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By JIM McELROY AP Sports WriterState finalists Socorro and Albuquerque Academy and perennial power Artesia dominated the Class AAA prep football Associated Press All-State team for 1977.The three squads accounted for about two-thirds of the players named to the honor squad’s first team as each filled three positions on the offensive unit and three on the defensive.State champion Socorro was paced by Ray Aragon who was named to the defensive unit at end and the offensive unit as the place kicker. He was joined on the first team by teammates Jess Davis at guard and Joel Haley atAm \SrBy The Associated Press 1V77 Class AAA All-State First Team OffenseE —Richard Peabody, Tucumcari, .; jay Pozenel, Academy, Sr.T —Oscar Bejarano, Artesia, Sr., Albert Pacheco, Socorro, Sr.., RichBowden, Taos, Sr G—Lee Blevins, Portales, Sr.; BillyIsidoro, Academy, Sr.; Jess Davis,Socorro, Sr.C -Richard Kafton, Artesia, Sr QB Toby Rhodes, Artesia, Sr.B Harvey Valdez, Raton, Sr ; Joel Haley, Socorro, Sr.; Ronnie Bookout, Tuiarosa, Sr.; Pat Johnson, Academy, SrKicker- Ray Aragon, Socorro, Sr DefenseE Ray Aragon, Socorro, Sr ; Jack Parrish, Academy, Sr.T- Mark Hillesheim, Portales, Sr., Baron Chandler, Artesia, Sr NG—George Gonzales, Socorro, Sr LB -Jimmy Hamilton, Artesia, Sr., Lee Sedberry, Academy, SrB Toby Rhodes, Artesia, Sr , Bruce Owens, Portales, Sr , Chuck Bruni, Academy, Sr.; Ronald Apodaca, Socorro, Sr.Punter- Joe Muhlberger, St Pius, Sr , Kyle Woodard, T or C, Jr.Second Team OffenseE John Arrellanes, West Las Vegas, Sr , Mark Shell, Silver Gty, Sr.T Gary Hooper, Tuiarosa,Joseph Torres, Socorro, Sr G Tim Baharovich, K Central, James Rivera, Tucumcari, Sr C — Brian Branch, Academy, Sr QB Ron Harman, Portales,JrSrrunning back on the offensive unit and George Gonzales at nose guard and Ronald Apodaca at a backfield slot on the defensive squad.Academy, which was undefeated until Aragon’s two field goals stopped the Chargers in the title game, placed end Jay Pozenel, guard Billy Isidoro and running back Pat Johnson on offense and end Jack Parrish, linebacker Lee Sedberry and back Chuck Bruni on defense.Artesia’s Toby Rhodes, who was the top vote getter on offense and defense, topped the Bulldog contingent named to the first team. Rhodes was selected as the quarterback on offense and to one of the four defensive back slots.; JerryDannyRonaldSrScott Cain, Silver City, SrB Rodney Payne, Lovington, Sr., Danny Trujillo, Taos, Sr ; Alan Lopez, Socorro, SrKicker Chuck Bruni, Academy, SrDefenseE Flint Miller, Artesia, Sr Armijo, Raton, SrT~Ken Dean, Tohatchi, Sr Gomez, West Las Vegas, Sr.,Romero, T or C, Sr NG Billy Jones, Portales, Sr.LB Larry Ivy, Artesia, Sr.; Ronnie Bookout, Tuiarosa, Sr., Chris Aguilar, Socorro, Sr B Adolph Valenzuela, Raton, Jr., Eddie Hernandez, Los Lunas, Sr , Tim O'Neill, Academy, Jr., Joe Gonzales, Socorro, SrPunter Jude Key, Bernalillo, SrHonorable Mention OffenseE Wallace Clah, Wingate, Sr , Paul Alexander, Lovington, Sr ; M G.Stinnett, Portales, Sr., Ray Trujillo, Raton, Sr , Mick David, Tucumcari, Sr QB Steve Zagar, Tuiarosa Jr , Kenny Padilla, Socorro, Jr ; Chris Cook( Deming, Sr ; Tim Towndrow, Raton, SrB- Junior Almager, Artesia, Sr.; Paul Hatch Portales, Jr Cornell Evans, Tucumcari, Jr ; Mike Romero, St Michael's, Sr ; Gary Tripp, West Las Vegas, Jr., Jeff Pineda, Socorro,jrOefenseE Wallace Clah, Wingate, Sr , Steve Knee, St. Pius, Sr NG Anthony Ortega, Raton, Jr.; Mike Moore, K Central, Sr LB Mike Ortega, Raton«Other Bulldogs singled out by the voters included offensive tackle Oscar Bejarano, offensive center Richard Kafton, defensive tackle Baron Chandler and linebacker Jimmy Hamilton.Only two other teams, Portales and Raton, managed to grab more than one position on the first team.Portales’ Lee Blevins was the top vote getter among the offensive guards, while Mark Hillesheim led the voting for defensive tackle and Bruce Owens was right behind Rhodes in the balloting in the defensive backfield.Raton’s Harvey Valdez was the top vote getter among the running backs and Albert Pacheco was named as an offensive tackle.Rounding out the squad selected by member AP sports editors and sports writers and Class AAA coaches were offensive end Richard Peabody of Tucumcari, offensive tackle Rich Bowden of Taos, running back Ronnie Bookout of Tuiarosa, and punters Joe Muhlberger of Albuquerque St. Pius and Kyle Woodard of Truth or Consequences.Ties at four positions resulted in there being 28 slots on the squad. The deadlocks in the voting occurred between Davis and Isidoro at offensive guard, Pacheco and Bowden at offensive tackle, Bookout and Johnson at running back and Muhlberger and Woodard at punter.In all, there were 26 players representing 10 teams included on the first team.Rhodes, who was a first team pick at defensive back a year ago, was the only repeater. And next year’s team is assured of not having more than one repeater since Woodard, a junior, was the only underclassman on the 1977 All-State first team.
Newspaper Details
Alamogordo Daily News
Alamogordo, New Mexico, US
Fri, Dec 09, 1977
Page 5
Full Page
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TX, USA 26 Jun 2020
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