Baker's Dozen: Week 5 Preview

High school football season enters its fifth week of action! District play continues in some districts and begins in others. Here's our Top 13 Games of Week 5 plus other games. We fondly call this the Baker's Dozen:   GAME OF THE WEEK: Gadsden at Artesia (Fri., 7 p.m.)   Three years ago, Gadsden being involved in our Game of the Week was unthinkable. But the rise of the Panthers under head coach Dino Facio Jr. has been one of the best stories in New Mexico high school football. It began in 2022 when Gadsden reached the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs, and continued last year when the Panthers hosted Mayfield in a first-round game. Today, Gadsden is 4-0 and has the look of a team capable of making a deep playoff run.   The Panthers' offense is fueled by the state's leading rusher, RB [player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade'], who has 752 yards and 8 TD on 94 carries, putting him on pace to eclipse 2,000 yards if he stays healthy and Gadsden reaches the playoffs. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1155087' first='Anthony' last='Palomares'] is promising playmaker. The Gadsden defense has allowed only 26 points in 4 games, 20 in last week's win over Mayfield. They began the season with back-to-back shutouts. LB [player_tooltip player_id='615429' first='Daan' last='Cano'] is a tackling machine with 51 stops already.   You figured Artesia would bounce back from the Saturday afternoon loss two weeks ago to Centennial, and the Bulldogs did just that in the big Week 4 win over Deming at the Bulldog Bowl. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1432984' first='Izac' last='Cazares'] has been as good of a dual threat signal caller as the Artesia coaches expected. Cazares has thrown for 1,225 yards and 14 TD in 4 games. He has plenty of weapons around him with RB [player_tooltip player_id='1118283' first='Frankie' last='Galindo'], WR [player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn'], WR [player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1600893' first='Trent' last='Egeland']. LB Miguel Soro leads the Bulldogs defense with 36 tackles. [player_tooltip player_id='1266497' first='Tootie' last='McNeil'] headlines a solid secondary. It's Homecoming in Artesia.     <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/1835680564952850449 </div></figure>   Las Cruces at Hobbs: District play in 6A-3 opens with a biggie. Las Cruces (2-2) didn't sidestep anyone in non-district play, facing rival Mayfield and Albuquerque Metro Region powerhouses Volcano Vista, Rio Rancho and Cleveland. The Bulldawgs should be ready for district play. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] has been superhuman at times for Las Cruces this season and is a major piece of a prolific offense featuring QB [player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola'], WR [player_tooltip player_id='615455' first='Nate' last='Libby'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1142363' first='Francisco' last='Winnikoff']. Both of Hobbs' wins this season have been shootouts against Artesia and El Paso (TX) Parkland while their last loss was an OT setback at Roswell. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119255' first='Brock' last='Beaty'] has already thrown for nearly 900 yards and 13 TD. His favorite target lately has been younger brother [player_tooltip player_id='1600876' first='Braddock' last='Beaty']. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id='1119266' first='Tristan' last='Davis'] and Gustavo Diaz-Castro highlight a talented LB corps.         Farmington at La Cueva: No secrets here. These former district rivals meet for the fifth time in the last three seasons. Farmington (3-1) has beaten two Colorado schools (Durango, Falcon) with the only loss coming to Los Lunas two weeks ago. [player_tooltip player_id='611107' first='Michael' last='Beck'] is an elite receiver and a next level talent for the Scorpions. [player_tooltip player_id='1118058' first='Alex' last='Serrano'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1354822' first='Jared' last='Meechan'] (2 INT, 3 TFL in last week's win over Falcon, Co.) are major contributors as well. La Cueva, as we know, has some of the top offensive and defensive talent in the state. RB Cheeto Lumbrera had his breakout game with 174 yards and 4 TD on 20 carries along with 2 receptions for 93 yards in a win over Sandia. QB Cam Dyer, WR [player_tooltip player_id='853013' first='Tanner' last='Montano'] and LB [player_tooltip player_id='611083' first='Mason' last='Posa'] are all elite. Dyer (Arizona State) and Posa (Wisconsin) are headed to Power 4 schools as is OL [player_tooltip player_id='1118241' first='Mark' last='Handy'] (Minnesota).         Roswell at Deming: An intriguing District 5A-2 battle between a pair of teams coming off Week 4 losses. Little went right for Roswell (2-1) in Lovington last week. But they still possess a great team with impressive, next-level talent all over the field. Jacob Palomino has done a good job at QB for the Coyotes. The defense is elite when they bring their ‘A' game. They'll need to be good to contain Deming (3-1) senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='837197' first='Ryan' last='Alfaro'], one of the top rushing signal callers in the state. For the Wildcats, this game is all about proving they have closed the gap on 5A's ‘Big Three' of Artesia, Lovington and Roswell. They had an opportunity last week but lost by 37 points at Artesia. The last time Roswell came to Deming was last year's 5A semifinals. The Coyotes won, 45-0. You know Deming wants some payback for that.                 St. Michael's at Eunice: Two unbeaten 4-0 teams – the #1 Class 3A team and the #2 2A team – clash in the southeast corner of NM. They succeed in different ways too. St. Michael's, making the long trip from Santa Fe, loves to run the football, typically overpowering opponents as they did last week at Albuquerque Academy. [player_tooltip player_id='1119160' first='Soren' last='Annon'], [player_tooltip player_id='613193' first='Cole' last='Sandoval'] and [player_tooltip player_id='853063' first='Isaiah' last='Dominguez'] is a potent RB trio for the Horsemen. Eunice relies on QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'] (5,361 career passing yards) and RB [player_tooltip player_id='615650' first='Eljan' last='Woods'] to move the football and score a pile of points. The Cardinals have scored 35+ points in all 4 games this season.          Lovington at Goddard: The Wildcats, ranked #1 in Class 5A in both polls, head to the Wool Bowl after playing three of the best quarters of football you will ever see in last week's wire-to-wire 35-21 victory over Roswell. Simply, the Wildcats are clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. QB Mathew Prudencio has already thrown for over 1,000 yards and only occasionally tosses an incompletion, completing 72.1 percent of his passes. He has a fleet of speedy receivers at his disposal and a strong running game led by [player_tooltip player_id='615565' first='Ondalis' last='Cardenas']. And they're doing all this without RB [player_tooltip player_id='613065' first='Camon' last='Ochoa'], who has missed most of the season with an injury. Goddard has won two straight games under first year head coach Arturo Bolanos, including last week's 42-6 home win over Santa Teresa. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1787584' first='Izaiah' last='Montoya'] is a promising dual threat QB. LB [player_tooltip player_id='1137457' first='Taylen' last='Payne'] leads the Rockets defense.            Carlsbad at Centennial (Thur.): District 6A-2 play gets underway for both teams. Carlsbad has bounced back nicely from the lopsided Week 1 loss to Artesia in the Eddy County War with wins over Goddard and Cibola and a close, down-to-the-wire loss to Lovington. Cavemen QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119650' first='Kason' last='Perez'] has been solid with 816 passing yards and 12 TD while completing 60 percent of his passes. [player_tooltip player_id='1137066' first='Robert' last='Castaneda'] has 17 receptions in his last two games, including 12 for 220 yards against Lovington. Sophomore LB [player_tooltip player_id='1248663' first='Colton' last='McKibben'] leads the Carlsbad defense with 36 tackles and 7.0 TFL. Centennial has powered their way – literally – to a 4-0 start by running the football with QB [player_tooltip player_id='613746' first='Zaiden' last='Davis'] (680 rushing yards, 12 TD) and [player_tooltip player_id='837060' first='Rudy' last='Rios'] (338 yards) showing the way along with an elite offensive line. The Hawks defense is extremely balanced with nine tacklers between 13 and 27 tackles. No superstars but they get the job done.   Volcano Vista at Eldorado (Sat.): Volcano Vista is ranked No. 5 overall by MaxPreps and carry a three-game winning streak into Saturday's clash with the Eagles at Wilson Stadium. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119623' first='Ilijah' last='Hansen'] averaged 24.1 yards per completion in last week's dominating win over West Mesa. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1257357' first='Mason' last='Gurule'] leads the Hawks in rushing with 273 yards on 56 carries. Freshman RB [player_tooltip player_id='1423739' first='D'Angelo' last='Mitchell'] is the future at the position. Volcano Vista's defense has allowed just 13 points in the last two games. They'll provide the Eldorado offense with a stern test as the Eagles managed just 6 late 4th quarter points last week against Los Lunas. Head coach Charlie Dotson knew the Eldorado defense had to improve significantly for the Eagles to return to their winning ways. Through 3 games, Eldorado has allowed only 46 points. They certainly played well enough to win last week against Los Lunas.          West Mesa at Los Lunas: The run-dominated West Mesa offense encountered its first adversity of the season in a Week 4 loss to Volcano Vista. The Mustangs were held to 18 yards on 27 attempts, a far cry from their first two games. [player_tooltip player_id='1248667' first='Dominic' last='Lucero'] won the QB job in the preseason while [player_tooltip player_id='1594033' first='Jamari' last='Phillips-Woods'] has emerged as a quality #1 RB. They'll be tested by a Los Lunas defense that allowed just 6 late points in a victory over Eldorado in Week 4. The offensive backfield combination of junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese'] and sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604956' first='Jagger' last='Casillas'] has proven productive.   Raton at Robertson: These former district rivals square off in Las Vegas. It's only fitting a Walton would lead Raton in rushing. This year, QB [player_tooltip player_id='613159' first='Cannon' last='Walton'] has rushed for 389 yards (11.8 yards per attempt) and passed for 367. [player_tooltip player_id='1604784' first='Cael' last='Walton'] had 126 rushing yards against Trinidad (CO) two weeks ago. Robertson senior QB Jesse James Gonzalez has been a major contributor to the Cardinals offense since he was a freshman. He'll likely pass the 3,000 career rushing mark this week. This year, a new name has emerged for the Robertson offense – freshman RB [player_tooltip player_id='1613284' first='George' last='Smith'] has 291 rushing yards on just 21 carries. He's one to watch over the next 3 years. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1594850' first='Paul' last='Duran'] leads the Robertson defense with 37 tackles.   Hot Springs at Socorro: A pair of 3-1 teams battle in the District 3A-3 opener. Hot Springs has won two straight under first-year head coach Maximus Buckingham. [player_tooltip player_id='854288' first='Tristan' last='Polanco'] is a dynamic playmaker for the Tigers. Socorro QB [player_tooltip player_id='613184' first='Isaiah' last='Ocampo'] has already totaled 1,417 yards and accounted for 20 TD. He's also the Warriors' 2nd-leading tackler. [player_tooltip player_id='1137096' first='Jay' last='Lee'] is an outstanding receiver with 20 receptions and 7 TD.         NMMI at Hatch Valley: NMMI rebounded from the stunning last-play kickoff return loss to Eunice in Week 3 by blanking Chaparral to improve to 2-1. The Colts have tried to throw the ball more this season but the focus of their offense remains a physical, share-the-wealth triple option attack led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='1089649' first='Cole' last='Seidenberger']. NMMI has 4 rushers with 112+ yards on the ground. Hatch Valley has won three straight since a Week 1 loss to West Las Vegas. [player_tooltip player_id='854279' first='Omar' last='Gonzalez'] usually has the ball in his hands for the Bears.         Silver at Valencia: The District 4A-2 opener for both teams and the first of two consecutive road trips to the Albuquerque Metro Region for Silver. The Colts are coming off a lopsided win over local rival Cobre. [player_tooltip player_id='853014' first='Michael' last='Jimenez'] was the star in that win. Valencia is 3-1 under second-year head coach LeDarrius Cage. The Jaguars have built their offense around a productive ground game led by junior [player_tooltip player_id='1599923' first='Michael' last='Storms III'], who has 278 yards and 6 TD on the ground. [player_tooltip player_id='1595834' first='Cade' last='Ash'] has 16 of Valencia's 22 receptions.            Bonus: Portales at Manzano (Sat.): The decision to move to Class 4A appears to have  been a good one for Manzano. The Monarchs are 3-1 and have one of the emerging QBs in the Albuquerque Metro Region – senior [player_tooltip player_id='1258970' first='James' last='Vautier']. He has thrown for 873 yards and 13 TD in the first 4 games. [player_tooltip player_id='1137881' first='Aiden' last='Erickson'] is his favorite target with 29 receptions for 490 yards. Portales has split its first two games without elite QB [player_tooltip player_id='615523' first='Paxton' last='Culpepper'], who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. [player_tooltip player_id='1594674' first='Tommy' last='Lopez'] served as the Rams QB in Week 4's win over West Las Vegas and rushed for 105 yards and 2 TD.     NEW MEXICO VS. TEXAS:   Cleveland at El Paso (TX) Pebble Hills   El Paso (TX) Eastlake at Rio Rancho   BEST OF THE REST:   Santa Fe at Sandia (Thur.)   Espanola Valley at Moriarty   Albuquerque Academy at Chaparral   Alamogordo at Organ Mountain   Cobre at Dexter   Albuquerque High at Atrisco Heritage   Santa Rosa at West Las Vegas   Loving at Newcomb   McCurdy at Legacy Academy   Hozho Academy at Pojoaque Valley   OTHER GAMES:   Clovis at Cibola   Mayfield at Santa Teresa   Miyamura at Valley   Grants at Kirtland Central   Bloomfield at Aztec   Del Norte at Belen   Rio Grande at Highland   Los Alamos at Capital   Wingate at Crownpoint   Navajo Prep at Santa Fe Indian   Thoreau at Shiprock   Tohatchi at Gallup   Hope Christian at Estancia   Capitan at Tularosa   Cuba at Tucumcari   <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/1835743090310586877 </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/DemingWildcat/status/1836151402688827900 </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/HHS_HornetsFB/status/1835541506100224067 </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/_NMAA/status/1836102827024028004 </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/_NMAA/status/1836103324275196246 </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/_NMAA/status/1836103072759558602 </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/_NMAA/status/1836103576223117404 </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/_NMAA/status/1836103828074303521 </div></figure>

High school football season enters its fifth week of action! District play continues in some districts and begins in others. Here's our Top 13 Games of Week 5 plus other games. We fondly call this the Baker's Dozen: