Hózhó Academy football eyes improvement in Year 2

FORT DEFIANCE – The Hózhó Academy football team took its lumps last year as a first-year varsity program.

The Wolves went 2-7 overall while playing a freelance schedule, it’s only wins coming against Cloudcroft and the Legacy Academy JV team.

“We got 12 juniors that are kind of the foundation of the team,” head coach Cyle Balok said. “They’re the core group of our team. Last season they kind of took their licks with it being our first varsity season.

“We had some eighth graders on the team, and they had to play up last year,” he added. “We have all of them back, and they’re a good bunch to be around. They’re setting good examples for our community and for our younger students at Hózhó.”

Last Saturday the second-year coach brought a handful of players to the Window Rock 7-on-7 tournament, as the Wolves finished third in pool play with a 2-2 record behind Holbrook and Monument Valley.

Hózhó lost a 26-2 decision to Holbrook, and it dropped an 18-6 outing with MV. The Wolves defeated Tuba City 19-6 and blanked Newcomb 14-0.

“Honestly, we’re kind of a little disappointed,” Balok said of his squad’s finish. “We had a couple of games that we felt like we missed a few plays. We had really high expectations coming into this.”

Balok insists the players have bought into the vision of what the program is trying to do. And without them, he believes the school wouldn’t be able to offer any sports programs like football.

“It’s very common to lose kids between eighth and ninth grade for charter schools, but these guys have stayed committed,” Balok said. “They’ve stuck to the plan, and they understand the vision. They’re the pioneers, and they’re the ones laying the foundation for our school.”

The charter school was first opened in 2019 and it offers baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, softball, track and volleyball.

Last season Balok enlisted 25 athletes at the start of the football season. They suited up 13 for its last game of the season.

“It was pretty tough, but it was good character building for the kids to work through a season like that,” said Balok, who previously coached at Gallup High in the early 2010s. “They’re excited to be back for more.”

Like his coach, veteran player Jakoby Spencer painted a similar picture about the 2023 football season.

“We went through a lot,” Spencer said. “We had a lot of injuries, and we lost some to grades, so we lost a lot of people. It was pretty hard, but we got through it. For the players that finished out the season I think it made us more resilient.”

Last December the New Mexico Activities Association released the new two-year block for sports and Hózhó was placed in District 1-2A. The Wolves will compete for a district title against Cuba, Laguna Acoma, McCurdy, Navajo Prep and Newcomb.

Of those teams, Cuba, Navajo Prep and Newcomb moved down a classification while McCurdy and Laguna Acoma moved from a much smaller district in 2A.

“It’s gonna be a tough district,” Balok said. “We actually played with four of those schools last year. We scrimmaged against Newcomb at the start of the year, and we played against McCurdy, Navajo Prep and Laguna.

“We’re gonna have our hands full, but I think we have the guys to compete,” Balok said. “We’re definitely not going to be rolling over. It’s a district that we can compete in. We got some athleticism on our team. Just like anybody else, if we can make it through without too many injuries and if we can keep the kids on the field we’re going to be in good shape.”

Some of the top returners for the Wolves include sophomore Abraham Azua and juniors Wyatt Piano, Cross Malcolm, Isaiah Bennet, Brandon Bonaguidi and Spencer.

“The thing about starting a new program is you’re not losing any kids,” Balok said. “Everybody that’s returned really contributed to the team last year and we’re really leaning on them to do the same again this year.”

With a solid core coming back, the Hózhó coach is hoping they can earn a state playoff bid and, perhaps, win a first-round game.

“That is what we’re aiming for,” Balok said. “We’d like to win our district or at least finish second, but it’s gonna be tough. Nobody is gonna give it to us.

“We’re gonna have to work hard and earn it,” he added.

Spencer concurred while noting that the team has a closer bond this year to seek out those objectives.

“Our main goal is to win as many games as we can,” said Spencer, who is slated to play receiver and defensive back.

“As a team, we’ve built a brotherhood and we need to keep building that every week,” he said. “Next year will be our last year together, so I want us to leave the program in good standing, you know, for the up-and-coming middle school kids.”

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