Castaneda Ranked 4th Among New Mexico Class 6A Receivers
By Don Eskins
Carlsbad Caveman quarterback Kason Perez’s efforts on the gridiron this past season have earned him one of the Land of Enchantment’s top gems.
Perez, who completed 170 of 273 passes for 2,173 yards and 27 touchdowns, closed out 2024 as New Mexico’s top quarterback for total yards passing in Class 6A football.
At 5’10” and 175 lbs., the Carlsbad High School senior connected on 62.27% of his passes with just seven interceptions.
Perez’s story, which started out with a lot of question marks about his ability to lead the Cavemen, couldn’t have ended better for Carlsbad High’s highly motivated signal-caller, according to Caveman head coach Cale Sanders.
“Last year, in my first season as CHS’s head football coach, I decided to build my program, offensively, with Kason behind center,” said Sanders. “2023 was a pretty tough year on all of us, having lost 28 seniors the previous year, so as was expected, we had a pretty difficult season.
“With so many young and inexperienced players on the field, it was especially tough on Kason. He hit only 52% of his passes—102 of 201—for 1,288 yards with 15 interceptions,” said the CHS coach. “So, over the course of preparing for this year, he had quite a few doubters.”
Despite the number of those who felt like Kason might not be the right fit for CHS’s offense in 2024, Sanders stuck with him.
“I saw something special in Kason. Most people never got a chance to work or spend time with him the way I did,” Sanders said with a smile. “He showed up every day ready to work. A great leader on and off the field, always upbeat and positive, nobody worked harder to get better every day and to help us win than he did. Having said that, I’m in no way surprised at the success he enjoyed this year. Here in the Cavemen Camp, we couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Sanders’ efforts to elevate Perez’s play for CHS’s run in 2024 didn’t go unnoticed.
“Having coach Sanders pushing me so hard on my reads and execution during our off-season program, along with having more experienced players around me, made a big difference in how well I played this year,” said Perez. “Despite my low numbers in 2023, Coach Sanders always believed in me. He knew what I was capable of achieving, and because of his confidence and constant effort to help me get better, I was able to elevate my level of play this year.”
Besides having the opportunity to lead the Cavemen this past season, his performance under center was an easy choice for Perez to make when asked what he was most proud of in 2024.
That would have to be closing out my senior year as the leading passer in Class 6A football, cutting down on my interception rate from 15 in 2023 to just 7 this season, and throwing 27 touchdown passes, 16 more than last year,” he said.
“It’s been an awesome feeling finishing out my senior year as the leading passer for total yards in Class 6A football. Although I realize that I had a lot of help from my coaches and teammates to achieve the feat, I’ve worked really hard this year. I believe I earned and deserved it.”Although he hasn’t committed to play with any post-secondary schools, Perez hopes to compete collegiately next year.
“I’ve visited with West Texas A&M and a few other schools but haven’t signed with anyone at this time,” he said. “Right now, I’m still communicating with a few schools. I’m not sure how things are going to work out, but I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to play somewhere next year.”
Castaneda Top 10 Receiver
Among Class 6A’s top 10 receivers in 2024 was Caveman Bobby Castaneda, CHS quarterback Kason Perez’s most targeted receiver.
Castaneda, a 5’9,” 158 lb. junior wide-out, hauled in 48 of Perez’s passes for 711 yards and 10 touchdowns, an average of 14.81 yards per catch. For his efforts, he closed out the season as the fourth-best receiver for total yards gained in New Mexico Class 6A football.
“Bobby is the kind of player who possesses what I call the ‘it factor.’ There’s something very special about him. He has good hands, runs good routes, and he does all the little things necessary to be a great player,” said Sanders. “When we needed a big play, we often called his number. He usually came through when we called on him.
“Like Kason, Bobby’s a hard worker and a good leader,” added Sanders. “We were fortunate to have had him this season, but even better than that, we’ll have him back next year.”
While Perez and Castaneda loomed as two of the top players on New Mexico’s prep football stage in 2024, they were equally impressive at home. That story, next week.
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