Week 1 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games & Fun Stuff

Week 1 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our first edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field:   Team of the Week: Eldorado. Who saw this coming? After posting a 2-8 record last season, the Eagles were definitely flying under the radar entering the new campaign. But they certainly opened some eyes with an emphatic 41-20 victory over Cibola Friday night in a weather-shortened game at Community Stadium. WR [player_tooltip player_id='275436' first='Josiah' last='Mitchell'] (Caught TD + returned opening kickoff of second half for TD), Josh Jackson and RB Johnpaul Ludi each two scored 2 TD for the Eagles offense. District 6A-2 went 5-0 in Week 1 as Eldorado, Farmington, La Cueva, Sandia and West Mesa all won their games. We could have a magnificent race in that district.          Honorable Mention: Robertson; Bernalillo; Albuquerque High.     Player of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='615650' first='Eljan' last='Woods'], Eunice. Few New Mexico high school football followers might recognize the name but Woods was literally a one-man wrecking crew in Eunice's 40-29 victory over Raton Thursday night. Woods, a junior, rushed for a state-high (per MaxPreps) 225 yards and 2 TD in the win over the 3A Tigers. He had a 66-yard TD run in the third quarter. He added 200+ yards in kick returns. Eunice figures to be a major contender again for the Class 2A title and Woods is a major reason for the Cardinal's optimism.   Honorable Mention: [player_tooltip player_id='590316' first='Manny' last='Fuentez'] (Roswell); [player_tooltip player_id='275206' first='Mason' last='Espinda-McChriston'] (Bernalillo); [player_tooltip player_id='275436' first='Josiah' last='Mitchell'] (Eldorado).   Best Team Offensive Performance: West Mesa. The Mustangs traveled to Santa Fe to take on the Demons at scenic Ivan Head Stadium in the back half of a home-and-home series. West Mesa produced 638 yards of total offense, 231 yards coming in the pivotal third quarter. The Mustangs rushed for 457 yards as their improved offensive line dominated in the trenches. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='275488' first='Elijah' last='Brody'] threw for 181 yards and rushed for 169. RB [player_tooltip player_id='817244' first='Marcus' last='Sharp'] celebrated his move from WR by rushing for 129 yards on just 7 carries, including a 79-yard TD scamper on West Mesa's first play from scrimmage. The Mustangs utilized [player_tooltip player_id='1137115' first='Marcus' last='Ochoa'] on fly sweeps and the strategy paid off big.           Best Team Defensive Performance: Bernalillo. The Spartans have dubbed their hard-hitting, smash-mouth defense ‘The Goon Squad.' They even have those words on their helmets. They definitely earned the title with Thursday night's superb outing against Valley, holding the Vikings' offense scoreless in a 12-6 victory at Milne Stadium. [player_tooltip player_id='837172' first='Gabriel' last='Trujillo'] had 3 sacks. Bernalillo stopped Valley in the red zone on multiple occasions and its strip sack of the Valley QB late in the first quarter gave the Spartans the ball at the 2-yard line. They quickly scored on a TD pass from QB [player_tooltip player_id='615632' first='Uriel' last='Castro'] to 6-foot-3 senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='275206' first='Mason' last='Espinda-McChriston'], who also had 16 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT and 2 forced fumbles.         Best Game: Alamogordo 36, Silver 29. The Class 4A Fightin' Colts gave the 6A Tigers all they wanted and more in Alamogordo. With the score tied 29-29 and less than a minute remaining, Alamogordo drove into the red zone. Tigers QB [player_tooltip player_id='275510' first='Elijah' last='Montoya'] (212 passing yards, 4 TD) hit Jason Warren for the game-winning TD with 21 seconds left. Silver QB Adan Jaquez opened the scoring with a 45-yard TD pass to [player_tooltip player_id='592022' first='Diego' last='Lucero']. Silver's [player_tooltip player_id='275566' first='Landon' last='Sandoval'] returned a kickoff 89 yards for a TD in the second quarter. Alamogordo trailed 29-14 midway through the third quarter but scored the final 22 points to pull out the victory.      Honorable Mention: Sandia 21, Atrisco Heritage 20 (80-yard TD pass from QB [player_tooltip player_id='1103734' first='Cruz' last='Rivera'] to [player_tooltip player_id='1119683' first='Joey' last='Harris'] in 3Q lifted the Matadors to the win); St. Michael's 39, Taos 30; Cuba 13, Santa Fe Indian 12.   Best Rivalry Win: Artesia 55, Carlsbad 7. The Eddy County War is always one of the most anticipated rivalry matchups of the season and last year's clash was a thriller. Not this year. The Bulldogs served notice they're well prepared to defend their Class 5A title with a rout of the Cavemen. QB [player_tooltip player_id='590681' first='Nye' last='Estrada'] picked up where he left off last season by throwing 3 TD passes for the Bulldogs. WR [player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn'] had 100+ receiving yards and 2 TD receptions.      Honorable Mention: Hobbs 41, Clovis 13 (QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119255' first='Brock' last='Beaty'] threw for 173 yards, 3 TD and ran for 1 TD in his first career start for Hobbs); Farmington 48, Piedra Vista 7; Los Lunas 56, Belen 6.   They Are Who We Thought They Were: Some might have questioned Cleveland prior to the start of the season after the Storm lost so much offensive firepower from its 2022 6A state championship team. But the Storm rolled into the steamy Field of Dreams (close to 100 degrees on the field) Saturday afternoon and dominated Centennial on both sides of the ball in a 27-8 statement victory. Cleveland rushed for 179 yards (152 yards on a workhorse 33 carries by RB [player_tooltip player_id='590512' first='Harris' last='Mbueha']) and defensively held the Hawks to 143 total yards and intercepted four passes (Pick 6 by Marcus La Cuesta) with four sacks. Cleveland took a 21-8 lead late in the 3rd quarter on sophomore QB Jordan Hatch's 27-yard TD pass to WR Karter Weddle. Hatch was making his 1st career start for the Storm. . . Cleveland will continue to win but might do it a bit differently this year. . .La Cueva may have lost QB Aidan Armenta and other key contributors off last season's 6A runner-up team but the Bears showed they haven't lost anything in a 35-14 victory over Rio Rancho Friday night at Wilson Stadium. New QB [player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer'] (22-for-33 for 269 yards) showed off his dual threat skills by running for 3 TD and throwing 2 more as the Bears offense's execution was flawless most of the night. [player_tooltip player_id='274718' first='Cruz' last='Markham'] and Kobe McGill caught TD passes for La Cueva. . .If Artesia is the best team in 5A, Roswell might be No. 2. The Coyotes opened the campaign with a robust 45-18 road victory over Lovington. QB [player_tooltip player_id='590316' first='Manny' last='Fuentez'] was superb, accounting for 5 TD. He threw for 238 yards on 14-19 passing and added 76 rushing yards. RB [player_tooltip player_id='340165' first='Bryce' last='Sanchez'] rushed 15 times for 94 yards to also spark the Coyotes' offense. . .Roswell's crosstown rival Goddard routed Santa Teresa, 49-0. . .Hopes are high at West Las Vegas and the Dons began the season with a methodical 28-0 victory over Escalante. QB C.J. Perea passed for 331 yards, 194 to speedy WR Deshaun Kensey. . .WLV's crosstown rival Robertson demonstrated they're eager for another deep playoff run with a 28-13 victory at Socorro. RB Jesse James Gonzales ran for 1 TD and threw for 1 TD in the Cardinals' solid road win. . .St. Michael's is again one of the top teams in Class 3A and they rallied for a 39-30 victory at Taos Saturday night on the strength of a productive ground game led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='275066' first='Matthias' last='Duran'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='613193' first='Cole' last='Sandoval']. Duran rushed for 4 TD. . .Gadsden reached the playoffs for the first time in decades last season and came into this season with high expectations. They showed those expectations were well founded with a 42-0 victory over reigning 3A champion Ruidoso. The RB duo of [player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade'] (178 rushing yards) and Ryan Hernandez (116) combined for 294 yards on the ground.             Road Warriors: Volcano Vista traveled to Field of Dreams in Las Cruces to square off with the Bulldawgs and the Hawks dominated the second half, outscoring Las Cruces, 14-0, for a satisfying 24-7 road win. RB [player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales'] rushed for 128 yards and 3 TD for Volcano Vista, which drove 97 yards for a first half TD and later 90+ yards for another TD. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119623' first='Ilijah' last='Hansen'] won the preseason battle for the starting job and finished with 130 passing yards. Volcano Vista rushed for 250+ yards. [player_tooltip player_id='592401' first='Kian' last='Vander Wilt'] and [player_tooltip player_id='590651' first='Hunter' last='Martinez'] sparked the Hawks' defense with 10+ tackles apiece. . .Portales was considered one of the top teams in Class 4A entering the season and Saturday afternoon they showed why with an impressive  45-0 victory over 5A Highland at sun-baked Milne Stadium. Rams QB [player_tooltip player_id='615523' first='Paxton' last='Culpepper'] started his junior year by throwing for 3 TD and running for another. Portales led, 35-0, at halftime and the second half featured a running clock the entire way. Portales' ultra-quick defense overwhelmed the Highland offense all afternoon long. . .3A Hope Christian traveled north to McCurdy and came home to Albuquerque with a 42-20 win. Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='615452' first='Mason' last='Hohsfield'] rushed for 4 TD for the Huskies. . .Capital scored 20 straight points in the second half to rally past Grants, 33-17, in a penalty-filled game. The Jaguars trailed, 17-13, at halftime. Capital QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119613' first='Deaven' last='Montano'] took over in the third quarter with a QB sneak on 4th down from the 1-yard line and a 17-yard TD pass to Joseph Rodriguez. . .Moriarty traveled to Gallup and returned home with a 50-0 win. . .Los Alamos won, 35-0, at Espanola Valley, outgaining the Sundevils, 338-141. The Hilltoppers jumped out to a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter and never looked back.          Focus On The Four Corners: Weather was a major factor throughout the Four Corners region in Friday night's action. Farmington won back the Milk Jug with a 48-7 victory over rival Piedra Vista in a game that started 90 minutes late due to lightning. Because the Scorpions moved up to Class 6A a year ago, this game is now the season opener rather than a heated district contest played at the end of the regular season. Farmington QB [player_tooltip player_id='274791' first='Trel' last='Griego'] threw four TD passes in the first half – three to WR [player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck'] - as the Scorpions took a commanding halftime lead and never looked back. Griego finished with 6 TD passes and 300+ yards passing. . .In Bloomfield, the Class 4A Bobcats began defense of last fall's state title with a 41-20 win over St. Pius X. QB [player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer'] threw 4 TD passes and ran for another. WR [player_tooltip player_id='275042' first='Drew' last='Perez'] had three TD receptions. . .Aztec routed Miyamura, 50-0, grabbing a 16-0 lead after the first quarter and cruising to the win. WR [player_tooltip player_id='275041' first='Baylor' last='Seabolt'] scored 2 TD for the Tigers in the first half. . .Kirtland Central lost to Valencia, 48-20. . .Tohatchi beat Shiprock, 50-6, in a game delayed 24 hours by weather. They played Saturday night at Shiprock. Tohatchi QB Elijah Johnson threw for 3 TD.           Successful Head Coaching Debuts: Doubtful new Albuquerque High head coach Desmond Anaya dreamed up a better first-game scenario for the Bulldogs as they knocked off Organ Mountain, 34-17, at Milne Stadium. Kenneth Sanchez was coaching his first game for the Knights. [player_tooltip player_id='1258907' first='Isaac' last='Houlihan'] had 2 INT for AHS. . .Mayfield blasted Manzano, 55-0, at Wilson Stadium in Gary Bradley's debt as Trojans coach. The story of the game, though, was two Manzano players were taken to the hospital by ambulance after succumbing to the heat, causing two lengthy delays. . .Valencia coach LeDarrius Cage won his debut as the Jaguars rolled past Kirtland Central, 48-20, in a game delayed 90 minutes by weather at the start. [player_tooltip player_id='1103800' first='Daniel' last='Villegas'] rushed for 150 yards and 3 TD for the Jaguars. Valencia led, 28-0, at halftime and held off the Broncos in the second half. . .Pojoaque Valley cruised to a 48-6 road victory over Navajo Prep in the debut of Zeke Villegas as the Elks' head coach. Pojoaque Valley went winless last season so this was the Elks' first taste of victory since 2021. Pojoaque Valley raced out to a 20-0 first quarter lead and cruised home. . . David Lee won his debut as Albuquerque Academy's new head coach as the Chargers crushed Rio Grande, 50-0. Senior QB Lucas Tracy threw 5 TD passes, four in the second quarter. . .Tarik Embrack led Tucumcari, which was 0-10 last season, to a 32-6 victory over his former team, Mescalero Apache, on Friday night. Talented sophomore WR/RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137084' first='Daymion' last='Urioste'] carried one time for 51 yards and caught 10 passes for 87 yards and 1 TD. . .Deming crushed Del Norte, 56-6, in Rich Perales' first game as the Wildcats' head coach. The Deming offense was powered by a balanced rushing attack.          Week 2 Top Games (Aug. 24-26)   La Cueva at Cleveland   Hobbs at Artesia   West Mesa at Volcano Vista   Alamogordo at Los Lunas   Eldorado at Rio Rancho   Bloomfield at Pojoaque Valley   Capital at St. Michael's   Deming at Organ Mountain   Taos at Los Alamos   Hatch Valley at Hope Christian   Cobre at Robertson   Centennial at El Paso (TX) Franklin   El Paso (TX) Americas at Las Cruces (Thur.)   Gadsden at El Paso (TX) High (Thur.)   Lovington at Seminole (TX)   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1693233237131407387?s=20 </div></figure>            <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/sfnmsports/status/1693077250885767281?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Rachel_KVIA/status/1692397955964109052?s=20 </div></figure>

Week 1 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our first edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field: