored more than 60 points in six games. In those games, Chavarria tossed 53 passing touchdowns which would place him fourth all-time in passing touchdowns thrown in a season. As a runner, he scored 14 rushing touchdowns.

8. St Pius X running back Hershul Olloway Jr. (junior)

-2025 stats: 1,850 plus rushing yards, 28 rushing touchdowns, 15 catches, and one racing touchdowns

-BREAKDOWN: Herschel Olloway Jr. has home run speed, and the type of patience that made Le’Veon Bell a dominant player in the NFL. The loaded Sartans offense ran through Olloway Jr., and he proved to be one of the best bell cows in the state. In the past two seasons, Olloway Jr. racked up 3,998 scrimmage yards, and 55 total touchdowns. The talented junior has the most 50-plus yard runs in the state, and averages 12 yards a carry. It’s not a shocker that he has three D1 offers on the table with more on the horizon. Simply put, Herschel is a playmaker, and a Madden “create-a-player” come to life. 

9. La Cueva safety Jhett Kinghorn (senior)

-2025 stats: 72 total tackles, 47 solo, and 25 assists. 6 INTs, 3 FR, 4 TDs, 3 blocked kicks, and 1 TFL. 

-BREAKDOWN: This La Cueva defense was crazy productive this year, and Jhett Kinghorn was an absolute ballhawk this season. Passes defended, interceptions, fumble recoveries, blocked kicks, the senior safety did it all. He was also a force in run support, and routinely turned a turnover into six points. The La Cueva defense had 13 defensive touchdowns, and Kinghorn was responsible for four of them. After starting the season 0-2, the Bears stormed back, and reached the 6A state semifinals. It was also another 10-win season for the powerhouse Bears program. 

10. Las Cruces linebacker Denton Walter (junior)

-2025 stats: 2 INTs, 2 PDs, 7 sacks, 18 QB hurries, 186 total tackles, and 19 tackles for loss. 

-BREAKDOWN: The Las Cruces Bulldawgs utilized junior linebacker Denton Walter in many different ways this year. He could play any of the backer spots, play the nickel, stick his hand in the dirt, etc. He was a threat on blitz packages, a disciplined cover man, and a true quarterback on defense. The stats from the 6A state championship game have not been finalized yet but the tackling machine was approaching 200 total tackles. Before the state title game, it was listed on MaxPreps that he had 186 total tackles. If either of those numbers are true, that would be the most in New Mexico high school history. 

This list is presented by Transcend, and we want to thank Transcend for supporting New Mexico high school athletes. Here’s a word from our sponsor: “At Transcend, we help athletes maximize their speed and performance through structured, data-driven training. As New Mexico’s Premier speed training facility, our approach pairs precision technology with expert coaching to produce reliable, measurable gains. Join a training environment where speed is the culture and performance is the outcome. “