BELEN, N.M. — Belen High School’s football program begins the 2026 season with a veteran nucleus and a new competitive landscape after changing classifications. The Eagles are entering Class 4A this year and return 17 seniors from a squad that finished 7-5 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals last season.
Experience meets a new district
Head coach Kevin Pena said the team’s depth of returning players has helped foster cohesion this offseason. He credited the younger players and upperclassmen alike for creating a culture of mutual support as the program prepares for a different slate of opponents and travel patterns tied to the reclassification.
“These guys, you know, they’re all sticking together. They’re all helping each other and they’re picking each other up,”
The move to Class 4A changes the competitive calculus for Belen. While dropping a classification can alter playoff pathways and district opponents, it also places new emphasis on how a program converts experience into consistent execution. With most of its starting core intact, Belen enters the season with continuity on both sides of the ball.
Leadership from the seniors
Two senior leaders, Jedediah Thomas and Mikey Pena, emphasized the daily habits they believe will determine whether the Eagles can improve on last season’s finish. They said the program’s success depends on players committing to conditioning, weight-room work and consistent preparation even when the team is not on the field.
“Commitment. Commitment to the sport being here every day in the weight room, even if we don’t have practice outside the football field, you got to be hitting it,”
Another senior voice focused on the defensive identity the team hopes will carry it through tight games.
“I’m a firm believer that defense wins championships, and I think this defense that we have is definitely going to be the defense to make a difference,”
Those remarks underline a clear approach: leverage returning experience, invest in preparation, and rely on a defense the seniors expect to anchor the team.
Schedule opener and what to watch
Belen opens the season hosting Bernalillo on Friday, Aug. 21. Early non-district and district matchups will test how quickly the Eagles adapt to the Class 4A environment, and will reveal whether the offseason chemistry translates into on-field results.
- Experience: 17 seniors back, providing continuity across offensive and defensive units.
- New classification: Team moves from Class 5A to Class 4A, meaning a different set of opponents and playoff structure.
- Identity: Seniors and coaches have emphasized a defense-first mindset and consistent conditioning.
What the move to 4A could mean
Reclassification affects more than opponents on the schedule. It can influence travel budgets, community interest for particular rivalries, and postseason seeding. For programs like Belen that retain a high number of veterans, the change can be an opportunity to leverage that experience against a new range of schools.
| 2025 record | 7-5 |
|---|---|
| 2026 classification | 4A |
| Seniors returning | 17 |
| Season opener | Aug. 21 vs. Bernalillo (home) |
The team’s ability to sustain a high level of preparation — weight-room attendance, mental focus and on-field drilling — will be closely watched by coaches, families and fans. Senior leadership, as articulated by Thomas and Mikey Pena, centers on those elements as the baseline for success.
Local outlook and community impact
High school football plays a prominent role in Belen-area community life, drawing students, families and local supporters to Friday night games. A veteran roster combined with an anticipated strong defensive unit could extend the season into the playoffs and prolong community engagement, fundraising and youth interest in the sport.
As the Eagles prepare for their Aug. 21 opener, the coming weeks of practice and scrimmages will reveal whether the chemistry Coach Pena describes is translating into the execution the team will need in the regular season and beyond.
Diego Salazar is the state correspondent for WE NEWS. Contact the sports desk for updates and game coverage throughout the season.
