Baker's Dozen: Week 4 Preview

The 2023 New Mexico High School football season has entered Week 4. Games begin Thursday night with a handful of contests around the state and run through Saturday afternoon. The schedule is highlighted by a 6A vs. 5A clash at the Wool Bowl Friday night. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 4 of what promises to be another exciting three days of football.   GAME OF THE WEEK: Los Lunas at Roswell (Fri., 7 p.m., Wool Bowl)   An intriguing and potentially very entertaining matchup between Class 6A Los Lunas and 5A Roswell at the historic Wool Bowl. These teams are ranked No. 4 (Roswell) and No. 5 (Los Lunas) in the latest MaxPreps state poll with a combined record of 6-0.   Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1103683' first='Damacio' last='Kaneshiro'] has done a nice job for the Tigers as the successor to Paul Cieremans at QB, completing 61 percent of his passes (25-41) for 579 yards and 7 TD with just 1 INT in the first three games. Junior Emi De La Torre has emerged as the Tiger's top RB with 41 carries for 182 yards and 4 TD. [player_tooltip player_id='1103314' first='Ethan' last='Olguin'] is the top WR with 15 receptions for 346 yards and 4 TD. DB [player_tooltip player_id='274991' first='Jason' last='Ussery'], [player_tooltip player_id='615687' first='Gage' last='Marquez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1103696' first='Ernie' last='Gonzales'] spearhead a Tigers defense that has allowed just 35 points in the first three games.   Speaking of spicy defenses, Roswell has allowed just 30 points in its first three games, including six at Hobbs in Week 3 when the Coyotes posted an impressive 34-6 road win. MLB [player_tooltip player_id='1103390' first='Damien' last='Quezada'] is a hard hitter and is joined by [player_tooltip player_id='836944' first='Keegan' last='Nichols'] on the second level. [player_tooltip player_id='590316' first='Manny' last='Fuentez'] is an outstanding dual threat QB for the Coyotes. His main partner in the offensive backfield is senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='340165' first='Bryce' last='Sanchez'] (15 rushes for 94 yards in Week 1 vs. Lovington), who was named Roswell's Offensive Player of the Week following the Hobbs win. [player_tooltip player_id='590583' first='Jordan' last='Weathersby'] is a talented WR.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/LosLunasFB/status/1698851030987903381?s=20 </div></figure>     La Cueva at Volcano Vista: Who thought La Cueva would be 0-3 heading into this monster Week 3 matchup? The Bears forfeited their Week 1 win over Rio Rancho and have suffered losses to Cleveland and Centennial (No. 1 and No. 3 teams in new MaxPreps state poll) in Weeks 2 and 3. File this under ‘Must Win' for La Cueva. Undefeated Volcano Vista may feel a bit disrespected considering they're still behind La Cueva in the MaxPreps State and 6A polls. But they are ahead of the Bears in the Coaches poll by one spot. The Hawks showed last week that handing the ball to RB [player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales'] is the No. 1 option on offense.          Artesia at Deming: The top matchup between Class 5A teams on the Week 4 schedule. Artesia is rightfully ranked No. 1 in 5A in both the MaxPreps and Coaches polls. The Bulldogs have been dominant offensively and defensively in the first three games, and they've shown no signs of slowing down on either side of the ball. Artesia outscored its first three opponents by a 148-13 margin. Is Deming the team that finally figures out how to contain the prolific Artesia offense? They held Organ Mountain to 6 points at the Field of Dreams two weeks ago before allowing 35 points to Goddard last week. So, we'll see. The Wildcats must find some answers to have any chance of winning this game.      St. Michael's at Los Alamos: Historically, we haven't seen many Class 5A vs. 3A matchups in the Baker's Dozen, but this game between 3-0 combatants in the ‘Land of Oppenheimer' is absolutely worthy of the hype. All three of St. Michael's wins have come by 9 points or less, including 28-20 and 27-20 wins over city rivals Capital and Santa Fe, respectively. So, the Horsemen know how to win close, hard-fought games. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1119628' first='Reed' last='Bass'] has done a nice job at QB managing the game for St. Michael's, which has utilized a balanced run-dominated attack in the first three games. The Los Alamos defense gave up its first points of the season in the close, come-from-behind Week 3 win at Capital. The Hilltoppers' defensive front seven is big, fast and aggressive. The biggest name on the Los Alamos offense is WR [player_tooltip player_id='590222' first='Melaki' last='Gutierrez'], one of the fastest players in the state.                Mayfield at Centennial (Sat., 7 p.m.): Matchups between Las Cruces rivals are always worthy of attention. Centennial rose to No. 2 in both Class 6A polls by virtue of Week 3's impressive win over Las Cueva at Field of Dreams. Few quarterbacks in the state are playing better than the Hawks' Danny Hernandez, who is just as good with his feet as he is with his arm. He rushed for 223 yards and 3 TD against La Cueva last week. [player_tooltip player_id='280925' first='Jordan' last='Lucas'] is the top option in the passing game. Mayfield has long thrived offensively with a physical, run-based power offense. In two games (the Week 2 game vs. Santa Teresa was cancelled), [player_tooltip player_id='1119315' first='Anthony' last='Nevarez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='590675' first='Bobby' last='Herrera'] have emerged as the top two threats for the Trojans in the ground game.            Las Cruces at Cleveland: The Storm don't lose often, so the interesting question heading into this matchup between two blue blood programs at Thunderbolt Stadium is how Cleveland responds to last week's heartbreaking OT loss to Amarillo (TX) when they had the game firmly within their grasp in the fourth quarter. The Storm still has mountains of talent, though. Sophomore QB Jordan Hatch was injured and didn't play last week. Will he be healthy enough to play against the Bulldawgs? Las Cruces is off to an uncharacteristic 0-3 start and allowed 99 points to a pair of El Paso schools in Weeks 2 and 3. The Bulldawgs must figure out how to slow down the Cleveland offense in order to pull out a much-needed road win.               Alamogordo at Capital (Thur.): Alamogordo doesn't travel north of Rio Rancho very often, one factor that makes this game interesting. The Tigers are 2-1 with victories over Silver and Gadsden. QB [player_tooltip player_id='275510' first='Elijah' last='Montoya'] is one of the underrated signal callers in the state. Capital's season so far has been marked by close, hard-fought games. The opportunistic Jaguars' defense was stellar in last week's 23-20 loss to Los Alamos but lost because its offense struggled to move the ball, amassing just 69 yards in total offense. The Alamogordo defense is coming off a shutout of Gadsden. Whether Capital can move the ball effectively on the Tigers' defense is the main storyline of the game.              Lovington at Hobbs: Because Lovington is the lone 4A program in southeastern New Mexico, they typically play a non-district schedule filled with 5A and 6A schools with games against better funded Texas schools mixed in. This season has been no exception. The Wildcats opened the season with losses to Roswell and Seminole (TX) before picking up their first win at 5A Santa Teresa. Now the Wildcats face the first of two 6A opponents in Hobbs. The Eagles are looking to snap a two-game losing streak after opening the season with a win over Clovis. Hobbs has scored just 6 points in each of the last two games, so offensive improvement is needed. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119255' first='Brock' last='Beaty'] directs a balanced attack.         Hope Christian at Socorro (Thur.): A pair of Top 10 teams in the MaxPreps 3A poll clash. This will be Hope Christian's third road trip in four games this season. They beat McCurdy and Hatch Valley before falling to 4A Albuquerque Academy in Week 3. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='615452' first='Mason' last='Hohsfield'] is a solid RB for the Huskies. Socorro has bounced back from its Week 1 loss to Robertson with wins over Santa Fe Indian and Estancia. [player_tooltip player_id='613184' first='Isaiah' last='Ocampo'] is an exciting dual threat QB for the Warriors.         Albuquerque Academy at Bloomfield: The No. 2 and No. 8 teams in the latest MaxPreps Class 4A poll battle in the Four Corners. Bloomfield, the reigning 4A champions, hasn't slowed down offensively all season long with three lopsided victories to begin the campaign. QB [player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer'] has proven a worthy successor to state-championship winning QB Ryan Sharpe. QB Lucas Tracy leads the Albuquerque Academy offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1119328' first='Jett' last='Galles'] already has 443 rushing yards.      Albuquerque High at West Mesa (Thur.): Mustangs QB [player_tooltip player_id='275488' first='Elijah' last='Brody'], who has been offered by New Mexico, is off to a fantastic start in his senior season, accounting for almost 900 yards and 10 TD in the first three games. West Mesa rebounded nicely in Week 3 with a convincing win over Cibola following the loss to Volcano Vista the previous week. Albuquerque High is also looking to bounce back after losing to undefeated Sandia in Week 3. When the Bulldogs get elite OL T.J. McCarthy back is uncertain.        Santa Fe at Silver: Class 6A Santa Fe makes its second of three trips to southern New Mexico. The first one didn't go well as they were routed by Roswell at the Wool Bowl. However, Demons starting QB Michael Abeyta is back after missing the Roswell game with an ankle injury. As he proved last week against St. Michael's, his presence makes a world of difference for the Demons' offense. Silver, meanwhile, has a talented QB of its own in [player_tooltip player_id='815932' first='Adan' last='Jacquez'], who has thrown for 668 yards in the first three games. WR [player_tooltip player_id='591998' first='Julian' last='Richard'] (15 receptions for 257 yards, 5 TD) is special and will give the Santa Fe secondary plenty of problems.               Tularosa at Santa Rosa: The No. 4 and No. 5 teams in the latest MaxPreps Class 2A poll collide. Tularosa's only loss came in a wild 39-38 contest at Jal. They've routed Hot Springs and Hatch Valley for their two wins. Santa Rosa improved to 2-1 after an impressive road win at 3A Robertson last week. Lions RB [player_tooltip player_id='275599' first='Nicolas' last='Chavez'] is probably the best ball carrier you don't know. He has 577 yards and is averaging close to 10 yards per carry.            Bonus: Dexter at Jal. The No. 3 team in the MaxPreps 3A poll squares off with the No. 2 team in the 2A poll. Dexter raised eyebrows with its Week 2 win over 3A West Las Vegas. The unbeaten Demons are legit. Jal is the defending 2A champion.   NEW MEXICO VS TEXAS   Clint (TX) at Gadsden   Anthony (TX) at Hatch Valley (Thur.)   Chaparral at El Paso (TX) Bel Air   Olton (TX) at Texico   BEST OF THE REST   Atrisco Heritage at Manzano (Thur.)   Farmington at Cibola (Sat.)   Carlsbad at Clovis     Rio Rancho at Organ Mountain   Bernalillo at Highland (Thur.)   Piedra Vista at Eldorado   Grants at Moriarty   Valencia at Portales   Espanola Valley at West Las Vegas   OTHER GAMES   Goddard at Miyamura   Kirtland Central at Montezuma-Cortez (CO)   Raton at Tucumcari   Cobre at Santa Teresa   Aztec at Durango (CO)   Belen at Valley   Estancia at Escalante   Sanat Fe Indian at Pojoaque Valley (Thur.)   Crownpoint at Navajo Prep (Thur.)   Shiprock at Monument Valley (Ariz.)(Thur.)   Hope (AZ) at Zuni   Loving at Capitan   Robertson at Ruidoso   Newcomb at Cuba   Tohatchi at Laguna-Acoma   Wingate at Ignacio (CO)   Hagerman at NMMI   St. Pius X at Del Norte   Thoreau at McCurdy   Gallup at Taos   Eunice at Hot Springs   <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/1698688852351746520?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/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1699057668638564464?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/rick_tripp58/status/1699194768012755362?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/_NMAA/status/1699482646580191734?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/_NMAA/status/1699148904074285510?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/_NMAA/status/1699149011905831407?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/_NMAA/status/1699149070261256637?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/_NMAA/status/1699149121259798794?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/_NMAA/status/1699149172119929105?s=20 </div></figure>

The 2023 New Mexico High School football season has entered Week 4. Games begin Thursday night with a handful of contests around the state and run through Saturday afternoon. The schedule is highlighted by a 6A vs. 5A clash at the Wool Bowl Friday night. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 4 of what promises to be another exciting three days of football.