Baker's Dozen Preview: Top 13 Games In Week 10

We’re past the halfway point in October and the fall winds are beginning to blow. The New Mexico High School football season is entering the final two weeks of the regular season. District play is going on throughout the state. Here are our Top 13 games for Week 10 (All games Friday night unless otherwise indicated) Game of the Week: Rio Rancho (6-0) at Volcano Vista (5-3) (Community) If you named the top five most explosive offenses in the state, these two teams would definitely be on the list, making Friday night’s District 6A-1 battle a potentially entertaining and high-scoring affair. Rio Rancho, ranked No. 1 overall and No. 1 in Class 6A, features a quarterback (Dominick Priddy) and running back ([player_tooltip player_id="26227" first="Zach" last="Vigil"]) closing in on 1,000 yards passing and rushing, respectively, even though the Rams have played just 6 games. Will the Rams be caught looking ahead to the Week 10 showdown against cross-town rival Cleveland? If they are, watch out because the Volcano Vista offense is capable of scoring a lot of points quickly as the Storm found out last week when the Hawks jumped out to a 27-7 lead in the first half before Cleveland rallied. The biggest question concerning Volcano Vista is the health of starting QB [player_tooltip player_id="26247" first="Josh" last="Gerardo"], who exited last week’s game against Cleveland following the first play with an injury. [player_tooltip player_id="208826" first="Elliot" last="Paskett-Bell"] filled in nicely, though, throwing for 400+ yards. The ‘Special K’ WR corps highlighted by [player_tooltip player_id="198052" first="Kieran" last="Cordova"] (49 receptions for 890 yards) and [player_tooltip player_id="135097" first="Kaden" last="Valdez"] (44 for 914) is as dangerous as any in the state. The scoreboard operator at Community Stadium will earn his money in this game. https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1450564018846846979 Sandia (3-4) at Clovis (3-4): Both teams are below .500 overall, but have winning records in district play. The winner should secure no worse than a third-place finish in District 6A-2, and a likely playoff berth, while the loser could eventually be left scrambling to get into the post-season depending on the outcome of other games. [player_tooltip player_id="137923" first="Malachi" last="Thymes"] sparks the Sandia offense. Clovis has won three straight games, all in the district, after starting the season 0-4. Robert Nash (21 receptions for 445 yards) and Kash Roberts (23 for 232) are the favorite targets of QB [player_tooltip player_id="134999" first="Milo" last="Acosta"]. Hobbs (4-4) at Centennial (7-1) (at FOD): After last week’s impressive comeback to beat Las Cruces, Centennial controls its own destiny in District 6A-3 and will officially capture the district championship – and a likely top four seed and first-round bye – with a win over Hobbs. The trio of QB [player_tooltip player_id="26267" first="Ian" last="Lopez"] (217 passing yards + 135 rushing yards vs. Bulldawgs), workhorse RB [player_tooltip player_id="208691" first="Mikah" last="Gutierrez"] (28 carries, 179 rushing yards) and WR [player_tooltip player_id="137930" first="Isaiah" last="Abeyta"] (9 receptions for 111 yards, 2 TD) were fantastic against Las Cruces. Hobbs is 1-1 in the district after doubling up Organ Mountain last week in a 56-28 win. A victory over Centennial would give the Eagles plenty of breathing room heading into the season finale against Carlsbad. Senior dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id="134908" first="Colton" last="Graham"] has thrown for 1,45 yards and rushed for 445 yards. Junior WR [player_tooltip player_id="137921" first="Kaden" last="Trevino"] has caught 34 passes for 484 yards and 5 TD. Santa Teresa (7-1) at Mayfield (4-4) (Thur. at FOD): Mayfield can effectively clinch the District 5A-3 title with a victory over the Desert Warriors, who are riding a seven-game winning streak since the season-opening loss to Lovington. The Trojans, bolstered by a solid ground game, can also strengthen their resume for a top four seed and first-round bye in the 5A playoffs. Santa Teresa edged Deming, 30-27, last week. Exciting QB [player_tooltip player_id="198070" first="Julian" last="Cobos"] already has over 1,100 rushing yards and 6 100+ rushing games in his first full season playing football. Goddard (5-2) at Artesia (5-3): A battle at the Bulldog Bowl between the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the latest MaxPreps Class 5A poll. So, while both teams are securely into the playoff field, both teams are eying a top four seed and first-round bye. A victory by Goddard in this game + Roswell win over Alamogordo would set up a winner-take-all district championship game between the cross-town rivals at the Wool Bowl in Week 11. https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1450564083174887425 Organ Mountain (3-4) at Carlsbad (2-5): With these teams ranked No. 11 (Carlsbad) and No. 14 (Organ Mtn.) in the latest MaxPreps Class 6A poll, the importance of this game is clear. In effect, this game could (should?) be viewed as a playoff elimination game. Organ Mountain has won just one game on the field since a 2-0 start (forfeit by Highland). Knights QB [player_tooltip player_id="198288" first="Beto" last="Garcia"] connected with 6 different receivers in last week’s loss to Hobbs. Carlsbad looks to snap a 4-game losing streak. Just one of those losses was by less than 29 points. St. Michael’s (7-1) at Robertson (6-2): Four of the top 5 teams in the MaxPreps Class 3A poll come from the same district (3A-2). Since No. 1 Raton (9-0) has a bye, St. Michael’s can assure a winner-take-all district championship game against the Tigers in Week 11 by beating long-time rival Robertson. The Horsemen have won five straight games since starting QB [player_tooltip player_id="134997" first="Lucas" last="Coriz"] was lost for the season with an injury, a classic case of a team circling the wagons. Robertson is led offensively by dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id="26261" first="Matthew" last="Gonzales"] and freshman RB Jesse James Gonzales. https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1450564288695791617 Valencia (5-4) at Bernalillo (4-4): Both teams can boost their seeding for the Class 4A playoffs with a victory here. Valencia is ranked No. 8 in the latest MaxPreps Class 4A poll. Bernalillo is No. 12, putting them squarely on the bubble. The Spartans haven’t scored more than 7 points in the last four games. Valencia has been one of the feel-good stories of the 2021 season. Ruidoso (4-4) at Lovington (5-3): Lovington will try to protect its No. 1 ranking in the latest MaxPreps Class 4A poll. The Wildcats are two wins away from the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. Both teams are 1-0 in a 4-team district (geographically, the most far flung in the state), so the winner will take a major step towards the district title. Can Ruidoso contain Lovington’s high-powered passing attack? If not, they stand little chance of pulling off the upset on the road. Capital (4-4) at Farmington (8-0): These two teams have separate agendas. Unbeaten Farmington looks to continue its march to a possible No. 1 seed in the Class 5A playoffs (only Los Lunas could prevent the Scorpions from reaching that goal). Farmington QB [player_tooltip player_id="26232" first="Brandon" last="Furbee"] (1,328 passing yards, 14 TD passes, 2 INT) is a strong contender for Class 5A Player of the Year. Capital, ranked No. 12 in the latest MaxPreps 5A poll, is simply looking to earn a berth in the playoffs and right now the Jaguars are on the bubble. Aztec (3-6) at Kirtland Central (4-4): Interestingly, Aztec has one fewer win than Kirtland but is ranked three spots higher (No. 7 & No. 10) in the latest MaxPreps Class 4A poll. Sophomore QB Landan Frost has been revelation for the Tigers, throwing for 1,325 yards and 18 TD. Another sophomore, Jaylen Ignacio, is Aztec’s leading rusher. With Bloomfield preparing to face winless Gallup, a Kirtland Central win here would set up a winner-take-all district championship game in Week 11. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id="26251" first="Zakk" last="Thomas"] fuels the Broncos’ offense. https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1450564185557852166 Taos (4-4) at Pojoaque Valley (4-3): A key battle between two District 4A-2 teams striving to earn a spot in the Class 4A playoffs. Taos won their district opener over Espanola Valley and a victory here by the Tigers would propel them into a district championship game in Week 11 against Moriarty, which should easily handle struggling Espanola Valley this week. Controversy over an alleged hazing incident swirled around the Pojoaque Valley program several weeks ago, but the Elks are still alive for a playoff berth. Running back [player_tooltip player_id="198250" first="Dominic" last="Esquibel"] has powered the Elks offense all season. Hope Christian (5-3) at NMMI (5-2): In a four-team district (3A-4), this is essentially the championship game as both teams won their district openers last week. Hope Christian’s [player_tooltip player_id="26270" first="James" last="Jenkins"] might be one of the most underrated players in the state. In 8 games, he’s passed for nearly 500 yards and rushed for almost 1,000 yards. NMMI will test the Huskies with their run-dominated attack led by senior Darrell Ochieng. Best of the Rest La Cueva at Manzano: Bears trying to lock down no worse than a No. 3 seed for the 6A playoffs West Mesa at Cleveland: Storm’s offense is tough to stop when it gets rolling. Texico at Santa Rosa: Class 2A battle will determine seeding for playoffs St. Pius X at Grants (Sat., 6 p.m.): Sartans continue to win and move up the Class 4A rankings. Silver at Portales: Fighting Colts make the long trip to eastern New Mexico. https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1450564373525581826 Other Games Cibola at Atrisco Heritage (Thur.) Hatch Valley at Hot Springs (Thur.) Tohatchi at Navajo Prep (Thur.) Alamogordo at Roswell Del Norte at Los Lunas Highland at Belen Valley at Rio Grande Moriarty at Espanola Valley Gallup at Bloomfield Thoreau at Crownpoint Wingate at Cuba Chaparral at Deming Jal at Hagerman Dexter at Tucumcari Cobre at Socorro Santa Fe Indian at West Las Vegas Albuquerque at Santa Fe (Sat.. 4 p.m.) Miyamura at Los Alamos https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1450959521480728576 https://twitter.com/cavemenstrong/status/1450808042728083468 https://twitter.com/vvhsfootball/status/1450474049407266819