Bloomfield trio signs with New Mexico Highlands football team

Bloomfield’s latest championship core stayed close to home Tuesday when seniors Cole Gosnell, Cristian Medrano and Kaleb Hutchens signed letters of intent with New Mexico Highlands at Bobcat Gym.

The three are part of the group that carried Bloomfield to a second straight Class 4A state title on Nov. 29, 2025, when the Bobcats beat St. Pius X 58-27 at Nusenda Community Stadium in Albuquerque. Bloomfield finished 12-1 and set a New Mexico single-season scoring record with 723 points, a number that showed how complete the team was from the line of scrimmage out.

Head coach Mike Kovacs said the fact that Gosnell, Medrano and Hutchens are friends and already familiar with one another should help as they move to college football, where freshman year is often the toughest adjustment. The signing also kept three of San Juan County’s most visible players on an in-state path, giving New Mexico Highlands a direct link to one of the state’s most productive high school programs.

Gosnell was one of Bloomfield’s most versatile athletes. He scored five rushing touchdowns, rushed for nearly 500 yards, and added more than 100 tackles and 10 sacks on defense last season. He also finished 17-5 in wrestling and reached the state championships in both 2024 and 2025, making him one of the region’s rare multi-sport standouts.

Hutchens gave the Bobcats a downfield threat that helped power the record-scoring season. He caught 53 passes for more than 1,200 yards and scored 17 touchdowns last season, including one in the 4A championship game against St. Pius X. Medrano anchored Bloomfield on both the offensive and defensive lines and was a steady part of the front that helped the Bobcats win back-to-back titles.

The trio joins a New Mexico Highlands program that is coming off a 6-5 season in 2025, including a 4-5 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play and a 4-1 record at home at Sanchez Family Stadium in Las Vegas. That was the Cowboys’ first winning season in 13 years, and head coach Kurt Taufa’asau, who has led the program since 2024, later received a three-year contract extension through the 2028 season. Taufa’asau previously coached at New Mexico Military Institute, where he went 27-10 over three seasons.

For Bloomfield, the signings were another reminder that the Bobcats’ success is producing college-level talent that still sees value in staying in New Mexico. For Highlands, it is a clear sign that one of the state’s strongest high school programs remains a pipeline worth building around.