Week 3 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games and Fun Stuff
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Week 3 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our third edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field over the past three days: Team…
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Continue ReadingWeek 3 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our third 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: Los Lunas. Few wins anywhere in the state this season have been more impressive than the Tigers’ 40-22 road victory at Farmington Friday night. Los Lunas went into venerable Hutchison Stadium and took care of business against the previously unbeaten Scorpions. Los Lunas jumped out to an early lead on two Damacio Kaneshiro Damacio Kaneshiro QB Los Lunas | 2024 State NM TD passes to Fabian Trujillo Fabian Trujillo WR Los Lunas | 2024 State NM and a short rushing TD by Kaneshiro. Farmington pulled to within 21-16 late in the third quarter but Los Lunas responded with a pair of TDs to pull away, holding a 27-16 lead after three quarters. Ethan Olguin Ethan Olguin 6'0" | 165 lbs | WR Los Lunas | 2024 State NM ‘s TD reception gave Los Lunas a 33-16 lead in the fourth quarter. Gage Marquez Gage Marquez 5'11" | 220 lbs | LB Los Lunas | 2025 State NM had 2 interceptions and a rushing TD for the Tigers. Los Lunas has another opportunity for a huge road win Friday night when they travel to the Wool Bowl to square off with Roswell in Week 4.
Honorable Mention: Centennial, Roswell; Santa Rosa; Goddard.
Player of the Week: Latavious Morris Latavious Morris 5'9" | 150 lbs | RB Atrisco Heritage | 2025 State NM , Atrisco Heritage. The Jaguars and Eldorado engaged in video game football Thursday night at Community Stadium. Morris led Atrisco to a thrilling, last-play 70-64 victory over the Eagles as he accounted for 676 yards and 7 TD in his FIRST game as a high school quarterback. Morris completed 16-of-22 passes for 468 yards and 6 TD while rushing for 208 yards and 1 TD on 18 carries. Atrisco won on a tipped pass in the end zone on the final play of the game.
Honorable Mention: Alijah Gonzales Alijah Gonzales 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Volcano Vista | 2024 State NM (Volcano Vista); Nicolas Chavez Nicolas Chavez 5'9" | 150 lbs | RB Santa Rosa | 2024 State NM (Santa Rosa).
Best Team Offensive Performance: Atrisco Heritage and Eldorado. The Jaguars and Eagles put on an offensive display for the ages, combining for 1,340 yards of total offense. That’s an average of 670 yards per team. Eldorado QB Brandon Olivas Brandon Olivas 5'10" | 160 lbs | QB Eldorado | 2024 State NM had an outstanding night as well as he completed 30-of-44 passes for 475 yards and EIGHT touchdowns with zero interceptions. Four wide receivers had 100+ receiving yards, two for each team. Eldorado’s Joshua Jackson Joshua Jackson 6'5" | 205 lbs | WR Eldorado | 2024 State NM led all receivers with 246 yards on nine receptions. Overall, it wasn’t a good night for the defenses.
Best Team Defensive Performance: Alamogordo. Gadsden had scored 63 points in its first two games before Week 3. However, the Alamogordo defense clamped down on Thursday night for a 7-0 victory. Gadsden was held to 61 passing yards and 205 total yards. Efrain Hernandez and Marcus Bryant Jr. each had an interception for the Tigers.
Honorable Mention: Sandia.
Best Game: Amarillo (TX) 28, Cleveland 27 (OT). The frustration level for the Storm must have been extremely high after suffering a rare loss, albeit to a West Texas school. Cleveland dominated the game for 43 minutes and held a 21-6 lead midway through the fourth quarter before the Amarillo offense pieced together a pair of TD drives to tie the score and force overtime. The game-tying TD came on a fourth down TD pass with about 35 seconds remaining in regulation. In OT, Amarillo scored first and kicked the PAT. Cleveland scored a TD and decided to go for the game-winning 2-point conversion. However, Storm RB Harris Mbueha Harris Mbueha 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Cleveland | 2024 State NM ran left and was tackled two yards short of the goal line to give Amarillo the improbable comeback victory. Two plays prove costly for the Storm: Amarillo returned the second-half kickoff for a TD after its offense had been shackled for the entire first half and the Sandies connected on a long catch-and-run pass down to the Cleveland 11 on their final possession in regulation when they had 70+ yards to go for the game-tying TD with just a few minutes remaining.
Honorable Mention: Atrisco Heritage 70, Eldorado 64; Santa Fe Indian School 16, Laguna-Acoma 15.
Best Rivalry Win: Silver 36, Cobre 0. Largely due to geography, this is one of the most underrated and least known fierce rivalries in the state. But in southwest New Mexico, this game means plenty to a lot of high school football loving folks. Silver QB Adan Jacquez Adan Jacquez 6'1" | 160 lbs | QB Silver | 2024 State NM continued his outstanding season for the Fighting Colts by completing 15-of-26 passes for 264 yards and 3 TD while rushing for 1 TD. Silver hosts Santa Fe in Week 4 before making the long trip to Aztec for a possible showdown with the Tigers in Week 5.
Honorable Mention: St. Michael’s 27, Santa Fe 20; Dexter 52, Hagerman 0 (Battle of the Bridges); Miyamura 59, Gallup 6.
Chaos In Class 6A: Eight of the top 12 teams in last week’s MaxPreps Class 6A poll lost in Week 3: Cleveland, La Cueva, Farmington, Rio Rancho, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Carlsbad and Eldorado. As a result, the new poll should look a lot different. Cleveland should remain No. 1, but after the Storm, who knows? Several teams which won in Week 3 could take advantage of the chaos. Centennial could move up to No. 2 after beating La Cueva, 35-28, at Field of Dreams. Dynamic dual threat QB Daniel Hernandez Daniel Hernandez QB Centennial | 2024 State NM was sensational with 130 passing yards and 212 rushing yards on 22 carries, and accounted for 5 TDs. The previous week he ran for two long TDs against El Paso (TX) Franklin. Centennial built a 35-14 lead before stopping La Cueva’s second-half comeback bid just in time. Touchdowns by RB Cheeto Lumbrera III and WR Cruz Markham Cruz Markham 6'3" | 200 lbs | TE La Cueva | 2024 State NM pulled the Bears to within 35-28 with more than 8 minutes remaining in the 4Q. Another team that could move up in the polls? West Mesa. The Mustangs were No. 14 in last week’s poll. They beat winless Cibola, 46-20, at Community Stadium as QB Elijah Brody Elijah Brody 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB West Mesa | 2024 State NM , building a nice resume for the New Mexico Heisman, threw 4 TD passes and ran for 2 more. The West Mesa defense forced three turnovers. Los Lunas, Sandia and Volcano Vista should also move up.
Who’s 3-0?: Entering Week 4, 18 teams are 3-0, just three in Class 6A: Los Lunas, Sandia and Volcano Vista. Here is the breakdown by classification:
6A (3): Los Lunas, Sandia, Volcano Vista;
5A (3): Artesia, Los Alamos, Roswell;
4A (5): Aztec, Bernalillo, Bloomfield, Moriarty, Portales;
3A (4): Cuba, Crownpoint, Dexter, St. Michael’s;
2A (3): Eunice, Jal, Texico.
Sandia, arguably the most pleasant surprise in 6A, improved to 3-0 with a 45-9 victory over Albuquerque High at Milne Stadium. Hunter Maldonado Hunter Maldonado 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB Sandia | 2024 State NM rushed for 3 TD for Sandia. The Matadors defense has allowed just 29 points in 3 games so far this season. Next level prospect Grayson Frederich has 15 receptions for 125 yards and 2 TD in the first three games. . .Volcano Vista relied on a strong ground game (296 rushing yards) to beat Carlsbad, 28-7, Saturday at Community Stadium. From the outset, the Hawks’ offensive strategy was simple – hand the ball to RB Alijah Gonzales Alijah Gonzales 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Volcano Vista | 2024 State NM as much as possible. Gonzales finished with 216 rushing yards and 2 TD on a workhorse 32 carries. Volcano Vista set the tone early by taking the opening kickoff and driving the length of the field in 6-1/2 minutes for the first TD of the game by Gonzales. Leading 7-0 at halftime, the Hawks drove down the field for a TD on their first possession of the second half to take a 14-0 lead.
In Class 5A, Artesia and Roswell cemented their status as the top two teams with lopsided victories. Artesia blanked Belen, 51-0, as senior QB Nye Estrada Nye Estrada 5'10" | 170 lbs | QB Artesia | 2024 State NM completed 12-of-15 passes for 195 yards and 2 TD in the first half. RB Frankie Galindo Frankie Galindo 5'10" | 160 lbs | RB Artesia | 2025 State NM scored 2 TD for the Bulldogs Artesia led 36-0 at halftime and ended the game via mercy rule in the second half. . .Roswell, meanwhile, traveled to 6A Hobbs and handily beat the Eagles, 34-6. The Coyotes host Los Lunas Friday night. . .Los Alamos, led by a ferocious front seven on defense, rallied past Capital, 23-20, in Santa Fe Friday night. Capitol scored all of its points on defense (2 INT returns for TDs + 10-yard fumble return) as its offense managed just 69 yards in total yardage. The Los Alamos defense has yet to allow a point this season. Los Alamos trailed, 13-0, before mounting a comeback sparked by QB Kyle Evenhus Kyle Evenhus 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Los Alamos | 2025 State NM and RB Niko Garcia Niko Garcia 6'0" | 205 lbs | RB Los Alamos | 2024 State NM . The Hilltoppers scored 17 unanswered points to take the lead. Trailing 20-16, Los Alamos scored the game-winning points on a 53-yard TD pass from Evenhus to Akim Leija.
In Class 4A, Bernalillo (55-3 over Del Norte), Bloomfield (60-7 over Grants), Moriarty (54-0 over Newcomb) and Portales (48-14 over West Las Vegas) all posted lopsided victories to stay unbeaten. Bernalillo QB Uriel Castro Uriel Castro 6'0" | 170 lbs | QB Bernalillo | 2025 State NM threw for 290 yards, Diego Molinar Diego Molinar 5'7" | 165 lbs | DB Bernalillo | 2024 State NM rushed for 101 yards and Mason Espinda-McChriston Mason Espinda-McChriston 6'2" | 175 lbs | ATH Bernalillo | 2024 State NM caught 4 passes for 157 yards for the Spartans. . .Portales QB Paxton Culpepper Paxton Culpepper 6'0" | 150 lbs | QB Portales | 2025 State NM threw for 360 yards and six TD for the Rams. Braden Beck Braden Beck 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR Portales | 2024 State NM caught 5 passes for 128 yards and 2 TD. WLV QB CJ Perea CJ Perea 5'10" | QB West Las Vegas | 2025 State NM threw for 237 yards but it wasn’t enough for the Dons.
In Class 3A, Crownpoint, led by QB Jonathan Antonio Jonathan Antonio 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Crownpoint | 2024 State NM , continues to surprise by beating Zuni, 22-12. The Eagles have won all 3 of its games by 10 points or less. . .Cuba is writing a feel good story as the Rams improved to 3-0 with a 50-0 win over Shiprock. QB Richard Lovato Richard Lovato 6'1" | 190 lbs | QB Cuba | 2026 State NM threw for 141 yards. The Rams had a head coaching change just before the start of the season. . .Dexter hammered rival Hagerman, 52-6, in the annual Battle of the Bridges game. Demon QB Kevin Villalobos Kevin Villalobos 6'0" | WR Dexter | 2024 State NM completed all six passing attempts with 133 yards and a touchdown. . .St. Michael’s beat city rival Santa Fe, 27-20, by rallying from an early 14-0 deficit, The victory was sealed when the Horsemen defense forced a fumble inside the red zone with less than a minute remaining. St. Michael’s defense limited the Demons to 8 yards rushing and 156 total yards. St. Michael’s visits Lo Alamos Friday in a battle of unbeatens.
Focus On The Four Corners: Aztec began Week 4 ranked No. 3 in the MaxPreps Class 4A poll and the Tigers did nothing to drop in the poll as they beat cross-border rival Bayfield, 28-22. After a third consecutive game against a Colorado opponent (At Durango Friday night), Aztec hosts Silver on Sept. 16 and travels to St. Michael’s on Sept. 23 in two intriguing matchups. . .Rebuilding Piedra Vista fell to 0-3 with a 49-14 loss to Durango (CO). . .Kirtland Central pounded Thoreau, 49-14 as QB Tyler Joe Tyler Joe 5'10" | 160 lbs | QB Kirtland Central | 2024 State NM threw for 252 yards and 2 TD.
Finally, This: The rivalries between the four Las Cruces schools are among the most fierce in the state. Mayfield beat Organ Mountain, 41-10, in the first game of the season pitting Las Cruces-based schools against each other. The Trojans stingy defense held Organ Mountain to 130 total yards, forced two turnovers and sacked the Knight quarterbacks seven times. Mayfield outgained Organ Mountain, 241-59, in the first half and led 27-3 at halftime before cruising to victory in the second half. . .Lovington was ranked No. 5 in last week’s MaxPreps Class 4A poll and could move up after trouncing Santa Teresa, 58-7, on the road. However, all four teams above them in the poll also won, creating a logjam. In fact, 9 of the top 10 teams in the MaxPreps 4A poll won their games. Wildcats QB Wyatt Gomez Wyatt Gomez 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Lovington | 2024 State NM threw for 357 yards and 6 TD in the lopsided win. Cesar Gonzalez Cesar Gonzalez 5'7" | 150 lbs | WR Lovington | 2024 State NM caught 5 passes for 161 yards, and now has 19 receptions for 356 yards and 5 TD in three games. . .Another team that could find it difficult to move up in the 4A polls is No. 10 Albuquerque Academy, which beat 3A Hope Christian, 34-14, at home. Jett Galles Jett Galles RB Albuquerque Academy | 2025 State NM rushed for three touchdowns for the Chargers, which travels to No. 1 Bloomfield on Friday. . .The lone 4A team ranked in the Top 10 to lose was St. Pius X. The Sartans were blanked by Valley, 35-0, as the Vikings won their second straight game. Valley scored TDs in all three phases. Bronson Vigil had a fumble return for a score and Daniel Garcia returned a kickoff for a TD. The Valley defense has allowed just 15 points in the first three games. . .2A Santa Rosa went to 3A Robertson and stunned the previously unbeaten Cardinals, 27-24. Lions RB Nicolas Chavez Nicolas Chavez 5'9" | 150 lbs | RB Santa Rosa | 2024 State NM is emerging as one of the top ball carriers in the state. Chavez rushed for 212 yards on 17 carries against Robertson to increase his season total after 3 games to 577 yards on 60 carries, an average of 9.6 yards per carry. Santa Rosa hosts Tularosa in a huge Week 4 matchup in Class 2A . . .Speaking of running the football, Goddard utilized their strong ground game to beat Deming, 35-12, at the Wool Bowl. Dominic Ramirez scored Goddard’s first TD. The Rockets scored the last 28 points of the game after Deming took a 12-7 lead. Alberto Chavez had a Pick-6 for Goddard during the surge. . .Socorro beat Estancia, 34-19, to set the stage for an attractive Thursday night 3A matchup with Hope Christian in Week 4. The Warriors jumped out to a 28-6 lead before holding off late-charging Estancia on the road.
Week 4 Top Games (Sept. 7-9)
Los Lunas at Roswell (Game of the Week)
La Cueva at Volcano Vista
St. Michael’s at Los Alamos
Las Cruces at Cleveland
Artesia at Deming
Albuquerque Academy at Bloomfield
Valencia at Portales
Mayfield at Centennial
Albuquerque at West Mesa (Thur.)
Hope Christian at Socorro (Thur.)
Alamogordo at Capital (Thur.)
Farmington at Cibola (Sat.)
Tularosa at Santa Rosa
Raton at Tucumcari
Dexter at Jal