First Round Playoff Preview: Classes 6A-5A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's playoff time in New Mexico High School football. The 2023 playoffs in 6A-2A begin Friday night at locations throughout the state and continuing with several more games Saturday afternoon. In all, 20 games will be played. Here is a preview of all the First Round matchups for Classes 6A-5A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 6A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clovis (9) at Hobbs (8)</strong>: Part II of one of Eastern New Mexico's best rivalries. Clovis earned a spot in the playoffs with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Los Lunas in a winner-take-all district championship game last Friday night. Had Clovis lost that game, they wouldn't be here. The Wildcats will run the football all night long with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275376' first='Jett' last='Stone']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275303' first='Kash' last='Roberts']</strong>. Hobbs passed their own Week 11 must-win test against Carlsbad. Three straight wins to close the regular season after a 2-5 start got the Eagles in. QB <strong>Owen Calloway</strong>, RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103655' first='Saul' last='Armendariz']</strong> and WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='592369' first='Jeremiah' last='Jaquez']</strong> is an outstanding offensive trio. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Los Lunas (10) at Las Cruces (7)</strong>: Arguably the best First Round matchup in the state. If Los Lunas hadn't blown a double-digit lead in the second half against Clovis, the Tigers would likely be the No. 4 seed and resting at home this weekend. Now they must go to Las Cruces to face the surging Bulldawgs. Senior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103683' first='Damacio' last='Kaneshiro']</strong> has been solid. His four play makers on offense are RB <strong>Emi De la Torre</strong>, RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese']</strong>, WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103314' first='Ethan' last='Olguin']</strong> and WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274796' first='Fabian' last='Trujillo']</strong>. Las Cruces won five straight games before the streak ended in Week 11 against Centennial in a WTADCG. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola']</strong> and <strong>Kelley Stevens</strong> have divided time at quarterback. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro']</strong> anchors the ground game. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Farmington (11) at Volcano Vista (6)</strong>: Farmington makes their fifth trip to the Albuquerque Metro Region this season. The Scorpions at one time looked to host a playoff game but a three-game losing streak in district play ended those hopes. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274791' first='Trel' last='Griego']</strong> has thrown for close to 3,000 yards this season with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615414' first='Cayden' last='Haliburton']</strong> being his favorite targets. Volcano Vista had visions of a top four seed before a loss to Rio Rancho in Week 10. But the Hawks still get to host a playoff game. Two words best describe the Hawks offense: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales']</strong>. He's rushed for close to 1,600 yards and 15 TD this season while averaging better than 6 yards per carry. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Mesa (12) at Rio Rancho (5)</strong>: After barely missing the playoffs a season ago, West Mesa earned the final spot by prevailing in a playoff elimination contest with Eldorado. That means QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275488' first='Elijah' last='Brody']</strong>'s prolific two-year tenure with the Mustangs is extended for at least one more game. In 20 games as West Mesa's dual threat QB, Brody has passed for 3,910 yards and 45 TD while running for 2,367 yards and 39 TD. Doing the math, Brody has totaled 6,286 yards and 84 TD. Yeah, that's good. Rio Rancho junior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613752' first='JJ' last='Arellano']</strong> hasn't reached those levels yet largely due to injuries, but he's dynamic as well. RB [player_tooltip player_id='590563' first='Rayce' last='Ramirez'] is nearing the 1,000-yard mark and speedy WR [player_tooltip player_id='590564' first='Anthony' last='Raymer'] will test the West Mesa secondary. The Rams won four straight before losing last week's WTADCG to rival Cleveland.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1718623862605357114?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/_NMAA/status/1718623862605357114?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1719017904274866491?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/1719017904274866491?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/wmhs_mustangFB/status/1719001928540295288?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/wmhs_mustangFB/status/1719001928540295288?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 5A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mayfield (9) at Gadsden (8)</strong>: A battle between the old guard and the new guard in 5A. Mayfield is a proud program with a proud history but the Trojans have dipped in recent years. Declining enrollment plus a schedule with three 6A teams (all three Las Cruces rivals) and district rivals Artesia, Roswell and Goddard makes life challenging for Mayfield. Gadsden, meanwhile, is an up-and-coming program in 5A after decades of struggling with a playoff appearance in 2022 and a Top 8 seed this season. Panthers QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119637' first='Adrian' last='Munoz']</strong> leads the offense with 1,281 passing yards and 16 TD while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade']</strong> is the top ball carrier. The passing game is balanced with three receivers having 19+ catches. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highland (10) at Los Alamos (7)</strong>: An intriguing matchup between two programs trying to climb the 5A ladder. Highland was left out of the playoffs in 2022 but secured a spot this year by climbing out of an 0-3 hole to win six of their last seven games. Workhorse junior RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba']</strong> (1,685 rushing yards) is one of the best ball carriers in Albuquerque and he still has a season left. Consider this his breakthrough season. Los Alamos started 5-0 but lost to Valley in what was essentially a district championship game in Week 10. Putting the ball in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590222' first='Melaki' last='Gutierrez']</strong>'s hands is always a good decision for the Hilltoppers. Their defense has been stellar all season long, twice allowing 20+ points with three shutouts.          </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Manzano (11) at Valley (6)</strong>: Saturday afternoon football at Milne Stadium. Billy Cobos has done a remarkable job since being named Valley's head coach before the 2022 season. He has led the Vikings to a 15-7 record, including a quarterfinals appearance last year. This year, Valley claimed its first district title in many years. RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton']</strong>, listed at 6-foot-0, 215 pounds, powers the Vikings offense with his ability to break tackles and fearlessness running between the tackles. He has seven 100+ yard rushing games this season, including 306 yards on 31 carries against Manzano in the first meeting between these teams on Oct. 7. Manzano squeezed into the playoffs despite a 2-8 record and now they have an opportunity to gain a measure of revenge against Valley for the regular season loss. Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258970' first='James' last='Vautier']</strong> (1,217 passing yards in 8 games), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590686' first='Josh' last='Nieto']</strong> (49 receptions; 14 vs. Valley) and <strong>Robert Lucero</strong> (36 receptions) lead the Monarchs offense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Belen (12) at Deming (5)</strong>: Deming grabbed the No. 5 seed after posting a impressive 12-10 road victory over Gadsden in a WTADCG last week. It was the Wildcats' fourth straight win to end the regular season, a stretch including a wins over Mayfield. These teams were supposed to meet earlier this season on Sept. 15 but Belen was forced to forfeit after an incident against Valley a week earlier. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837197' first='Ryan' last='Alfaro'] </strong>is a dynamic dual threat QB who has accounted for 19 TD for Deming. Junior MLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118366' first='Sebastian' last='Acuna']</strong> leads the defense. Belen went 1-9 but improved as the season went along, losing by just two points to Mayfield and Highland in the second half of the season. The Eagles are capable of playing good football, so this game could be closer than people think.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1718623489153007738?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/_NMAA/status/1718623489153007738?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers/status/1718695392370421851?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/GadsdenPanthers/status/1718695392370421851?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/DemingWildcat/status/1719776687708356727?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/DemingWildcat/status/1719776687708356727?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>       </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->