​Here’s a look at the high school football players who filled the stat sheets in Week 5. Which player should be this week’s star? Cast your vote below.Aiden Gonzales, sr., OLB/SS, Volcano VistaWe have our first defensive candidate of the 2026 season. Gonzales not only recorded 13 tackles in a road win at Carlsbad, he intercepted three Cavemen passes, giving him a state-leading seven for the season.Lucas Atkins, sr., QB, ArtesiaCan’t believe it’s taken five weeks, but we have our first Artesia QB sighting of 2026 on the SOTW list. Atkins was sensational in a win over Gadsden, completing 20 of 24 passes for 352 yards and six touchdowns.Tyler Egeland, jr., WR, ArtesiaEgeland’s older brother Trent was a menace to defenses during his Bulldog career, and now Tyler has picked it up from there. He caught eight balls for 205 yards and two touchdowns in Artesia’s 57-point showing versus Gadsden.Hershul Olloway Jr., sr., RB, St. PiusOlloway is one of those players you should be gladly paying the price of admission to watch. He only had eight carries in Saturday’s rout of rival Albuquerque Academy, but compiled 229 yards and four touchdowns. Three of them covered 52, 65 and 80 yards. He only played three quarters.Chris Lopez, jr., WR, La CuevaThere are a small number of receivers in New Mexico that you should never try to guard with just one defender, and Lopez is one of them. The speedster caught five passes for 177 yards. Two of those went for 79-yard touchdowns. And this was just two quarters of work.Michael Denison, jr., QB, ClevelandDenison also is making a multiple appearance in SOTW. In just one half, he was 10-for-12 passing for 229 yards with four touchdowns. He also had a nice running TD to open the game.Mario Romero, sr., RB, MoriartyPinto RBs are becoming a regular thing here in SOTW. Romero, probably one of New Mexico’s most underrated backs, went for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a road win at Hot Springs.Kingston Lee, soph., QB, SilverNo way to justify keeping Lee off this SOTW roster. Not after throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for another 87 yards and four scores in the Colts’ rout of Socorro.Preston Muniz, sr., RB, Santa RosaThis is one of 2A’s top overall backs, and he often is carrying this Lions offense. Against Hozho Academy, Muniz rushed 22 times for 232 yards and five touchdowns.Devon Chavez, soph., RB, EstanciaAnd this could be 2A’s BEST overall back. What a Friday night for Chavez in a thrilling one-point win over Raton. He carried it 19 times for 355 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw a TD pass.Loading…NOTE: If you would like to nominate a player for the weekly list, his name and statistics must be submitted to Journal Preps Editor James Yodice by 3 p.m. each Sunday, at jyodice@abqjournal.com, or @JamesDYodice on X.The Week 5 winner will be the player with the most votes around 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 and will be listed in the Monday, Sept. 28 Albuquerque Journal print edition.Pre