Week 10 Preview: District Races Heating Up

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 New Mexico High School football season has entered Week 10. District play is well underway. Games begin Thursday night with a handful of contests around the state and run through Saturday afternoon. The schedule is highlighted by a Class 6A showdown with major district championship implications. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 10 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 La Cueva (Fri., 7 p.m., Wison Stadium)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are two words nobody associated with Sandia prior to the start of the 2023 season: district champions. But if the Matadors win Friday's showdown with Northeast Albuquerque rival La Cueva, that's exactly what Sandia will be with a perfect (and final) 4-0 district record. The Matadors, perennially a .500 program, have written one of the best stories in New Mexico high school football this season. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103734' first='Cruz' last='Rivera']</strong> is a strong contender for district Player of the Year and leads a Sandia offense featuring an array of weapons, including RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590746' first='Hunter' last='Maldonado']</strong>, WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590743' first='Jacob' last='Adcox']</strong> and WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119683' first='Joey' last='Harris']</strong>. Defensively, Sandia has been stout all season long led by MLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103405' first='Luke' last='Gonzales'], </strong>the team's leading tackler<strong>.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When La Cueva was 0-3 (one L by forfeit), some folks probably wondered what was wrong with the Bears. Answer: nothing. La Cueva has won five games in a row and is currently ranked No. 2 in 6A behind Cleveland, putting them in strong position to again claim a top four seed and the first-round bye. During the current five-game winning streak, La Cueva has averaged 52 points per game offensively with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. Three weeks ago, they scored 74 points against rival Eldorado, 62 in the first half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, the Bears aren't just winning, they're steamrolling opponents with their explosive offense and fast, aggressive defense led by FBS target <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611083' first='Mason' last='Posa']</strong>. Dual threat QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer']</strong> is elite as he showed last week against West Mesa. RB <strong>Eliseo Lumbrera</strong> brings plenty of speed to the position along with several lightning quick receivers such as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853013' first='Tanner' last='Montano']</strong>, <strong>Kobe McGill</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274718' first='Cruz' last='Markham']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274790' first='Jackson' last='Hix']</strong>. If three words define the La Cueva offense, it's speed, sped, speed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/SandiaMatadors/status/1714616592322175186?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/1714616592322175186?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rio Rancho at Volcano Vista</strong>: Another game with wide-ranging district and playoff implications. Rio Rancho (6-2, 2-0) is playing outstanding football right now with consecutive convincing wins over Farmington, Atrisco Heritage and Cibola to put themselves in position to contend for the District 6A-1 title. Going into Week 10, Rio Rancho is tied with rival Cleveland atop the district standings. Since Cleveland plays winless Cibola Friday, the Rams must win to keep pace. If they do, it will set up a winner-take-all district championship game with the Storm in Week 11.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613752' first='JJ' last='Arellano']</strong> passed for 281 yards and 3 TD last week vs. Cibola. WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590564' first='Anthony' last='Raymer']</strong> will test the Volcano Vista secondary with his speed. Volcano Vista (6-2, 1-1) could finish anywhere from tied for first to fourth place in the district. The Hawks rely heavily on RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales']</strong> to move the football. Gonzales has 1,247 rushing yards while averaging about 24 carries per game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Portales at Bernalillo</strong>: Unbeaten Portales (8-0), the No. 1 ranked team in Class 5A, comes to the Albuquerque Metro region for an attractive matchup against Bernalillo and its talented ‘Goon Squad' defense. The Rams might be 4A's most complete team (Bloomfield might argue otherwise) with an array of talent on both sides of the ball. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615523' first='Paxton' last='Culpepper']</strong> leads the state in TD passes with 31 vs. just four interceptions. He's also an excellent runner (7.7 yards per rush). Portales has three receivers with 20+ receptions. The Rams' defense is fast, aggressive and relentless. Bernalillo (6-2) is looking to get back on the winning track after consecutive losses to Los Alamos and Lovington. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615632' first='Uriel' last='Castro']</strong> and WR/DB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275206' first='Mason' last='Espinda-McChriston']</strong> are the stars for the Spartans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Los Alamos at Valley (Thur.)</strong>: Is this Week 10's biggest game in Class 5A? WE know one thing: the winner of this intriguing Thursday night matchup will claim the district championship. In fact, if Valley (2-0 in district) wins, the Vikings will be the outright district champion with a final 3-0 mark as their final regular season game is against 6A independent Rio Grande. As always, Valley will rely heavily on RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton']</strong>, who has 1,239 rushing yards with at least three games remaining (includes one 5A playoff game). Los Alamos is 7-1 and ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, meaning the Hilltoppers are definitely eying a top four seed in the playoffs. In order to earn that bye, they'll have to win this game. Defense has been the key to Los Alamos' success this season. They've allowed more than 19 points only once in 8 games. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Goddard at Artesia</strong>: This game is very intriguing on two levels. First, we'll see how Artesia bounces back after the showdown loss to Roswell last week in which the Bulldogs was essentially blanked for 48 minutes (Artesia's only points came on a Pick-6 interception). However, Artesia remains an offensive force with QB [player_tooltip player_id='590681' first='Nye' last='Estrada'] and others. Victories over Goddard and Mayfield in Weeks 10 and 11, respectively, will confirm Artesia as a dangerous No. 2 seed for the 5A playoffs. Second, we'll find out how well Goddard, ranked No. 3 in Class 5A by MaxPreps, stacks up against the best in 5A over the next two weeks. After Artesia, they face crosstown rival Roswell in Week 11. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1713913765056467265?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/1713913765056467265?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lovington at Albuquerque Academy (Fri., 3 p.m.)</strong>: The opener in a massive Class 4A doubleheader Friday in the Duke City. Lovington makes it farthest trip north all season and the Wildcats bring one of the best offenses in 4A to Albuquerque. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275459' first='Wyatt' last='Gomez']</strong> has thrown for 2,367 yards and 30 TD (both numbers 2^nd most in the state) and is supported by a solid running game led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613065' first='Camon' last='Ochoa']</strong>. The WR duo of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275593' first='Cesar' last='Gonzalez']</strong> (49 receptions) and <strong>Demarcus Thompson</strong> (40) ranks among the best in 4A. Albuquerque Academy is licking its wounds after a lopsided loss to Portales last week snapped a three-game winning streak. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119328' first='Jett' last='Galles']</strong> makes the Chargers' running game go. Senior LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275045' first='Brody' last='Whitaker']</strong> is a next level talent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carlsbad at Las Cruces (Thur.)</strong>: Las Cruces is undergoing a revival in district play following an 0-4 start. The Bulldawgs have won four straight games, including District 6A-3 wins over Hobbs, Alamogordo and Organ Mountain. A win over the Cavemen would make Las Cruces 4-0 in the district and likely set up a winner-take-all district championship game against Centennial in Week 11. Carlsbad (2-6) likely needs to beat both Las Cruces and Hobbs in their final two games to make the 6A playoffs. Regardless, Cavemen RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590551' first='Ulysses' last='Mendoza']</strong> has enjoyed a very good senior season and is close to surpassing 1,000 rushing yards. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mayfield at Roswell</strong>: So, what does Roswell, the #1 ranked team in the state, do for an encore after the impressive 29-8 win over Artesia last week? First, they must guard against a letdown. Second, they'll be smart to give the ball to RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='340165' first='Bryce' last='Sanchez']</strong> a lot, and continue to rely on a physical, hard-hitting defense that stymied Artesia for 48 minutes in Week 9. The physical Sanchez was dynamite against Artesia. He's a bruising runner. Mayfield is 4-4 and battling to earn a Top 8 seed in the 5A playoffs. However, the Trojans' final two regular season games are against Roswell and Artesia. They are currently ranked No. 8 in 5A and should get in considering five of the 16 5A teams are 0-7, 1-7 or 0-8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CoyotesRising/status/1714277728416092460?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/CoyotesRising/status/1714277728416092460?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Moriarty at Espanola Valley</strong>: With both teams being 1-0 in a four-team district (4A-2), the winner will claim at least a share of the district title. Moriarty snapped a three-game losing streak last week with a 34-6 home win over Pojoaque Valley. The Pintos LOVE to run the football and get as many ball carriers as possible involved in the offense. Espanola Valley RB <strong>Adrick Deleon</strong> has rushed for 1,430 yards on 128 carries. He rushed for 300+ yards and 5 TD last week at Taos when the Sundevils won their fourth straight game. They're eying a long-awaited playoff berth. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bloomfield at Aztec</strong>: Key battle between the No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the latest 4A MaxPreps poll. Is Aztec the team that finally ends Bloomfield's lengthy winning streak dating back to last season? The Bobcats have won 14 straight games and are the reigning 4A champions. Their offense is as prolific as any in the state. Oh yeah, Bloomfield's defense is pretty good too with five shutouts in eight games. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer']</strong> has thrown for close to 1,900 yards and 28 TD. Aztec has won two straight. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275041' first='Baylor' last='Seabolt']</strong> is one of the top running backs in 4A and a next level talent. The winner of this game will be 2-0 in the district.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Santa Rosa at Escalante</strong>: The final regular season game for both teams serves as a winner-take-all district championship game in District 2A-1. It's also a battle between two of the best players in 2A. Santa Rosa RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275599' first='Nicolas' last='Chavez']</strong> has rushed for 1,657 yards (2^nd most in state) and 24 TD (state leader). Escalante QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275564' first='Trey' last='Archuleta']</strong> is an elite runner as well with 1,257 yards. Last week he amassed 319 rushing yards vs. McCurdy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Robertson at Raton</strong>: Robertson (6-2) is battling to claim at least a share of the District 3A-2 title. A Cardinals victory here on the road would set up a showdown with crosstown rival West Las Vegas (6-2) in Week 11 with a possible three-way tie in the final district standings being the end result. <strong>Jesse James Gonzales</strong> has made a nice transition to QB for Robertson. Raton (4-5) needs a win to give themselves a realistic chance to host a 3A playoff game. The Tigers are No. 8 in the latest MaxPreps poll. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103773' first='Jacob' last='Mattorano']</strong> has thrown for nearly 1,400 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Socorro at Hatch Valley</strong>: Huge matchup in District 3A-3. Socorro is 6-2 overall and ranked No. 7 by MaxPreps in Class 3A but the Warriors are coming off a loss to Cobre in the district opener. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613184' first='Isaiah' last='Ocampo']</strong> is an elite dual threat QB. Hatch Valley (5-3) trounced Hot Springs in its district opener and could set up a possible winter-take-all district championship game against Cobre in Week 11 with a victory here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/vvhsfootball/status/1713658297667158384?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/vvhsfootball/status/1713658297667158384?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BEST OF THE REST</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Farmington at Eldorado</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Silver at St. Pius X</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Centennial at Alamogordo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highland at Piedra Vista</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hot Springs at Cobre (Thur.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grants at Valencia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Texico at Jal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Estancia at Tularosa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taos at Pojoaque Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1714420797362917874?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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1714420797362917874?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER GAMES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cibola at Cleveland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clovis at Capital</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hobbs at Organ Mountain</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Albuquerque High at Santa Fe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Belen at Miyamura</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Del Norte at Manzano (Thur.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chaparral at Deming (Thur.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Mesa at Rio Grande</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Michael's at El Paso (TX) Cathedral</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dexter at Tucumcari</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Fe Indian at West Las Vegas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tohatchi at Navajo Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gallup at Kirtland Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wingate at Cuba</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thoreau at Crownpoint</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newcomb at Zuni</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Capitan at Mescalero Apache</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hozho Academy at Shiprock</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ruidoso at Hope Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laguna-Acoma at McCurdy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1713938932675620984?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/1713938932675620984?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1051918,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-18-at-19-03-23-New-Mexico-High-School-Football-Rankings.png?w=506" alt="" class="wp-image-1051918" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->