2025-26 Team Preview: Manzano Monarchs

2025-26 MANZANO MONARCHS PREVIEW   OVERVIEW   Last season was a struggle for Manzano as the Monarchs lost 12 of their last 13 games and finished 7-20 overall, well off the pace in District 5A-2. Head coach Andrew Dunnell hopes for a better season in 2025-26 but acknowledges the challenges Manzano faces in climbing the ladder.   “We're a smaller school playing at the highest (Class 5A) level,” Dunnell told Prep Hoops New Mexico. “We've been struggling to compete at that level. We're continuing to build and making sure we're approaching things the right way as we try to get to where we need to be.”   The Manzano football program chose to move down to Class 4A after struggling for several years at the Class 6A and 5A levels. The move has given Manzano a better chance to compete against schools of similar size. Is a move to Clas 4A imminent for Manzano hoops for the 2026-28 cycle when the NMAA meets in December? Possibly.                PLAYERS TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='2694458' first='Bryce' last='Johnson'] (Sr., 6-2, F/G): Manzano's leading scorer and rebounder in 2024-25. Averaged 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Totaled 56 3-pointers, most on the Monarchs. Enjoyed a solid summer. Embraced the role of being the team leader. “Bryce was one of the pleasant surprises from last year,” Dunnell said. “If you had told me before last season that Bryce would be our leading scorer, I wouldn't have believed you. He came into his own last year. He plays inside and outside. He's probably our best post player and our best shooter. Offensively, he doesn't have many weaknesses. Bryce will be the staple of our team. The offense will run through him. He knows this is his team. He knows he's the leader.”   Brandon Martinez (Sr, 6-2, G): Martinez returns to the Monarchs after stepping away from basketball in 2024-25. He last played for Manzano in 2023-24 as a sophomore, mostly on the JV team. Dunnell expects him to be Manzano's second leading scorer behind Johnson this coming season. “Brandon had a very good summer. He's very talented,” Dunnell said. “Since we've had him back, he's been very good for us. He can shoot. He's played AAU his entire life, so he has a natural ability to play basketball. Keep his head right is the key for him.”   [player_tooltip player_id='2714693' first='Broden' last='Price'] (So., 6-2, F/G): Right now, Price is standing out on the Manzano football team. Last year, he divided time between JV and varsity as a freshman. “We threw Broden into the mix last season around the time district play started,” Dunnell said. “He starts for the football team and he'll probably be a starter for us. He's a four-year guy for us. I expect Broden will do a lot more for us this season. He's a great athlete. He's a big body. He can rebound and cause chaos on the defensive end. His offensive game is improving.”                      NAMES TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='2616633' first='JJ' last='Towery'] (Sr., 5-10, G): Averaged 2.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in a reserve role for the Monarchs last season. Expected to be the starting point guard after serving as the backup PG in 2024-25. Transferred from Eldorado as a sophomore. Played well during the summer and looks to be ‘coming into his own.' He'll play the majority of the minutes at PG. Good shooter.   Justin Duran (Sr., 5-10, G): Second-leading returning scorer for the Monarchs. Also plays football. Good athlete. Averaged 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in 2024-25 in limited minutes. Dunnell hopes the experience he got last season pays dividends this season.   Eduardo Laguna (Sr., 5-9):  Limited action off the bench in 2024-25, but expected to have a larger role this season. Played well this summer and showed he could handle increased minutes. “Eduardo is never going to fill up the stat sheet, but he can defend and hit open threes,” Dunnell said.            KEY NEWCOMERS   [player_tooltip player_id='2722363' first='Lamar' last='Mitchell'] (Jr., 6-1, G); Played mostly JV in 2024-25 with limited varsity action sprinkled in. Could do the same thing this season. Will be given an opportunity to earn more varsity minutes.   Lucas DeHerrera (Jr., 5-9, G): Like Mitchell, could again split time between JV and varsity with the hope he's ready to go full blast in 2026-27. “We're going to see how Lamar and Lucas handle the situation,” Dunnell said. “We're excited about their futures. We're figuring out where they fit in this year.”   Jared Carter (Jr., 5-8, G): Another up-and-coming player who gained potentially valuable varsity experience in 2024-25. Likely to see most of his action on the JV team with the hope he's ready to go for the varsity in 2026-27.           FINAL THOUGHTS   Manzano opens the 2025-26 season  on the road at Bernalillo on Nov. 25. After Thanksgiving weekend, they host Cibola. A road contest at Highland and three home games against Gadsden, Chaparral and Albuquerque High highlight the December slate. Manzano competes in District 5A-2 with Capital, Eldorado, La Cueva, Sandia and Santa Fe. Dunnell said it will key for the Monarchs to win some games in non-district and have momentum when district play starts in January.   “Our district is very good, especially boys basketball,” Dunnell said. “Finding ways to get wins in district will be big for us. We're going to be largely senior-driven. At our JV level, we're going to try to keep that group together because we feel that's a special group. We want to keep them together so they learn how to win. Our plan is to pull that group up at the same time (in 2026-27). This year, we'll take our lumps in terms of experience.”   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Had a good weekend at the Sandia next level team camp. Proud of me and my guys for working hard this summer can't wait for the season!<a href="https://twitter.com/RussellGurule?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RussellGurule</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KJ_Ford4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KJ_Ford4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_NM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepHoops_NM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MonarchsHoops_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MonarchsHoops_</a> <a href="https://t.co/qwCwqB6sMu">pic.twitter.com/qwCwqB6sMu</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='2616633' first='JJ' last='Towery'] (@jtowery0724) <a href="https://twitter.com/jtowery0724/status/1940154819660194073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>

2025-26 MANZANO MONARCHS PREVIEW