Baker's Dozen: Week 10 Preview

High school football season enters its 10th week of action! Many games now have playoff implications. Here's our Top 13 Games of Week 10 plus other games. We fondly call this the Baker's Dozen:   GAME OF THE WEEK: Volcano Vista at Cleveland (Fri., 7 p.m.)   The District 6A-1 title will be at stake when these long-time rivals clash Friday night at Lightning Bolt Stadium in the second of three round-robin games between the top three teams in the district (Cleveland, Rio Rancho, Volcano Vista). The Hawks were impressive in the first of the three games as they blanked Rio Rancho, 33-0, at Rams Stadium. Some folks may have been surprised by the final score, but this Volcano Vista team has been playing great football since dropping the season opener to La Cueva.   The Hawks have won seven straight games, including a season-altering come-from-behind win over Las Cruces in Week 2. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1119623' first='Ilijah' last='Hansen'] is very dependable at QB with nearly a 3-to-1 ratio in TD passes to interception. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1257357' first='Mason' last='Gurule'] paces the ground game. [player_tooltip player_id='1245701' first='Ismael' last='Mendez'] has been Hansen's favorite receiving target. Defensively, the LB duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1594106' first='Daniel' last='Rios'] and Thomas-James Pettus is strong and quick and they make a lot of plays. The Volcano Vista defense hasn't allowed more than 8 points in the last 6 games.   Cleveland also owns a seven-game winning streak since the Week 1 loss at home to Centennial. They've won four of those games by mercy rule, including the last three. QB Jordan Hatch has 19 TD passes and just 1 INT. The ground game features a three-headed monster of [player_tooltip player_id='611120' first='Juan' last='Munoz'], [player_tooltip player_id='1595801' first='Isaiah' last='Yannis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1600936' first='Samuel' last='Bustillos']. Junior WR [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'] has 24 receptions for 493 yards and 5 TD. LB [player_tooltip player_id='837117' first='Brendan' last='Cochrane'] and DL [player_tooltip player_id='611047' first='Psalmon' last='Kegler'] are the leading tacklers for the Storm defense.                    Organ Mountain at Hobbs: Huge game in District 6A-3 in terms of who gets into the playoffs. These two teams are ranked No. 11 (Hobbs) and No. 13 (Organ Mountain) in the 6A MaxPreps rankings. So, this is a battle between two teams clearly on the bubble. Hobbs (4-4, 2-2) has had a win lose, lose one type of season. Will last week's lopsided win over Clovis ignite the Eagles? They must win this game and likely Week 11's road test at Carlsbad to host a first-round playoff game. Sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604984' first='Shamus' last='Wright'] has been a pleasant surprise on offense. This is the final regular season game for Organ Mountain (4-5, 3-2), which has taken a major step forward in Kenneth Sanchez's second year as head coach. Senior Xavier Perez is a dynamic dual threat QB.   <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/1848745046910140520 </div></figure>   Valencia at St. Pius X: The top two teams in District 4A-2 battle with the winner likely claiming the title and probably a top four seed in the 4A playoffs. In fact, St. Pius X (6-2, 4-0) would clinch the district title with a victory. the Sartans have been red hot lately with four straights wins since the loss at 6A Organ Mountain. It's well established by now St. Pius X has some of the top young talent in the state. Most of their key contributors are sophomores, so what's happening this season is likely a preview of coming attractions. Valencia (6-2, 3-1) features arguably the breakout player of the year in Class 4A in RB [player_tooltip player_id='1599923' first='Michael' last='Storms III']. He has rushed for 1,104 yards and 15 TD.   Texico at Tularosa: This intriguing battle between the two remaining unbeaten teams in District 2A-3 will decide the district title – and probably the No. 1 seed for the Class 2A playoffs - as the three other teams all have two district losses going into Week 10. Texico (7-0, 2-0) kept its perfect season intact by rallying past pesky Eunice two weeks ago. Tularosa (6-3, 3-0) has emerged as one of the best stories in Class 2A by winning four of its last five games. They beat Eunice last weekend in a wild game, 39-36. This is the Wildcats' regular season finale, so if they win they'll have to sit and watch how Week 11 unfolds.       Roswell at Mayfield (Sat., 1 p.m.): After last week's shootout victory over Artesia, Roswell (6-1, 4-1) hopes to take another steptowards securing the District 5A-2 title with a victory over the Trojans. The Coyotes are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A but has had to avoid distractions in their preparations this week due to the catastrophic flooding in the town last weekend. Mayfield (4-4, 3-2) won't be a pushover. The Trojans, ranked No. 6 in 6A by MaxPreps, are looking to nail down a first-round home game in the 5A playoffs. Mayfield has won three of their last four games, including a wild OT win at Lovington and last week's victory over Goddard at the Wool Bowl.         Espanola Valley at Bloomfield: After defeating Bernalillo last weekend in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle, unbeaten Bloomfield (7-0, 5-0) now hosts No. 5 Espanola Valley (6-2, 3-2) in a game with stark contrasts in offensive philosophies. Espanola Valley seeks to wear down opponents with a balanced power rushing attack. Six ball carriers have between 41 and 61 attempts on the season. The Sundevils have thrown just 9 passes in 8 games. Bloomfield relies in large part on the passing acumen of QB [player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer'] (1,830 passing yards, 28 TD, 71.0 completion percentage) but can run the football with junior [player_tooltip player_id='853022' first='Peyton' last='Duncan'] when they want.          Eldorado at West Mesa (Thur.): Another game critical to the bottom half of the Class 6A playoff bracket. Eldorado (5-3, 3-2) is currently tied for third in District 6A-2 with Sandia, while West Mesa (4-4, 2-3) is tied for fifth with Albuquerque High. The winner enhances their playoff hopes, especially Eldorado, who need a coveted sixth win overall. The Eagles are currently ranked 9th in Class 6A by MaxPreps, while West Mesa is 12th, right on the cut line. Eldorado sophomore WR/KR [player_tooltip player_id='1155116' first='Jahari' last='Morehead'] is one of the most dynamic kick and punt returners in the state. West Mesa relies on a strong run game led by senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1594033' first='Jamari' last='Phillips-Woods'].             Deming at Lovington: A month ago, we were talking about the ‘Big Three' in 5A but since then Lovington (5-3, 2-3) has lost three of four games, including close, hard-fought affairs to Mayfield and Gadsden, and dropped to No. 4 in Class 5A rankings and sixth place in the district. Deming (6-2, 3-2) is ranked No. 5 and looking to snag a top four playoff seed. Lovington QB Mathew Prudencio has surpassed 2,100 passing yards and thrown 26 TD passes while completing 67 percent of his passes. He's supported by a solid ground game ([player_tooltip player_id='615565' first='Ondalis' last='Cardenas']) and a fleet of fast receivers. Deming dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id='837197' first='Ryan' last='Alfaro'] was recently offered by New Mexico Highlands. He has already rushed for over 1,000 yards and 20+ TD. The Lovington defense must account for him on every play.             Grants at Bernalillo: Both teams are currently tied for 2nd behind Bloomfield in District 4A-1 with identical 4-1 district marks. If Grants (5-3, 4-1) prevails, they'll get their shot at Bloomfield next week with a district title possibly on the line. The Pirates have won four games in a row after a 1-3 start. RB [player_tooltip player_id='613060' first='Andres' last='Lazos'] has 111+ rushing yards in each of his last three games. Bernalillo (7-1, 4-1) saw its perfect season spoiled by Bloomfield last week but still have plenty to play for, including a top four seed and first-round bye in the 4A playoffs. The Spartans offense struggled at Bloomfield, but the Goon Squad defense kept them in the game. Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='853756' first='Mario' last='Molinar'] (81 tackles) and [player_tooltip player_id='837172' first='Gabriel' last='Trujillo'] (79) are elite defenders.               Rio Rancho at Farmington: A key battle between the No. 7 (Rio Rancho) and No. 8 (Farmington) teams in the MaxPreps 6A rankings. Rio Rancho (5-3, 2-1) believes that if this win this one and then spring the upset of rival Cleveland in Week 11, they'll have a chance to earn a top four seed. But they must win their final two games. The Rams are coming off a disappointing home loss to Volcano Vista, and must play better on both sides of the ball. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'] directs the Rio Rancho offense. Farmington (4-4, 1-2) wants to move above .500 overall and get tied with Rio Rancho for 3rd place in the district.              Carlsbad at Las Cruces: Carlsbad (4-4, 2-2) is ranked No. 14 in the 6A MaxPreps poll and desperately needs win to earn a playoff berth. Pulling off a victory over the Bulldawgs on the road would likely seal the deal. Cavemen QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119650' first='Kason' last='Perez'] has been terrific with 1,853 passing yards and 25 TD passes. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1605005' first='Brock' last='Wright'] heads the ground attack. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1137066' first='Robert' last='Castaneda'] is an elite receiver. LB [player_tooltip player_id='1248663' first='Colton' last='McKibben'] is one of the top sophomores in the state. The Las Cruces offense led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola'] has been firing on all cylinders during the current 4-game winning streak. Three straight games with 55+ points. Win this one and the Bulldawgs will earn a showdown with Centennial for the 6A-3 district crown in Week 11.         Valley at Los Alamos: Something good is happening in the Land of Oppenheimer. Los Alamos (5-3, 5-0) is unbeaten in district play and wants to go into Week 11's potential showdown game against Miyamura with positive momentum. Hilltoppers QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119597' first='Kyle' last='Evenhus'] probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's thrown for over 1,500 yards and 19 TD. Valley has turned its season around with three victories in the last four games following an 0-4 start. The Vikings are currently ranked No. 11 in 5A by MaxPreps, so they're clearly on the playoff bubble. Chris Melendez has emerged as an elite WR.       Hatch Valley at Dexter: Dexter (9-0, 5-0) can secure the undisputed district title and probably no worse than the No. 2 seed for the Class 3A playoffs with a win in this game against an improving Hatch Valley team. Dexter has won most of its games in convincing fashion. Since a Week 2 road win at West Las Vegas, the Demons' smallest margin of victory is 15 points. Sophomore QB CJ Grandos has enjoyed a fabulous season with 12 TD passes and just 1 interception. Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137901' first='Garet' last='Gonzalez'] leads a balanced rushing attack. Hatch Valley (5-3, 2-2) is No. 8 in the latest MaxPreps 3A ranking. The Bears are battling to host a first round playoff game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1119512' first='Orrin' last='Russell'] leads Hatch Valey's run-dominated attack.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-23-at-20-05-14-26-NMAA-@_NMAA-_-X.png?w=476" alt="" class="wp-image-1539519" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></figure>   BEST OF THE REST:   Artesia at Goddard   Manzano at Silver   Taos at Moriarty   Portales at Albuquerque Academy   Los Lunas at Atrisco Heritage   Raton at Santa Rosa   St. Michael's at Pojoaque Valley   NMMI at Hot Springs   Eunice at Jal   Navajo Prep at McCurdy   Sandia at Albuquerque High   Capital at Highland (Thur.)   <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/1848383092114772451 </div></figure>   OTHER GAMES:   Centennial at Clovis   La Cueva at Santa Fe   Santa Teresa at Gadsden   Kirtland Central at Aztec   Rio Grande at Belen   West Las Vegas at Hope Christian   Gallup at Crownpoint   Tucumcari at Legacy Academy (Sat., Noon at Bernalillo)   Laguna-Acoma at Hozho Academy   Del Norte at Miyamura   Piedra Vista at Cibola   Estancia at Capitan (Thur.)   Socorro at Ruidoso (Thur.)   Tohatchi at Santa Fe Indian   Shiprock at Zuni   Thoreau at Wingate (Thur.)   Cuba at Newcomb (Thur.)   <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/1848802695236423997 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-23-at-20-06-59-26-NMAA-@_NMAA-_-X.png?w=476" alt="" class="wp-image-1539521" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></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/1848802861074776250 </div></figure>

High school football season enters its 10^th week of action! Many games now have playoff implications. Here's our Top 13 Games of Week 10 plus other games. We fondly call this the Baker's Dozen: