Bernalillo goes undefeated in 7-on-7s, looks for successful season

Football teams from Bernalillo, Capitol, Valley and Legacy high schools met at Spartan Stadium June 15 for 7-on-7 matchups.

“We got about 60 boys out this year, which is the most I have ever had since I have been here, and I will be starting my 17th year in Bernalillo,” said head coach John Cobos, the longest-tenured football coach in Bernalillo High School history.

Bernalillo played four 25-minute games (twice against Valley) and went undefeated (Bernalillo 30, Valley 6; Bernalillo 12, Capitol 0; Bernalillo 24, Legacy 18; Bernalillo 36, Valley 18)

Bernalillo quarterback Uriel Castro showcased impressive accuracy and threatened secondaries with his deep ball. Castro was able to make throws in all three levels of the field and even gave his receivers nice opportunities for contested catches.

“I have been working on my timing. We all have that one goal at the end of the year to get that blue trophy,” Castro said. “Deep balls are my favorite, but I am trying to work on my short balls, check down stuff."

Castro’s contributions did not end there as he also played safety, recording a couple of interceptions throughout the day.

“Junior year, he had 25 touchdown passes, four picks. This year, as a senior, we are going to put a lot of things in his hands. Him and my offensive coordinator, Coach Blake Miller, are really in sync. We really trust Uriel, and he is really showing us why he was chosen as a captain for our team,” Cobos said.

Besides being a two-way player for the football team, Castro is a multi-sport athlete who plays on the basketball and baseball teams.

Another Spartan who impressed was junior wide receiver and defensive back Kenneth Saiz.

“I’m just putting in that work. Getting the corners to flip their hips then going the other way and getting the ball in the end zone,” Saiz said. “All thanks to my quarterback, and to the other wide receivers for distracting the corners.”

Saiz was clearly the favorite target of Castro and scored in every game. In the last game against Valley, Saiz scored the hat trick, recording three touchdown catches.

“We [Saiz and Castro] butt heads a lot but it’s because we like to compete against each other and get better. At the end of the day we can trust each other; it’s ride-or-die on this team. We have a good connection with the whole team,” Castro said.

Another Spartan weapon who made contributions was sophomore Ulisses Castro, who plays tight end and is also the quarterback’s brother. Standing at 6 feet, 2 inches, Ulisses’ long strides — and catch radius — gave headaches to opposing defensive backs in all four games.

Missing from 7-on-7 reps were wide receiver Gabe Trujillo, who is recovering from injury, and Joseph Duran, who is a transfer from Volcano Vista.

The most exciting game of the day came against Legacy. Legacy’s quarterback Lorenzo Sedillo-Urban displayed an impressive release and spin on the ball that led to three passing touchdowns against Bernalillo.

“It was a back-and-forth game. I feel like we have something good going here; we’ve been going against a bunch of good teams, and we have been hanging with them,” Sedillo-Urban said.

The game became a duel between both team's talented quarterbacks, and in the span of four plays there were four touchdowns — all slings from the quarterbacks.

With a couple minutes left to go, Sedillo-Urban drove Legacy’s offense inside in the 10 with a chance to tie the game. However, Saiz was able to record an interception and secure the win for Bernalillo.

Winning has become the norm at Bernalillo. The previous week, the Spartans were undefeated for the first time ever going 8-0 in 7-on-7 matchups, including a 28-27 win over Bloomfield.

“We got some athletes that we are really excited about this year,” Cobos said. “Come check us out on Friday nights. It’s a great atmosphere. Our administration, our superintendent, our school board, our athletic director, everybody is really behind us and what it is that we are doing.”

Bernalillo’s next test will be at 5 p .m. June 27, when the team hosts another 7-on-7 session at Spartan Stadium. The teams attending will be Cibola, St. Pius, St. Michael’s, Valencia, Valley, Volcano Vista and Cleveland.