Clash of Styles: Moriarty’s Ground Attack Braces for Academy’s Aerial Strike

MORIARTY, N.M. (AP) — Riding the momentum of a stingy defense and a punishing ground attack, the undefeated Moriarty Pintos will look to keep rolling Friday night when they host the Albuquerque Academy Chargers.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Moriarty High School.

The Pintos (2-0) enter the non-district clash fresh off a statement 34-8 home victory over No. 7-ranked Pojoaque Valley, having outscored their first two opponents by a combined 86-8 margin. That performance extended Moriarty’s home winning streak to six games dating back to last fall.

Senior standout Royce Dennisson has spearheaded the surge on both sides of the ball. In last week’s win, Dennisson racked up 179 rushing yards and three touchdowns on offense while anchoring the secondary with two interceptions.

Dennisson shares the offensive workload with a deep backfield committee that includes Mateo Manley-Griego and Mario Romero. Manley-Griego, who punched in a goal-line score against Pojoaque Valley, led the team with 106 yards in the season opener against Thoreau, while Romero chipped in 93 yards against Thoreau and added a 20-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run last Friday.

Defensively, Moriarty head coach Gabriel Romero’s unit has been opportunistic. The Pintos forced four interceptions last week—two by Dennisson alongside takeaways from Tanner Denomme and Cash Carpenter—while holding a dynamic Pojoaque Valley backfield largely in check.

The Chargers will look to disrupt Moriarty’s ball-control tempo and test the Pintos’ secondary downfield, but they face a hostile environment in the East Mountains against a team currently operating on all cylinders.

Friday night’s matchup in Moriarty presents a pure clash of football philosophies: Albuquerque Academy’s high-volume aerial spread attack against Moriarty’s clock-chewing ground game and ball-hawking secondary.

Albuquerque Academy Scheme Overview

• Offensive System: Spread / Air Raid principles. Academy relies heavily on quick-rhythm throws, perimeter screens, and intermediate boundary routes to stretch defenses horizontally before taking vertical shots. Senior quarterback William Braun operates predominantly from the shotgun, averaging nearly 300 passing yards per contest and spreading targets across multiple receivers.
• Primary Targets: Senior wideout Logan Hague is Braun’s go-to playmaker, averaging roughly 180 to 200 receiving yards per game with big-play ability after the catch. Hunter Gilmore and Emilio Houghton serve as reliable secondary options on quick crossers and bubble screens.
• Running Game: Complementary and light-volume. The Chargers run mostly zone-read and draw looks out of single-back sets with William Doscher and Jude Luehring to keep edge rushers honest, averaging under 70 yards per game on the ground.
• Defensive System: Multiple 3-4 front. Defensive tackle Garrett Lassiter commands interior gaps, while linebackers William Doscher and Greyson Staley flow sideline-to-sideline against outside zone runs. Wheeler Smidt leads the secondary at safety, frequently dropping down to supply an extra defender in the box.

Keys to Victory

• For Moriarty: Finish drives with touchdowns rather than field goals, stay disciplined in pass coverage without blowing assignments on play-action, and leverage the ground attack to dictate tempo.