Hope Huskies Focus On Speed

For the Hope Christian Huskies, success this football season begins with one simple goal: getting faster.

Head coach Fernando Salinas has partnered with Albuquerque-based training facility Transcend to help improve the team’s speed, mobility, and explosiveness—an emphasis he believes can make all the difference on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. “We expect to be fast and want to play fast,” Salinas said. “Football is a matter of seconds, and the faster we can be, the faster we can score.”

That philosophy has become the team’s focus throughout the offseason. After years of emphasizing strength training, the Huskies have shifted their attention toward developing game-changing speed. “In past years, the focus has been on strength, and this year it’s speed more than anything else,” senior wide receiver Darrien Williams said.

“The saying goes, ‘Speed kills,’ right?” senior lineman Cooper Cecil added. “If we’re faster than every other team, that means more touchdowns. It’s an essential part of football.”

Hope Christian will feature a new face under center this season with freshman quarterback Nicholas Miller taking the reins of the offense. While the young signal-caller will be learning on the job, Salinas believes the team’s success starts up front. “We need to run the ball well and give those guys time to get the ball in open space,” Salinas said. “It all starts with the offensive line.”

Leadership will come from a veteran senior class, including Williams and Cecil, who understand the expectations surrounding the program. “This is a really good team—probably the best Hope’s ever had,” Cecil said. “It’s our job to keep everyone in line and keep the team motivated with a higher standard.”

The Huskies will also face a new challenge in District 3A this fall. Silver and Moriarty have both dropped into the classification, creating an even tougher road to a title. Even with the new competition, Salinas knows which program remains the measuring stick. “Silver High School and Moriarty High School move down into our classification to give us more competition, but St. Michael’s is still the team to beat in 3A,” Salinas said.

Hope Christian opens the 2026 season on the road at Gallup, where the Huskies will get their first opportunity to show just how much faster they’ve become.