Week 3 Whiparound: Top Team Performances, Games and Finishes
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Week 3 of the much-anticipated New Mexico spring football season is in the books. Here is our whip-around of the week’s top team performances, top games and top finishes. Team of the Week: Atrisco Heritage. After earning a spot in…
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Continue ReadingWeek 3 of the much-anticipated New Mexico spring football season is in the books. Here is our whip-around of the week’s top team performances, top games and top finishes.
Team of the Week: Atrisco Heritage. After earning a spot in the Class 6A playoffs in 2017, the Jaguars fell off the cliff in 2018 and 2019, winning just one game in each of those seasons. Enter new head coach Howard Knezevich, a former Rio Rancho assistant who obviously knew a thing or two about what a winning high school football program looks, acts and feels like.
Knezevich’s efforts over the past 15 months paid handsome dividends on Thursday night when Atrisco Heritage routed Manzano, 53-8, at Community College. Between sophomore QB Myles Lane (the 2023 QB class in New Mexico is LOADED) and senior running back Jaden Cowley (two long TD runs), the Jaguars steamrolled Manzano’s defense all night long.
Honorable Mention: Volcano Vista
Best Team Defensive Performance: Goddard. The Rockets tuned up for Week’s rivalry matchup with crosstown rival Roswell by shutting down Lovington in a 50-0 victory at the Wool Bowl. Lovington came into the game on the heels of impressive victories over Ruidoso and Hobbs, and with one of the state’s most dynamic offenses led by QB Jared Jeffrey and a WR corps unrivaled in the state for depth. But they ran into a determined Goddard defense led by DB Nathaniel Stone Nathaniel Stone 6'2" | DB Goddard | 2021 State NM and DE Fernando Rubio Fernando Rubio 6'2" | DL Goddard | 2021 State NM , both of whom will play at the next level.
Honorable Mention: Bernalillo (held Albuquerque Academy to less than 100 total yards)
Best Finish: Eldorado and Volcano Vista hadn’t played a football game in 16 months, but with six lead changes in the fourth quarter alone they produced arguably the Game of the Year (combined 1,000+ yards) with one of the most dramatic finishes you’ll ever see. Eldorado scored with 27.8 seconds left to take a 43-40 lead when QB Nick Petty Nick Petty 6'0" | 170 lbs | QB Eldorado | 2021 State NM hit Xander Gibson for a 29-yard TD.
But – and this is important to what happened next – the Eagles were slapped with an excessive celebration penalty, moving the kickoff spot back 15 yards. Volcano Vista’s Kaden Valdez fielded the kickoff and blazed 85 yards into the end zone with 15 seconds left to stun Eldorado and give Volcano Vista a memorable victory. It was Valdez’s third TD of the game.
Best Comeback: Kirtland Central improved to 3-0 by rallying past Miyamura Saturday for a 33-21 victory. The Broncos trailed 14-7 at halftime, and by 21-7 early in the fourth quarter. Then Zakk Thomas Zakk Thomas 5'10" | RB Kirtland Central | 2022 State NM went to work. He first scored on a 5-yard TD run to cut the deficit to 21-19. Then he returned a punt 66 yards for a score to give Kirtland Central a lead they would never relinquish. Thomas capped off his fantastic fourth quarter with a 26-yard TD reception – giving him three touchdowns in three different ways. Kirtland Central scored the final 26 points for the come-from-behind win.
Best Quarterback: Volcano Vista’s Johnny Herrera was a slot receiver for the Hawks in 2018 and 2019, but his best position was quarterback. He finally got a chance to play the position Saturday night against Eldorado, and he delivered one of the best performances you’ll see this year or any year. Herrera threw for 381 yards and six touchdowns passes in Volcano Vista’s thrilling 47-43 win over Eldorado. His first five TD throws went for 71, 52, 47, 51 and 49 yards.
Best Rivalry Win: Whenever Artesia faces one of the Roswell district schools, the action is heated and full of intensity. Friday night, Roswell traveled to the Bulldog Bowl expecting to beat Artesia for the third year in a row. But the winless Bulldogs shocked the Coyotes, ending their 19-game winning streak dating back to the middle of the 2018 season.
The Bulldogs’ offense came out barking by scoring on their first seven possessions. On the first play from scrimmage, Artesia running back Jake Barrera raced 58 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Artesia never slowed down after that as Roswell was playing catchup the entire night.
Hard Luck Hobbs: If there was an award for the best 0-3 team in the state, Hobbs would get it. The Eagles have lost its three games by a combined 13 points. The latest frustrating loss occurred Friday night in Carlsbad when Cavemen RB Uriel Mendoza scored on a 10-yard run through the middle of the Hobbs defense with 11 seconds left to give Carlsbad a hard-fought 27-21 victory. In some ways, though, Hobbs was its own worst enemy at times, committing six turnovers.
Alamogordo Go-Go: Behind a strong rushing attack led largely by Sean Hays Sean Hays 6'0" | 205 lbs | RB Alamogordo | 2021 State NM , Alamogordo is 3-0 after Saturday’s 24-6 win at Silver. QB Anthony Mello threw TD passes of 18 and 62 yards in the win. Alamogordo looks to stay unbeaten when the Tigers host Deming on Friday night.
No Superstar, No Problem: The state’s top 2021 prospect is Los Lunas DE Tyler Kiehne Tyler Kiehne 6'4" | DL Los Lunas | 2021 State NM . He signed with UCLA in December and stayed in Los Lunas to seemingly play for the Tigers in the spring. However, Kiehne decided to opt out of the 3-game season, presumably to prepare for his college career in Westwood. Saturday, Los Lunas managed to beat La Cueva, 31-20, without their standout defensive end. Another outstanding 2023 quarterback – Los Lunas sophomore Paul Cieremans – threw for one touchdown and ran for two more, including an 85-yard scamper in the third quarter.
They Were Who We Thought They Were: Cleveland, Rio Rancho and Las Cruces. Three of the Class 6A ‘big boys’ posted convincing victories over the weekend. Cleveland faced Centennial in Socorro and University of San Diego signee Trey Ortega Trey Ortega 5'11" | DB Cleveland | 2021 State NM was the MVP with three touchdowns and an interception in the Storm’s 36-21 victory. . .Rio Rancho trailed Clovis, 14-7 at halftime before scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half. QB Joey Cave Joey Cave 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Rio Rancho | 2021 State NM ran 32 yards for one second half TD and thew a 58-yard TD strike for another. . .Las Cruces got a much stiffer test from Onate than anybody expected at the Field of Dreams. The score was tied 14-14 in the later stages of the third quarter before the Bulldawgs erupted for 28 straight points in a game that was much closer than the final score of 42-14 indicates. Two of the four TDs scored by Las Cruces in the final 16 minutes came on throws from QB Marcos Lopez Marcos Lopez 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Las Cruces | 2021 State NM to Jaiden Shaw.
Look Ahead: Week 4 is filled with rivalry matchups and more tasty games across the board. Here is a quick list of the top games for next weekend:
Cleveland-Rio Rancho
Roswell-Goddard
Centennial-Las Cruces
Hobbs-Artesia
Santa Fe-Capital
Lovington-Portales
Farmington-Piedra Vista
Bernalillo-St. Pius X
Eldorado-La Cueva
West Mesa-Atrisco Heritage
Clovis-Carlsbad
Volcano Vista-Cibola
Let’s Gooooo!!! pic.twitter.com/QZ0Bg7pFw3
— Cleveland Storm 🏈 (@CHSStormFB) March 20, 2021
Ballgame! YOUR ALAMOGORDO TIGERS win 24-6!! #RingTheBell #FOE pic.twitter.com/5bdwePqFFG
— AlamoTigerFootball (@AlamoFootball) March 20, 2021
1st Game of Senior Szn!
381 Pass Yards, 6 TDs https://t.co/No0HOpvCYy— Johnny Herrera (@johnny_ix) March 22, 2021
SATURDAY'S FINALS (4 p.m. Update)
Cleveland 36, Centennial 21
Los Lunas 31, La Cueva 20
Mayfield 28, Deming 7
Alamogordo 24, Silver 6
Capital 59, Pojoaque Valley 6
Kirtland Central 33, Miyamura 21
St. Michael's 48, Taos 3
Dexter 50, Tucumcari 0
Belen 50, Valencia 0 pic.twitter.com/VLs6ee5bZR— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) March 20, 2021
LATE SATURDAY FINALS:
Rio Rancho 27, Clovis 14
Volcano Vista 47, Eldorado 43
Del Note 30, Rio Grande 6
West Mesa 26, Albuquerque 131 game still going on: Piedra Vista leads Aztec, 43-0 in 4Q. Running clock in the 4 Corners.
— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) March 21, 2021