Baker’s Dozen: Week 7 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 New Mexico High School football season has entered Week 7. For many teams, district play begins this weekend. Games begin Thursday night with a handful of contests around the state and run through Saturday afternoon. The schedule is highlighted by a District 6A-2 matchup on Saturday afternoon. &nbsp;Here are our Top 13 games of Week 7 of what promises to be another exciting three days of high school football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GAME OF THE WEEK: Sandia at West Mesa (Sat., 11 a.m.)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a season filled with surprises, none more so than Sandia (4-1), which is off to a 4-1 start and ranked No. 8 in Class 6A by MaxPreps. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103734' first='Cruz' last='Rivera']</strong> directs a balanced offensive attack, passing for almost 1,000 yards and 8 TD. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590746' first='Hunter' last='Maldonado']</strong> sparks a solid ground game. Three senior receivers (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590743' first='Jacob' last='Adcox']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119683' first='Joey' last='Harris']</strong> and <strong>Grayson Frederich</strong>) have between 16 and 20 receptions, so the West Mesa defense can't focus on stopping just one guy. The Matadors are solid defensively, allowing more than 20 points only once in 5 games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The West Mesa offense may present Sandia with its biggest test yet. Senior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275488' first='Elijah' last='Brody']</strong> is arguably the state's top dual threat signal-caller with 1,644 total yards. He has accounted for 23 TD and has four games with 100+ yards rushing. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='817244' first='Marcus' last='Sharp']</strong> joins him in the backfield. WR [player_tooltip player_id='340311' first='Ricky' last='Martinez'] is the top target in the passing game. The Mustangs' defense is improved from last season when they gave up too many points, ultimately costing them a playoff berth. Since both teams can score, albeit in different ways, whichever defense plays the best, forces turnover and comes up with key stops will likely prove the difference.                   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/SandiaMatadors/status/1706817871756870115?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SandiaMatadors/status/1706817871756870115?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>La Cueva at Eldorado</strong>: Based on how the last three or four weeks have unfolded, get ready for a high-scoring duel between these rivals. When La Cueva was 0-3 (after they forfeited the opener vs. Rio Rancho), some folks may have written them off. But they've now won three games in a row, including an impressive victory over Volcano Vista. The Bears outscored Los Lunas and Albuquerque, 83-6, in their last two games. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer']</strong> ignites the offense and he has a fleet of fast receivers to throw to. Eldorado QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275430' first='Brandon' last='Olivas']</strong> leads the state in passing yardage (1,808) and passing TD (24). In a recent three-game stretch, Eldorado scored 64, 41 and 64 points. The Eagles have an array of offensive weapons surrounding Olivas. First team to 50 wins? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cleveland at Volcano Vista</strong>: All of a sudden, Cleveland finds itself in unfamiliar territory. The Storm have lost two straight games for the first time in nearly a decade and now they must take on #4 Volcano Vista's punishing ground attack led by 1,000-yard rusher <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales'] </strong>in the district opener for both teams. Last week he tallied a season high 230 yards on a workhorse 37 carries. Clearly, Volcano Vista's offense hums when Gonzales get the ball. Meanwhile, the Cleveland's offense is licking its wounds after being blanked by Frenship (TX) last week at home. However, the Storm are still ranked No. 1 in 6A by MaxPreps. RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590512' first='Harris' last='Mbueha']</strong> has been the Storm's top offensive threat, setting up &nbsp;an intriguing position battle with Gonzales. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Los Alamos at Bernalillo</strong>: Bernalillo is another of the season's top surprises. The Spartans are still undefeated at 6-0 after finishing just 2-8 in 2022. An exceptional ‘Goon Squad' defense has been the key. Bernalillo has allowed more than 14 points only once this season. In the last two weeks they've stonewalled Moriarty's Wing-T/Triple Option and held Taos to two scores in a 20-14 road win. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275206' first='Mason' last='Espinda-McChriston']</strong> is a superb two-way player. Los Alamos had been unbeaten until last week's surprising 14-6 home loss to Albuquerque Academy. Defense has likewise been the key for the Hilltoppers. This could be a low-scoring, defensive struggle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CoachMillerBHS/status/1706706045845094856?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachMillerBHS/status/1706706045845094856?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Texico at Eunice</strong>: Two of the top four teams in Class 2A clash in Eunice. Texico is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A by MaxPreps while Eunice is No. 4. The game features two of the top quarterbacks in 2A: Texico's <strong>Cade Figgs</strong>, a legitimate next level prospect, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon']</strong> of Eunice. The latter has thrown for 1,248 yards and 17 TD in 6 games. <strong>Ejan Woods</strong> is a solid RB with senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274788' first='Ashton' last='Thompson']</strong> the top target at WR. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Las Vegas at St. Michael's (Sat.)</strong>: How much of a gauntlet is District 3A-2? Four of the top seven ranked teams in Class 3A reside there, including West Las Vegas and St. Michael's. WLV has won three games in a row following a 1-2 start. Junior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615555' first='CJ' last='Perea']</strong> has a strong, accurate arm and can run over defenders as well. He has passed for 1,298 yards and 13 TD in 6 games. St. Michael's gutted out a win over Aztec last Saturday despite missing multiple key performers. The Horsemen are aiming for their third straight 3A championship game appearance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Valley at Portales</strong>: Few teams have been more impressive than Portales this season. The Rams are 6-0 and ranked No. 2 by MaxPreps in Class 4A because of a high-powered offense led by QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615523' first='Paxton' last='Culpepper']</strong> and a suffocating defense that has posted four shutouts in six games. Valley faces the challenge of scoring enough points to beat Portales on the road. The Vikings are coming off a lopsided loss at Los Lunas but feature one of the most underrated running backs in 5A: [player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton']. He must have a big day for Valley to prevail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Las Cruces at Hobbs</strong>: Two teams looking to get off on the right foot in district play. Hobbs snapped a rare three-game losing streak two weeks ago with a 24-21 road win against Rio Rancho. RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103655' first='Saul' last='Armendariz']</strong> (355 rushing yards) and WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='592369' first='Jeremiah' last='Jaquez']</strong> (33 receptions) are the offensive stars for the Eagles. Las Cruces finally broke through with its first win of the season two weeks ago when they beat rival Mayfield, 44-7, at Field of Dreams. Sophomore QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola']</strong> leads the offense. WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615455' first='Nate' last='Libby']</strong> (offered by New Mexico Highlands) is enjoying a solid season for the Bulldawgs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1706303183947997489?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1706303183947997489?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Roswell at Piedra Vista</strong>: Piedra Vista traveled twice to the Wool Bowl last season to face Roswell. Now the No. 4 Panthers get the No. 2 Coyotes in their place in Farmington. Piedra Vista started slowly but seem to have its mojo back with consecutive wins over Goddard (21-7 at Wool Bowl) and 6A Cibola. However, Roswell is the best team they've faced this season. The Coyotes are strong on both sides of the ball with QB [player_tooltip player_id='590316' first='Manny' last='Fuentez'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='340165' first='Bryce' last='Sanchez'] sparking the offense. Defensively, Roswell has allowed just 26 points in the last 5 games. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Robertson at Pojoaque Valley</strong>: After going to Dexter and beating the previously top-ranked Demons, Robertson has ascended to the No. 1 spot in Class 3A in the new MaxPreps poll. QB <strong>Jesse James Gonzales</strong> can hurt you with his arm or his feet. Pojoaque Valley's season has featured a bunch of blowouts. The Elks have trounced Navajo Prep, Santa Fe Indian and Cloudcroft while suffering losses to Bloomfield and Los Alamos. Freshman RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1129687' first='Jonah' last='Villegas']</strong> put up video game numbers last week at Cloudcroft. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Deming at Mayfield</strong>: Both teams have experienced up and down seasons as they continue to prepare for district play. Deming &nbsp;(3-3) started 2-0 but has lost its last three games on the field. The Wildcats were awarded a forfeit win over Belen. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837197' first='Ryan' last='Alfaro']</strong> is a dynamic dual threat player for Deming. Mayfield suffered consecutive lopsided losses to Las Cruces city rivals Centennial and Las Cruces before posting a close victory over Belen last week. A daunting district slate await the Trojans. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Estancia at Santa Rosa</strong>: Why is this Class 2A clash so attractive? It features a matchup between the state's top two rushers – Estancia's <strong>Josh Calhoon</strong> (1,359 rushing yards) and Santa Rosa's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275599' first='Nicolas' last='Chavez']</strong> (1,015). Santa Rosa is ranked No. 2 in the MaxPreps 2A poll while Estancia is No. 7. The Lions have won four of their first five games, including an eyebrow raising 27-24 road win at 3A Robertson. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cuba at McCurdy</strong>: While Cuba is still looking for respect from the pollsters (MaxPreps has them ranked No. 13 in 3A), the undefeated Rams are 6-0 and fashioning one of the best stories in New Mexico high school football this season. Last week Cuba beat Laguna-Acoma, 48-22. McCurdy's high-powered offense put up 70 points against Navajo Prep in Week 6, and are averaging 57 points during its current four-game winning streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1706405085079642435?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1706405085079642435?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BEST OF THE REST</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carlsbad at Alamogordo (Thur.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Albuquerque Academy at St. Pius X (Thur.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valencia at Gadsden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Capital at Los Lunas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Espanola Valley at Kirtland Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taos at Aztec</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cibola at Atrisco Heritage</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER GAMES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manzano at Highland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Albuquerque High at Clovis</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Belen at Goddard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hope Christian at NMMI</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hozho Academy at Mescalero Apache</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bayfield (CO) at Bloomfield</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crownpoint at Hot Springs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ruidoso at Tucumcari</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newcomb at Wingate</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hagerman at Loving</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gallup at Socorro</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artesia at Santa Teresa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Fe at Lovington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laguna-Acoma at Zuni</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thoreau at Tohatchi</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tularosa at Escalante</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miyamura at Del Norte</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Fe Indian at Raton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>This Week's MaxPreps Statewide Poll</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1019082,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-27-at-13-41-10-New-Mexico-High-School-Football-Rankings.png?w=501" alt="" class="wp-image-1019082" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->