Former Aggie, Canadian Football League quarterback kicks off coaching career

(Former Aggie and CFL standout Buck Pierce/Photo by the Canadian Press)

Former New Mexico State Aggie and Canadian Football League star Buck Pierce will now shift his sights to the next step in his football career: coaching professionally.

Pierce, who announced his retirement from the CFL earlier this week, was named running backs coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.

Pierce played nine seasons with Winnipeg and the B.C. Lions, finishing with 15,289 passing yards, 76 touchdowns and 1,200 completions in 130 games played. He won a Grey Cup championship with B.C. in 2006 and led Winnipeg to the 2011 CFL championship game.

Pierce spent five seasons in B.C., signed with Winnipeg as a free agent in 2010, before being traded back to the Lions in September, 2013. In a press release sent out by Winnipeg on Friday, the team called Pierce a "fan favorite" and "one of the most popular players to don a Bomber uniform over the past decade."

Prior to his CFL tenure Pierce was a popular player for New Mexico State, taking the field for the team from 2001-04. Pierce threw 30 touchdowns during that time (compared to 12 interceptions) while completing 66 percent of his passes (397 of 599) for 4,927 yards. He also ran for 734 yards and three touchdowns during his NMSU career.

Under head coach Tony Samuel, the Aggies held a 20-27 record during that four-year period, and put up a 7-5 mark in 2002.

In a message via his personal Twitter account, Pierce said he's owned a house in Las Cruces since 2007, and returns to the area during the CFL's offseason.

"Deciding not to play anymore was a difficult decision, but having the opportunity to re-join the Bombers in a coaching role was really a perfect fit," Pierce said in the team's press release. "I am thrilled they wanted me to be a part of what I believe will be a great thing here in Winnipeg. I said when I was traded that I hoped one day I would be back in some capacity, and today is a really special day for my family and me."

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VIDEO: Teddy and Brook Show (3/6)

We give our take on the New Mexico State-Utah Valley altercation and discuss the upcoming high school basketball tournaments:

State Basketball Championships: First-round matchups

A list of first-round games in the 2014 New Mexico State Basketball Championships:

Boys
All games on Saturday
Class 5A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Cibola at No. 1 Valley, 7 p.m.
No. 15 Rio Rancho at No. 2 Sandia, 5 p.m.
No. 14 Alamogordo at No. 3 Atrisco Heritage, 7 p.m.
No. 13 West Mesa at No. 4 Volcano Vista, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Gadsden at No. 5 Hobbs, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Carlsbad at No. 6 Cleveland, 5 p.m.
No. 10 Las Cruces at No. 7 Eldorado, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Highland at No. 8 Mayfield, 7 p.m.
Class 4A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Valencia at No. 1 Roswell, 5 p.m.
No. 15 Capital at No. 2 Los Lunas, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Belen at No. 3 St. Pius, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Piedra Vista at No. 4 Centennial, 3 p.m.
No. 12 Artesia at No. 5 Kirtland Central, 5 p.m.
No. 11 Grants at No. 6 Goddard, 3 p.m.
No. 10 Farmington at No. 7 Albuquerque Academy, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Española Valley at No. 8 Gallup, 7 p.m.
Class 3A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Raton at No. 1 Raton, 5 p.m.
No. 15 Robertson at No. 2 St. Michael's, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Santa Fe Indian at No. 3 Silver, 1 p.m.
No. 13 Thoreau at No. 4 West Las Vegas, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Ruidoso at No. 5 Taos, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Pojoaque Valley at No. 6 Lovington, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Shiprock at No. 7 Sandia Prep, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Portales at No. 8 Wingate, 2 p.m.
Class 2A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Eunice at No. 1 Laguna Acoma, 2 p.m.
No. 15 Bosque at No. 2 Dexter, 4 p.m.
No. 14 Dulce at No. 3 Clayton, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Peñasco at No. 4 Texico, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Crownpoint at No. 5 Santa Fe Prep, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Mora at No. 6 Mesilla Valley Christian, 2 p.m.
No. 10 Santa Rosa at No. 7 Lordsburg, 4 p.m.
No. 9 Tularosa at No. 8 Tohatchi
Class 1A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Tse Yi Gai at No. 1 Cliff, 6 p.m.
No. 15 Shiprock at No. 2 Magdalena, 4 p.m.
No. 14 Jemez Valley at No. 3 Hagerman, 3 p.m.
No. 13 Capitan at No. 4 Dora, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Floyd at No. 5 Escalante, 5 p.m.
No. 11 To'jajiilee at No. 6 Logan, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Fort Sumner at No. 7 Springer, 6 p.m.
No. 9 McCurdy at No. 8 Melrose, 6 p.m.

Girls
All games on Friday
Class 5A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Oñate at No. 1 Clovis, 7 p.m.
No. 15 Rio Grande at No. 2 Cibola, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Sandia at No. 3 Mayfield, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Rio Rancho at No. 4 Hobbs, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Gadsden at No. 5 Volcano Vista, 5:30 p.m.
No. 11 Las Cruces at No. 6 Eldorado, 7 p.m.
No. 10 Albuquerque High at No. 7 La Cueva, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Carlsbad at No. 8 Valley
Class 4A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Kirtland Central at No. 1 Los Lunas, 6 p.m.
No. 15 Grants at No. 2 Santa Fe, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Los Alamos at No. 3 St. Pius, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Artesia at No. 4 Gallup, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Belen at No. 5 Española Valley, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Del Norte at No. 6 Valencia, 7 p.m.
No. 10 Centennial at No. 7 Roswell, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Miyamura at No. 8 Piedra Vista, 7 p.m.
Class 3A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Taos at No. 1 Shiprock, 7 p.m.
No. 15 Socorro at No. 2 Lovington, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Santa Fe Indian at No. 3 Portales, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Wingate at No. 4 Hope Christian, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Thoreau at No. 5 West Las Vegas, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Raton at No. 6 Sandia Prep, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Pojoaque Valley at No. 7 St. Michael's, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Silver at No. 8 Robertson, 6 p.m.
Class 2A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Santa Fe Prep at No. 1 Texico, 6 p.m.
No. 15 Loving at No. 2 Tularosa, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Tohatchi at No. 3 Mora, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Mesa Vista at No. 4 Navajo Prep, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Santa Rosa at No. 5 Laguna Acoma, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Zuni at No. 6 Hatch Valley, 7 p.m.
No. 10 Ramah at No. 7 Cuba, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Clayton at No. 8 Eunice, 5 p.m.
Class 1A
First round
At home sites
No. 16 Tse Yi Gai at No. 1 Tatum, 6 p.m.
No. 15 Capitan at No. 2 Cliff, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Cimarron at No. 3 Melros, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Fort Sumner at No. 4 Magdalena, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Mountainair at No. 5 Logan, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Hagerman at No. 6 Floyd, 6 p.m.
No. 10 McCurdy at No. 7 Springer, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Dora at No. 8 Jemez Valley, 5 p.m.

New Mexico State releases 2014 college football schedule

New Mexico State's 2014 football schedule was officially released Saturday.

Certainly we'll have more analysis in the coming days, but the immediate reaction? That the first four games are of critical importance.

Cal Poly will not be a Football Championship Subdivision pushover, while Georgia State didn't win a single game last year.

UTEP and New Mexico are always games of monumental importance, for obvious reasons.

Yes, the Aggies will need to grab some wins early on.

The Aggies will need to get quality play on the offensive side of the ball right from the get-go, simply because they'll be breaking in a very young defense led by veteran coordinator Larry Coyer (who will be in his first season at NMSU). It's a youth movement across the board on the team, however, including at quarterback, where five freshman will be on the roster along with a junior college transfer Tyler Rogers (who has three years of eligibility remaining). This particular position - quarterback - will be one the team will need to solidify and get strong play from right off the bat in season.

Below, a look at the 2014 season schedule:

2014 Aggie football schedule
Aug. 28 Cal Poly
Sept. 6 at Georgia State*
Sept. 13 at UTEP
Sept. 20 New Mexico
Sept. 27 at LSU
Oct. 4 Georgia Southern*
Oct. 11 at Troy*
Oct. 18 at Idaho*
Oct. 25 Bye
Nov. 1 Texas State*
Nov. 8 Lafayette*
Nov. 15 Bye
Nov. 22 UL-Monroe*
Nov. 29 at Arkansas State*
* Sun Belt Conference game

Content from Thursday's Aggie men's basketball altercation at Utah Valley

Jason Groves has been churning out content following the Aggie men's basketball team's brawl at Utah Valley on Thursday night.

Certainly not the way a club wants to make headlines - and national headlines no less. In any event, here's stories that have appeared in recent days at www.lcsun-news.com and in the daily paper. NMSU plays at California-Bakersfield tonight holding a 10-4 WAC record...

Basketball brawl puts Aggies in national spotlight

K.C. Ross-Miller, Renaldo Dixon suspended for involvement in Thursday night Aggie basketball brawl

ANALYSIS: Aggies must move forward without two rotation players

VIDEO: New Mexico State Athletics Director McKinley Boston addresses Aggie basketball post-game scuffle

Aggies lose game, then cool at Utah Valley

More coverage on Jason Groves' blog can be found here

Some key upcoming dates this spring for Aggie football

The New Mexico State Aggies are expected to open spring practices on Sunday, March 16. The team’s also expected to hold its annual spring game on Sunday, April 19.

The Aggies will also hold their annual pro day on March 5 at Aggie Memorial Stadium. Here’s the press release put out by the school:

LAS CRUCES - The New Mexico State football team is holding its annual pro day on March 5.

The event, which features NFL scouts working out Aggie players from the past year who will not return to the program in 2014, will begin at 9:15 a.m. in the Coca-Cola Weight Center. Weight room workouts will be followed by a trip to Aggie Memorial Stadium for the 40-yard dash and field drills.

Below is a list of the drills and tests to be done at pro day:
Height
Weight
Anthropometric measures
225-pound bench press
Flexibility tests
Vertical jump
Broad jump
40-yard dash
Pro shuttle
Agility testing and other individual position workouts

Athletes Participating:
Bryan Bonilla, LB
Xzavian Brandon, WR
George Callender, S
Davis Cazares, S
Cayle Chapman-Brown, P
Kalvin Cruz, DL
Anthony Edwards, DB
Austin Franklin, WR
Cameron Fuller, DB
Darien Johnson, DB
Dele Junaid, LB
Mike Kaiser, LS
Kevin Laudermill, DL
Andrew McDonald, QB
Willie Mobley, DL
Trashaun Nixon, LB
Nick Oliva, DL
Yolandus Pratt, RB
Dada Richards, OL
Perris Scoggins, TE
Davonte Wallace, OL

District 3-5A boys basketball preview: Team capsules

(Las Cruces High School's Anthony Collins and Mayfield's Lloyd Gardner dive for a loose ball during a Jan. 28 contest at LCHS. The two teams split their two league games in 2014, yet Mayfield claimed the No. 1 seed in this week's district tournament/Photo by Gary Mook)

The Mayfield Trojans were the victors in a very balanced District 3-5A boys basketball regular-season race this season.

Mayfield rattled off six-straight league wins - they finished with a 6-2 overall record in district play - to win the regular-season championship.

The team will now be seeded No. 1 in the District Tournament, and will host Saturday’s title game.
With that being said, it would appear a handful of teams have a legitimate shot - the tough Trojans, the dangerous Gadsden Panthers, the improving Las Cruces Bulldawgs and the talented Alamogordo Tigers would all like to think they can come out on top.

With that, we take a capsule look at each team in District 3-5A, and what strengths - and weaknesses - they bring to the table with the 2013-14 postseason officially here:

Mayfield Trojans
Seed: No. 1
Record (Overall, district): 16-10, 6-2
Key players: G Isaac Rivera, G Josh Luevano, G/F Kavika Johnson
Rundown: This is a gritty team that’s pulled off some monster comeback victories during the second-half of district play - wins over Las Cruces High, at Alamogordo and at Gadsden all stood out as such. Mayfield also has some toughness - frontcourt player Dominic Carrasco is another contributor to watch in this regard. The Trojans began district play this season with an 0-2 record - and looked horrible in the process - but recovered to win six straight games to close out league play. They enter the district tournament as the top seed and with a bye all the way until Saturday’s championship round. Still, perhaps the best way to describe Mayfield is this: a team that can beat anybody on any given night, yet one that could fall just as easily in the same instance.

Gadsden Panthers
Seed: No. 2
Record: 19-7, 5-3
Key players: F Rafael Martinez, G Tommy Cano, F William Contreras
Rundown: The Panthers are a true team, one that might not necessarily have a true star player, yet a unit that also plays very well together. The Panthers don’t make many mistakes and typically don’t beat themselves under head coach Mike Harper. They also run an underrated offense with good ball handlers. A dangerous team that will have a home game in Thursday’s semifinal.

Las Cruces Bulldawgs
Seed: No. 3
Record: 15-11, 5-3
Key players: G/F Malik Woods; F J.T. Romney; C Cody Murrillo; AC
Rundown: One could make the argument the Bulldawgs are playing better than anyone in district at this point. After a 1-5 start to the season - when the team was fitting in new pieces after winning a State Championship in 2012-13 - the Bulldawgs now sit at 15-11 and have won six of their last seven games. Granted, the team has lost some head scratchers this season, including a home game against Alamogordo to open district (minus the senior Romney) and blowing a big fourth quarter lead to Mayfield less than two weeks ago (in an eventual 58-54 defeat). But the Bulldawgs have seen some players round into form - such as point guard Anthony Collins - and are capable of reaching, and winning, a district championship game.

Alamogordo Tigers
Seed: No. 4
Record: 17-9, 4-4
Key players: F JoJo Jones, F JJ Johnson, F Andrew Yates
Rundown: This team is right there with anyone - or in some cases, could surpass some of its district counterparts - from a talent standpoint. The Tigers have a balanced team and one with size, and have also put together some nice wins on their resume - at Las Cruces (again, minus Romney) and a blowout home victory over Gadsden. Still, Alamogordo hasn’t quite seemed to turn the corner either, with their only other district wins coming against Oñate. One would figure they can get past their opening-round game Monday against the Knights. With that being, a tall order would await at Las Cruces High in the district quarterfinals round.

Oñate Knights
Seed: No. 5
Record: 4-22, 0-8
Key players: F Kal McCorkle, G Josh Gandara, F/G Jacob Gandara
Rundown: It’s been quite the fall from grace for the Knights, who won a State Championship three years ago, only to not have a District 3-5A win on their resume for the entire 2013-14 season. Perhaps they can get one at Alamogordo to open the league tournament, although they’re the clear underdog.

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