Golden Valley’s Montanez poised for breakout year

It’s easy to like Isaiah Montanez and it has nothing to do with his talents on the football field. All it takes is one conversation with the Golden Valley junior.

When you talk to him, you quickly learn he’s polite, engaging and has a personality that can light up a room.

“Great kid,” said Golden Valley coach Dennis Stubbs.

Montanez is a fiery competitor on the field who wants to help turn around the Cougars recent struggles. Montanez was a sophomore last year on a Golden Valley team that went 0-10. After last week’s 56-30 loss to Clovis East, the Cougars have lost 14 consecutive games.

Golden Valley will try to end the streak tonight at Veterans Stadium against Beyer (0-1), which lost 13-12 to Sheldon last week. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“I want to win bad,” Montanez said. “I know there is no I in team but I want to win. I can see it in my teammates eyes at practice and they want it, too.”

Despite the loss last week, Montanez saw something different from this year’s team that he didn’t see last year. He saw players fighting through mistakes instead of putting their heads down and giving up.

Last year the mistakes snowballed for Golden Valley. One turnover would turn into two and quickly the deficit would grow.

Montanez believes that will be different this year.

He not only saw it during the game, but after the loss. Through messages on Twitter and text messages with teammates, Montanez, quarterback Armando Muzquiz and others reached out to teammates to keep working hard and come back ready.

Montanez said the Cougars had one of their best practices on Monday.

“It’s no time to slack off,” Montanez said “We’re hungry. We’re ready to work. We need to work 200 times harder than any other team.”

After 206 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against Clovis East, it appears Montanez is poised for a big season.

According to Stubbs, the difference between Montanez last year to this season is night and day. Stubbs felt Montanez played timid at times last year. He was always in a hurry.

This summer Stubbs made Montanez watch video of former Golden Valley running back Rayshaun Vance so he could see how to let the play develop in front of him. After watching Montanez make great strides during the offseason, Stubbs wasn’t surprised by Montanez’s big game last week.

“It’s what we expected,” Stubbs said. “He really prepared himself. He worked hard, he studied film and the biggest thing is he’s being patient and letting the blocking develop. We always preach to run through the hole and not to the hole.

“He did a great job of finding holes. He has that athletic ability where there were a couple runs where everything looked boxed up and he somehow snuck through there and outran everyone.”

The game has slowed down for Montanez now and with an improved offensive line he feels.

“When you’re patient your vision automatically gets better,” Montanez said. You see more. Our linemen are a lot better too. I tell them my yards are your yards. It’s really our yards.

“My personal goal this year was to not worry about myself. Not to worry that I have to make the big play. I just want to go out and do whatever the play calls for, to do what we practiced.”

If the Cougars can get everyone on the same page as Montanez, the wins should come. Especially if they continue to get the ball to Montanez.

“It’s an ongoing process,” Stubbs said. “He knows he’s got a lot work still to do but we like the direction he’s headed right now. He’s becoming a leader. He’s everything you want in a high school football player.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Golden Valley’s Montanez poised for breakout year."