Week 9 Preview: Wool Bowl Showdown highlights attractive slate

The 2023 New Mexico High School football season has entered Week 9. For many teams, district play continues 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 Class 5A showdown Friday night at the Wool Bowl in Roswell. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 8 of what promises to be another exciting three days of high school football.   GAME OF THE WEEK: Artesia (7-0) at Roswell (7-0) (Friday, 7 p.m. Wool Bowl)   It's No. 1 vs. No. 2. Not just in Class 5A, mind you, but in the entire state. And it likely won't be the only time this season these two teams square off on the gridiron, either. Barring an upset in the playoffs, Artesia and Roswell are on a collision course to clash in the 5A state championship game on Thanksgiving weekend.   Thus, this game offers a scintillating preview of what's likely coming down the road in about six weeks (Goddard must still play both teams). Both teams are as complete as you can get at the high school level. They have explosive offenses, rock solid defenses, great special teams, fantastic coaching and passionate fan support.   Both teams had a bye last week. The Wool Bowl should be full to capacity Friday night.   “It's always good to be home,” Roswell coach Jeff Lynn told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We have a great environment. Our community really supports us. Our football games are fun. We generally sell out our side and I'm sure Artesia is going to bring a lot of people since it's only 40 miles south. There will be a lot of people there.”   Start with the quarterbacks. Artesia [player_tooltip player_id='590681' first='Nye' last='Estrada'] and Roswell's [player_tooltip player_id='425194' first='Manny' last='Fuentez'] (approx. 80 percent completion percentage) are arguably the two best QBs in 5A. But one of the coaches involved in Friday's showdown believes they're even better than that.   “I've said this before, I think the two best quarterbacks in the state are playing in this game,” Lynn said. “We're going to throw the ball about 25 times per game and run the ball 35-40 times per game. Manny is a good runner. He's probably the fastest guy on our team. We have a good offense. I think we can still improve. I don't think we're there yet. Artesia is different than us offensively. They're very explosive. We'll have our hands full. We're more of a ground and pound team with play action.”   Estrada has eclipsed 5,000 passing yards in less than two full seasons.   “The word I always use for Nye is ‘smooth,' Artesia coach Jeremy Maupin told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “He knows how to run our offense. There's been games where we've relied on him to get us into the right run reads. He took over the Cleveland game. He moved in the pockets and made plays down the field. He's a phenomenal young man. He's a great quarterback and a great leader. He's having a pretty good season.”       [player_tooltip player_id='340165' first='Bryce' last='Sanchez'], averaging about 100 yards rushing per game, has plenty of experience at running back for Roswell. When [player_tooltip player_id='850276' first='Jesse' last='Leroch'] was lost for the season with an injury, [player_tooltip player_id='1118283' first='Frankie' last='Galindo'] has filled in admirably and become a TD machine with 10+ scores for Artesia.   “Frankie is a phenomenal athlete,” Maupin said. “Initially, he was playing slot and a little bit of running back. Then Jesse got hurt. Frankie became the full-time running back. It's been what we expected. He's 100 miles per hour all the time. He's not a big guy, but he runs physical.”      Both teams have solid, senior-led offensive lines.   Estrada has a quartet of talented wide receivers at his disposal: [player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn'], speedster Juan Diego Duran, [player_tooltip player_id='590308' first='Matthew' last='Saiz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1119239' first='Izac' last='Cazares'].   “Nye feels comfortable with all four of those guys,” Maupin said.   Defensively, neither team gives up many points. Roswell hasn't allowed more than seven points in any game since the season opener, outscoring its opponents by a 260-26 margin during that six-game stretch. Linebackers Damian Quezada and [player_tooltip player_id='836944' first='Keegan' last='Nichols'] are the leaders.   “Our defense is the strength of our team,” Lynn said. “We have some guys over there that really get after it. Our defensive coordinator has done a good job with that group in getting them prepared. They're physical. We have as good a defensive front as we've ever had. We have good players at every level. They fly around and play the game the right way.”       Relying mainly on speed and being fundamentally sound, Artesia has arguably one of its best defenses in years. The Bulldogs have posted three shutouts and allowed seven or fewer points five times. The only teams to score more than seven points against Artesia are Deming and Cleveland. Safety [player_tooltip player_id='590700' first='Jesse' last='Armendariz'] and MLB [player_tooltip player_id='590673' first='Diego' last='Wesson'] are the sparkplugs of a deep unit. DL [player_tooltip player_id='1052441' first='Kaden' last='Grantham'] leads the Bulldogs in sacks.   “We started a lot of sophomore two years ago. A lot of those guys are now three year starters”, Maupin said. “We are an athletic and fast defense. Our secondary is the catalyst. Our defensive line has some size and they move well. It's a tough defensive unit. Our defensive coaches do an excellent job putting our guys in good positions.”   <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/1711382554568262034?s=20 </div></figure>   Farmington at Sandia: Will Sandia (6-1) keep their amazing run going? The Matadors are No. 8 in the latest MaxPreps 6A poll, and all seven of the teams ahead of them have 2+ losses. Starting with QB [player_tooltip player_id='1103734' first='Cruz' last='Rivera'], Sandia has some of the best offensive skill position talent in 6A. The group includes RB/DB [player_tooltip player_id='590746' first='Hunter' last='Maldonado'], WR [player_tooltip player_id='590743' first='Jacob' last='Adcox'], WR Grayson Frederich and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1119683' first='Joey' last='Harris']. Farmington (6-2) is coming off an impressive 49-7 home victory over West Mesa in the district opener. QB [player_tooltip player_id='274791' first='Trel' last='Griego'] is a big, powerful signal caller with a bazooka for an arm. He has already thrown for over 2,100 yards and 27 TD in seven games. WRs [player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck'] and [player_tooltip player_id='615414' first='Cayden' last='Haliburton'] are his top two targets.     Bernalillo at Lovington: It's strength vs. strength in this District 4A-4 showdown. Bernalillo's ‘Goon Squad' defense squares off with Lovington's explosive offense. The Spartans have allowed more than 14 points just twice this season with two-way standout [player_tooltip player_id='275206' first='Mason' last='Espinda-McChriston'] leading the way with a career high 92 tackles (2nd most in the state). Wildcats QB [player_tooltip player_id='275459' first='Wyatt' last='Gomez'] (1,904 passing yards) engineers an offense that has scored 51+ points in three of their last five games. RB [player_tooltip player_id='613065' first='Camon' last='Ochoa'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='275593' first='Cesar' last='Gonzalez'] are just two of the weapons at Gomez's disposal.         Albuquerque Academy at Portales: All four teams in District 4A-4 are ranked in the top seven of the latest MaxPreps 4A poll. Albuquerque Academy has already posted an impressive road win earlier this season at Los Alamos. Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1119328' first='Jett' last='Galles'] is an exciting offensive talent for the Chargers, who are running the ball more under first-year head coach David Lee. Portales does everything well, which is why the Rams are 7-0 and ranked No. 3 in 4A. QB [player_tooltip player_id='615523' first='Paxton' last='Culpepper'] directs a high-powered offense while LB [player_tooltip player_id='613053' first='Manny' last='Chavez'] spearheads a suffocating defense that has posted four shutouts.             Goddard at Mayfield: We know Artesia and Roswell are the top two teams in Class 5A (and the state). Who's No. 3? Goddard. The Rockets LOVE to run the football and they do it very well. But they also play very good defense. Goddard has allowed more than 12 points just once this season. They've yielded 7 or fewer points in each of the last four games. Mayfield loves physical football too. The pads will be popping in this one.        West Mesa at La Cueva: Battle between the top two quarterbacks in Albuquerque. Indirectly, it's also a New Mexico vs. New Mexico State battle. West Mesa QB [player_tooltip player_id='275488' first='Elijah' last='Brody'] is an elite dual threat QB and already has more than 1,000 yards rushing. He has been offered by the Lobos. La Cueva QB [player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer'] has led the Bears to four straight wins and they've scored 38+ points in each game. Dyer can also run with the ball but he throws darts to the fastest WR corps in the state.      <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BernalilloF/status/1712224738238746916?s=20 </div></figure>   Atrisco Heritage at Cleveland: Presumably, the Cleveland offense will find ways to score against an Atrisco Heritage defense that allowed 37 points a week ago to Rio Rancho and 74 points to West Mesa a month ago. The outcome will be determined by how well Atrisco Heritage's offense can move the move against the talented Cleveland defense. Junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1021201' first='Landon' last='Griego'] is developing into a nice starting QB for the Jaguars. He has plenty of support in the passing game from a deep receiving corps.       NMMI at Dexter: The game that could decide the District 3A-4 title. NMMI is 6-2 overall, 2-0 in the district with victories over Hope Christian and Ruidoso. A victory here would go a long ways towards the Colts securing the automatic bid to the 3A playoffs. QB Cole Seidenberger and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1119319' first='Cohen' last='Tomasits'] ignite the offense. Dexter has been at or near the top of the 3A polls all season long. Demons freshman QB [player_tooltip player_id='1155032' first='CJ' last='Granados'] is emerging as one of the top 2027 prospects in the state.    Centennial at Carlsbad: Centennial's rugged non-district schedule has paid dividends since District 6A-3 play started last month. The Hawks can move to 3-0 in the district with a road win at Carlsbad. Centennial is strong on both sides of the ball. QB [player_tooltip player_id='340297' first='Daniel' last='Hernandez'] is a fantastic dual threat QB. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1037108' first='Jesus' last='Barraza'] rushed for 145 yards and 2 TD vs. Hobbs last week. Carlsbad snapped a four-game losing streak with last week's win over Organ Mountain. RB [player_tooltip player_id='590551' first='Ulysses' last='Mendoza'] (866 rushing yards) is the primary offensive threat. He has 410 rushing yards in the last two games, including 256 yards against Alamogordo.            Jal at Eunice: The game of the week in Class 2A. Jal (6-1) lost a lot of talent off last season's 2A championship but they've found a way to keep winning. The Panthers defense must bring their ‘A' game to Eunice Friday in order to contain the high-powered Cardinals offense led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'] (1,581 passing yards), RB [player_tooltip player_id='615650' first='Eljan' last='Woods'] (696 rushing yards) and WR [player_tooltip player_id='274788' first='Ashton' last='Thompson'] (39 receptions; 12 TD).          Silver at Grants: Silver saw its five-game winning streak snapped at home to Bloomfield last Saturday, but the Colts are still in the thick of the fight for a top four seed in Class 4A. Currently, Silver is ranked No. 4 in 4A by MaxPreps. [player_tooltip player_id='815932' first='Adan' last='Jacquez'] is an outstanding dual threat QB and he's supported by a balanced rushing attack and 6-foot-2 athletic WR [player_tooltip player_id='591998' first='Julian' last='Richard']. Grants has won three games in a row after a 1-3 start. The key for the Pirates has been a superb ground game led by junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='613060' first='Andres' last='Lazos'], who has 699 rushing yards and 8 TD on 61 carries during the winning streak.       Cobre at Socorro: District battle between the No. 5 and No. 6 teams in Class 3A. Cobre carries a three-game winning streak into the contest following last week's 27-26 thriller over Tularosa. Socorro QB [player_tooltip player_id='613184' first='Isaiah' last='Ocampo'] is one of the top dual threat signal callers in southern New Mexico. He's accounted for nearly 2,000 yards and 22 TD with three regular season games left to play. It's the district opener for both teams with the winner getting the early jump in the standings.        Raton at St. Michael's: How difficult is District 3A-2? Three of the top four and four of the top seven teams in both the MaxPreps and Coaches 3A poll come from the district starting with St. Michael's at No. 1 (MaxPreps). Raton is No. 7 in both polls. The Tigers have a solid offensive backfield with QB [player_tooltip player_id='1103773' first='Jacob' last='Mattorano'] and RBs [player_tooltip player_id='1119146' first='Joseph' last='Saenz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='613159' first='Cannon' last='Walton']. They'll try to score on an outstanding St. Michael's defense coming off a shutout on the road against Robertson. Both teams are 1-1 in the district.     <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/1712085634461077886?s=20 </div></figure>   BEST OF THE REST   Espanola Valley at Taos (Thur.)   Cuba at Thoreau (Thur.)   St. Pius X at Valencia   Pojoaque Valley at Moriarty   Kirtland Central at Bloomfield   Alamogordo at Hobbs   Miyamura at Piedra Vista   Hatch Valley at Hot Springs   OTHER GAMES   Rio Rancho at Cibola   Valley at Del Norte   Highland at Belen   Capital at Albuquerque   Santa Fe at Los Lunas   Organ Mountain at Las Cruces   Gadsden at Chaparral   Manzano at Los Alamos   Rio Grande at Shiprock   Robertson at Santa Fe Indian (Thur.)   Navajo Prep at Zuni (Thur.)   Santa Rosa at Laguna-Acoma   Aztec at Gallup   Hagerman at Texico   Mescalero Apache at Estancia   Crownpoint at Wingate   Deming at Santa Teresa   Capitan at Tularosa   Tohatchi at Newcomb   Tucumcari at Hope Christian   Escalante at McCurdy   <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/1711417863561421255?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/demons_football/status/1712503558644384165?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/JesseArmendar28/status/1712188508557783143?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/Fchavezeptimes/status/1711372170419659188?s=20 </div></figure>

The 2023 New Mexico High School football season has entered Week 9. For many teams, district play continues 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 Class 5A showdown Friday night at the Wool Bowl in Roswell. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 8 of what promises to be another exciting three days of high school football.