Eunice's Caraza commits to Fort Lewis, Almager pulling in offers

Clayton Jones/News-Sun

Eunice's Junior Caraza (20) stiff arms a player during the Class 2A state title

game in Santa Rosa. Caraza committed to Fort Lewis College on Monday.

  Amid all the late-breaking news Monday night with Eunice deciding not to renew football coach Daniel Hutchins' contract after taking the Cardinals to the state championship game in his first season, I learned of some good news for a local athlete.
  Eunice safety/wide receiver Junior Caraza has committed to play football next season at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., according to Hutchins. The hard-hitting senior was the Lea County News-Sun Defensive Player of the Year this past season after leading the Cardinals with 102 tackles and 11 interceptions to go along with three fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups.
  As I wrote in October, Caraza is a college-level football player and Fort Lewis just scooped up a gem. Caraza is a hard-working kid and a great athlete who plays with the intensity needed for the next level.
  Also on the recruiting trail, Eunice teammate Tyler Almager (the Lea County News-Sun Offensive Player of the Year this past season and last season's Baseball Player of the Year) has been pulling in offers for baseball (while also receiving interest from schools like Pima College and Eastern New Mexico for football).
  Almager (a right-handed pitcher/left-handed hitting infielder) topped out at 91 mph on the radar gun at visits at Cochise College and Midland College earlier this month and has received offers from Cochise, Eastern Arizona, Midland College and University of the Southwest and is visiting New Mexico Junior College today.
  I was told Almager is expected to make a decision soon.
  If anyone has any other local prep athletes who are close to committing to play a college sport next season, please email me at sportseditor@hobbsnews.com or give me a call at my office at 575-391-5431.