Week 2 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games and Fun Stuff

Week 2 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our second edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field over the past three days:   Team of the Week: Gadsden. New Mexico schools generally didn't fare too well against their Lone Star State brethren in Week 2 (Week 1 for Texas) with Las Cruces, Centennial, Clovis, Lovington and Chaparral all suffering setbacks by double digit margins, although Centennial battled El Paso Franklin, one of the biggest high schools in the region, down to the final minutes in a 29-17 loss. Gadsden was the exception. They traveled to historic R.R. Jones Stadium at El Paso High and beat the Tigers, 21-14, for the first time ever to improve to 2-0 on the young season. Gadsden rushed for 161 yards on 38 carries. Defensively, the Panthers blanked the El Paso offense in the second half, allowing just a safety.       Honorable Mention: Carlsbad (beat Goddard); Dexter (beat West Las Vegas); Valley (Beat Cibola).         Player of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1118283' first='Frankie' last='Galindo'], Artesia. The Bulldogs whipped their second Class 6A team in two weeks as they trounced Hobbs, 42-6, at the Bulldog Bowl. Galindo scored on 7-yard run and caught a 29-yard TD pass from quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='590681' first='Nye' last='Estrada'] in the first half to help Artesia build a commanding 22-0 lead at intermission. Just over a minute into the third quarter, Galindo broke loose for a 40-yard TD run to make it 28-0. Late in the third quarter, Galindo tormented Hobbs again with a 68-yard TD run before capping his spectacular night with a 24-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter. In all, Galindo scored 5 TD against the Eagles, four on explosive (20+ yards) plays.           Honorable Mention: [player_tooltip player_id='590564' first='Anthony' last='Raymer'] (Rio Rancho); [player_tooltip player_id='815932' first='Adan' last='Jacquez'] (Silver); [player_tooltip player_id='275045' first='Brody' last='Whitaker'] (Albuquerque Academy).   Best Team Offensive Performance: Roswell. The Coyotes scored every time they had the ball in a 58-6 blowout of struggling Santa Fe at the Wool Bowl. They scored 8 touchdowns, 5 in the first quarter when they quickly built a 35-0 lead and cruised home from there. In all, Roswell scored 8 touchdowns. The Coyotes are pretty good on defense and special teams, too. If there's anybody in Class 5A who could mount a challenge to Artesia, Roswell is the team. Those two district rivals square off Oct. 13 at the Wool Bowl in what could be a championship game preview.         Best Team Defensive Performance: Cleveland. The Storm offense was so prolific between 2019-2022 that people forgot the defense also had a key role in those four championships (yes, we'll include 2020/Spring of 2021) won by Cleveland. Not this year. The Storm allowed just 15 combined points to Centennial (27-8 win) and La Cueva (27-7 win) in the first two weeks. Friday, they forced five turnovers and held the La Cueva offense without a score until the fourth quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt. The Storm's pass defense has been lock down, to say the least, with eight interceptions in the first two games. That's one per quarter. Friday, LB [player_tooltip player_id='274701' first='Stratton' last='Shufelt'], widely regarded as the state's best player (and our #1 2024 prospect) had two interceptions. Remember this name – Marcus la Cuesta. The  junior DB already has 3 interceptions on the young season. A solid ground game led by RB [player_tooltip player_id='590512' first='Harris' last='Mbueha'] and strong defense led by Shufelt have been Cleveland's secret sauce in the first two weeks.       Honorable Mention: Valley; Sandia, Artesia; Los Alamos.         Best Game: Jal 39, Tularosa 38. Defending Class 2A champions, Jal grabbed a 14-0 halftime lead over Tularosa on Friday night. The second half, though, saw the two teams combine for 63 points as Jal won a thriller. Tularosa didn't score until 4 minutes remained in the 3rd quarter and trailed, 27-8, with 12 minutes left. Then the floodgates opened. Tularosa scored a TD and two-point conversion with 5 minutes left to cut Jal's lead to 33-24. A TD pass + 2 pt conversion with 2 minutes left made it a 39-32 game. Tularosa stopped Jal on downs and took over at its own 35-yard line. Dillon Salazar scored a rushing TD with less than a minute left. Tularosa elected to go for two and failed with 26 seconds left. Jal recovered the onsides kick as they hung on for the thrilling win.         Honorable Mention: Hope Christian 23, Hatch Valley 20; Texico 28, Santa Rosa 26; Crownpoint 28, Shiprock 21.   Best Rivalry Win: St. Michael's 28, Capital 20. The Horsemen are still the Kings of High School football in Santa Fe but the gap between them and Capital appears to be shrinking. Saturday, St. Michael's won its 18th straight game over the Jaguars by building 14-point leads on three different occasions. St. Michael's quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1119628' first='Reed' last='Bass'], who made his first career varsity start in Week 1, completed 11 of 14 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Capital QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119613' first='Deaven' last='Montano'], operating behind a patchwork offensive unit, completed 19 of 33 passes for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns. With a 2-0 record, St. Michael's again has the look of a championship contender in Class 3A along with Robertson, Dexter, West Las Vegas and others.   Honorable Mention: Farmington.   Who's No. 2?: Cleveland emphatically reminded everybody that they're the No. 1 team in New Mexico by beating La Cueva, 27-7, on Frida night. In fact, the Storm should remain No. 1 in both major polls (Coaches and MaxPreps). But if the Storm are No. 1, who's No. 2? La Cueva could remain No. 2 in the polls but the team with the best argument right now about occupying the No. 2 spot is Artesia. The Bulldogs are the favorites to capture another 5A title this season  and in the first two weeks they've shown why. They have outscored a pair of 6A teams (Carlsbad and Hobbs), 97-13, including Friday's 42-6 win over Hobbs. The Bulldogs are dynamic and extremely talented on both sides of the ball. Circle Sept. 15 on your calendar – Cleveland at Artesia. Arguably the Game of the Year in New Mexico.       Best Bounce Backs: Several teams had impressive bounce back wins in Week 2. Rio Rancho lost by 3 touchdowns (35-14) to La Cueva in Week 1 but rallied eight days later for a 40-26 home victory over Eldorado. Speedster [player_tooltip player_id='590564' first='Anthony' last='Raymer'], routinely timed in the 4.5 range during camp season, scored 3 TD for the Rams, which rotated quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id='274972' first='Noah' last='Nelson'] and J.J. Arellano every other series. The duo combined for 273 passing yards in the first half. Raymer caught TD passes of 26 and 45 yards in the first half before showcasing his speed in the second half on a 60-yard score on a jet sweep. He totaled 175 offensive yards. . .Valley rebounded from its disappointing 12-6 loss to Bernalillo in Week 1 with a 15-3 win over Cibola Saturday at Community Stadium. . .Atrisco Heritage routed Rio Grande, 50-2, one week after losing to Sandia, 21-20, in Week 1. Jaguars QB [player_tooltip player_id='1021201' first='Landon' last='Griego'], filling in for the injured [player_tooltip player_id='275207' first='Dean' last='Marquez'], has thrown for 277 yards and 2 TD in the first two games. . .Carlsbad shook off its lopsided Week 1 loss to Artesia in the Eddy County War by beating Goddard, 27-19, at home. RB [player_tooltip player_id='590551' first='Ulysses' last='Mendoza'] rushed for 161 yards and 2 TD for the Cavemen, increasing his season total to 235 yards on a workhorse 51 carries. . .Silver made the long trip to Gallup and returned home with a 53-0 victory over Miyamura one week after suffering a heartbreaking loss at Alamogordo. Colts QB [player_tooltip player_id='815932' first='Adan' last='Jacquez'] completed 12-of-13 passes for 282 yards and 7 TD in the convincing win. . .St. Pius X bounced back from a Week 1 loss to reigning 4A champion Bloomfield with a 28-2 win over Highland. Freshman RB Hershul Olloway rushed for 158 yards and 3 TD as the Sartans D kept the struggling Highland offense off the scoreboard. Highland's only points came on a safety. . .Hot Springs won its first game with a 47-0 win over Capitan as QB [player_tooltip player_id='275479' first='Kaidyn' last='Lanham'] threw for 120 yards and rushed for 116 more.                   Focus On The Four Corners: Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='274791' first='Trel' last='Griego'] led Farmington (2-0) to another victory as the Scorpions beat regional rival Durango (CO), 39-20, at home. Farmington led, 25-13, at halftime and scored the first TD of the third quarter on a Griego pass. When Durango responded with a TD, Griego led Farmington down the field for the final clinching score of the game with about 5 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. The Scorpions host Los Lunas on Friday night. . .[player_tooltip player_id='275041' first='Baylor' last='Seabolt'] rushed for 142 yards and 3 TD on 17 carries as Aztec (2-0) beat local rival Montezuma-Cortez, 28-6. [player_tooltip player_id='1137468' first='Kale' last='Watson'] had 5 receptions for 60 yards, including a 34-yard TD reception. . .Bloomfield traveled to Pojoaque Valley and mercy ruled the Elks, 50-0. The Bobcats jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the 1st quarter and cruised home from there. The game ended at halftime. . .Kirtland Central had a bye week.       Still Undefeated: Volcano Vista (2-0) gave credence to the argument that they should be no worse than No. 3 in the 6A polls with a weather-shortened 29-14 victory over West Mesa Friday night at Community Stadium. RB [player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales'] rushed for 148 yards and 2 TD on 21 carries to spark the Hawks' offense. Defense (2 safeties) and special teams (blocked punt for TD) also contributed. . .One week after beating local rival Belen, Los Lunas downed Alamogordo, 36-7, in a game that was halted midway through the third quarter due to extreme weather. Los Lunas QB [player_tooltip player_id='1103683' first='Damacio' last='Kaneshiro'] threw 2 TD passes for the Tigers. . .Bernalillo's ‘Goon Squad' defense played well against as the Spartans beat Espanola Valley, 26-18, to improve to 2-0. QB [player_tooltip player_id='615632' first='Uriel' last='Castro'] threw for 160 yards and 3 TD for Bernalillo. Six-foot-2, 180-pound freshman WR [player_tooltip player_id='853757' first='Ulisses' last='Castro'] had 100 receiving yards on 4 catches. . .Portales (2-0), emerging as a serious 4A championship contender, posted another lopsided victory with a 54-0 trouncing of Ruidoso. Rams QB [player_tooltip player_id='615523' first='Paxton' last='Culpepper'] threw for 154 yards and 4 TD. But the Rams' ferocious defense was again the main story as they held Ruidoso scoreless. Portales has outscored its first two opponents, 99-0. . .Dexter (2-0) may have posted one of Week 2's most impressive victories as they beat West Las Vegas, 40-27, at home, serving notice to the rest of 3A that they intend to compete for the title. The Demons are winning with a freshman QB, too, as [player_tooltip player_id='1155032' first='CJ' last='Granados'] threw for 164 yards against the Dons. . .Sandia (2-0) is off to a robust start after blanking Piedra Vista, 16-0, Saturday afternoon at Wilson Stadium to set up an intriguing Week 3 matchup on Friday night with Albuquerque High . . .Deming moved to 2-0 with a 33-14 victory over Organ Mountain at Field of Dreams in Las Cruces. The game was played on the one-year anniversary of Abe Romero's final game with the Knights. Deming built a 14-0 halftime lead before a crazy third quarter unfolded. Deming scored two TDs on fumbles into the end zone and Organ Mountain got its first points on a long kickoff return during the frame. . .Hope Christian is 2-0 after outlasting Hatch Valley, 23-20, at Milne Stadium Saturday afternoon. . .Cuba, which experienced a change in head coach just weeks before the start of the season, is 2-0 after trouncing Zuni, 43-0. . .In game that can only be described as a defensive struggle, Robertson (2-0) edged Cobre, 3-0, in Las Vegas.   WEEK 2 FULL SCOREBOARD (Thur. Aug. 24-Sat. Aug. 26)   (Winners Listed in Alphabetical Order)   Artesia 42, Hobbs 6   Atrisco Heritage 50, Rio Grande 2   Aztec 28, Montezuma-Cortez (CO) 6   Bernalillo 26, Espanola Valley 18   Bloomfield 50, Pojoaque Valley 0   Canyon (TX) 43, Clovis 15   Carlsbad 27, Goddard 19   Cleveland 27, La Cueva 7   Crownpoint 28, Shiprock 21   Cuba 43, Zuni 0   Deming 33, Organ Mountain 14   Dexter 40, West Las Vegas 27   El Paso (TX) Franklin 29, Centennial 17   El Paso (TX) Americas 44, Las Cruces 19   Escalante 58, Tohatchi 7     Eunice 49, Estancia 12   Fabens (TX) 25, Chaparral 8   Farmington 39, Durango (CO) 20   Gadsden 21, El Paso (TX) 14   Grants 56, Gallup 0   Guymon (OK) 16, Raton 7   Hope Christian 23, Hatch Valley 20   Hot Springs 48, Capitan 0   Jal 39, Tularosa 38   Laguna Acoma 40, Newcomb 6   Los Alamos 40, Taos 0   Los Lunas 36, Alamogordo 7   Manzano 16, Belen 7   McCurdy 52, Gallup Hozho Academy  6   Mescalero Apache 28, Hagerman 0   Moriarty 26, Albuquerque Academy 14   NMMI 49, Cloudcroft 6   Portales 54, Ruidoso 0   Rio Rancho 40, Eldorado 26   Robertson 3, Cobre 0   Roswell 58, Santa Fe 6   St. Michael's 28, Capital 20   St. Pius X 28, Highland 2   Sandia 16, Piedra Vista 0   Seminole (TX) 76, Lovington 21   Silver 53, Miyamura 0   Socorro 50, Santa Fe Indian 0   Texico 28, Santa Rosa 26   Thoreau 20, Tucumcari 6   Valencia 6, Del Norte 0   Valley 15, Cibola 3   Volcano Vista 29, West Mesa 14   Wingate 46, Navajo Prep 16     Week 3 Top Games (Aug. 31-Sept. 2)   La Cueva at Centennial (Sat.)   Roswell at Hobbs   Los Lunas at Farmington   Carlsbad at Volcano Vista   Sandia at Albuquerque High   West Las Vegas at Portales   Gadsden at Alamogordo   Deming at Goddard   Organ Mountain at Mayfield   Lovington at Santa Teresa   Cibola at West Mesa   Valley at St. Pius X (Thur.)   Eldorado at Atrisco Heritage (Thur.)   Las Cruces at El Paso (TX) Eastwood   Los Alamos at Capital   Santa Rosa at Robertson   Cobre at Silver   Bloomfield at Grants   Hope Christian at Albuquerque Academy   <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/1695522338123772041?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/DemingWildcat/status/1695615176819757530?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/Westlasvegasfb/status/1695837718251716922?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/AdamDiehl15/status/1695306839192457387?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/artesiafootball/status/1695427799723745789?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/artesiafootball/status/1695282585864118473?s=20 </div></figure>

Week 2 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our second edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field over the past three days: