Baker's Dozen: Week 7 Preview

High school football season enters its seventh week of action! District play continues in most districts. Here's our Top 13 Games of Week 7 plus other games. We fondly call this the Baker's Dozen:   GAME OF THE WEEK: Dexter at NMMI (Fri., 7 p.m.)   The battle for District 3A-3 supremacy begins. Both of these teams are 2-0 in the district and tied with Socorro for first place. This is the first of key back-to-back road games for Dexter, which travels to Socorro next week. If the Demons win this game, that one becomes a monster contest with the winner taking a big step towards claiming the district title. Socorro travels to NMMI in Week 11. As for this game, Dexter has one of the best offenses in Class 3A with the passing skills of QB [player_tooltip player_id='1155032' first='CJ' last='Granados'] (927 passing yards, 8 TD, 1 INT) combining with a balanced rushing attack.  We definitely know what NMMI will do on offense. The Colts have attempted just 23 passes in 5 games. They'll mainly rely on their power rushing attack led by [player_tooltip player_id='1089649' first='Cole' last='Seidenberger'], Tegin Maloney and [player_tooltip player_id='1119319' first='Cohen' last='Tomasits']. Nothing fancy, but its highly effective.       Gadsden at Roswell: At the same time Dexter squares off with the Colts on the NMMI campus, Roswell hosts Gadsden across the street at the Wool Bowl. The rise of Gadsden over the last three seasons continues to be one of the best stories in NM high school football. Another opportunity for the Panthers to prove they belong on the same level in Class 5A as the ‘Big 3' of Artesia, Lovington and Roswell. They battled Artesia two week ago before losing. [player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade'] (1,046 rushing yards + 12 TD) is the state's leading rusher by a wide margin. Roswell rebounded from its Week 4 loss at Lovington with consecutive wins over Deming and Santa Tersa. Andrade and the Gadsden O-Line will test the Coyotes' rugged defense. Offensively, senior Jacob Palomino is an outstanding dual threat QB.                 Farmington at Cleveland: Anyone who thought Cleveland (4-1) was headed for a down season following the Week 1 home loss to Centennial was premature. Since then, the Storm have won four games in a row, including consecutive road tests at Las Cruces and El Paso (TX) Pebble Hills. Junior QB Jordan Hatch had one of the best games of his career last week in El Paso as he completed 18-of-25 passes for 276 yards and 3 TD. [player_tooltip player_id='611120' first='Juan' last='Munoz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1595801' first='Isaiah' last='Yannis'] are a dynamite RB duo. WR [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'] has been Hatch's favorite target in the passing game. This is the second of three straight trips to the Albuquerque Metro region for Farmington (3-2), which lost at La Cueva two weeks ago. [player_tooltip player_id='1595714' first='Waylon' last='Schake'] is a reliable QB. WR Mikey Beck is as talented as any pass catcher in New Mexico.      Albuquerque High at Los Lunas: An important game for playoff seeding in District 6A-2. Albuquerque High (4-1) has been one of the surprise teams of the 2024 season, carrying a four-game winning streak into this game, including road wins at Alamogordo and Atrisco Heritage. [player_tooltip player_id='1258907' first='Isaac' last='Houlihan'] is an outstanding dual threat QB for the Bulldogs. [player_tooltip player_id='1258916' first='Jonathan' last='Chavez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1266534' first='Alberto' last='Landeros'] give Albuquerque High three very productive ball carriers. Los Lunas (3-1) has won three games in a row since a Week 2 loss to Cleveland. The Tigers also have a deep rushing attack led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese'], sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604956' first='Jagger' last='Casillas'] and senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1119303' first='Jordan' last='Howard']. Safe to say that the team that runs the ball the best will likely win.          Texico at Loving: A District 2A-3 showdown between a pair of 5-win teams. Defending 2A champion Texico (5-0) has yet to lose and has three wins over Texas schools on its resume. Last week they made the trip to Las Vegas and beat West Las Vegas in impressive fashion. The Wolverines are dominant on both lines of scrimmage. Loving has won 4 games in a row. The Falcons feature the QB-RB duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1137875' first='Tristen' last='Onsurez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='854281' first='Bobby' last='Parraz']. Together, they've rushed for over 1,300 yards and 19 TD. Keeping them underwraps is Job. 1 for the Texico defense.   Cibola at Rio Rancho: The headline for this game is the return of former Rams head coach David Howes, currently the defensive coordinator at Cibola, to Rio Rancho. The Cougars, coming off a victory over Clovis, are much improved over last year when they went winless but still face a daunting second half schedule with matchups against Cleveland, Farmington and Volcano Vista after this game. [player_tooltip player_id='854199' first='Hayes' last='Baum'] (54 tackles in 5 games) is showing again he's one of the top LB in the Albuquerque Metro Region. DB [player_tooltip player_id='1259063' first='Antonio' last='Salcido'] has 39 tackles and 3 interceptions. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'] has been a revelation for the Rams. He started the last game (vs. El Paso Eastlake) at QB and currently leads Rio Rancho in rushing with 558 yards, putting him on pace for a 1,000-yard season.      Eldorado at La Cueva: One of the top rivalries in Albuquerque is renewed. Eldorado (3-2) is much improved over last season, particularly on the defensive end. The Eagles have allowed more than 20 points only once this season and are challenging for a 6A playoff spot. Obviously, though, trying to stop unbeaten La Cueva's prolific offense led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='611098' first='Cameron' last='Dyer'] will provide a severe test. The Bears have scored 42+ points in their last three games and have numerous options, starting with RB Cheeto Lumbrera and WR [player_tooltip player_id='853013' first='Tanner' last='Montano'].         Espanola Valley at Taos: Espanola Valley (5-1) ventures to nearby Taos in a game featuring two teams coming off frustrating losses. EVHS saw a two-touchdown lead over Bernalillo in the fourth quarter slip away in a one-point overtime loss. Meanwhile, Taos was expected to give Bloomfield a battle but instead they were mercy-ruled. Espanola Valley will again rely on a powerful – and balanced – ground attack led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='837203' first='Victor' last='Parra']. But he's just one of four Sundevil rushers with 250+ yards. Last week's loss to Bloomfield snapped Taos' three-game winning streak that included wins over 5A teams Los Alamos and Highland.        Mayfield at Lovington: Two more teams coming off disappointing Week 6 losses. After the win over Roswell, Lovington had high hopes going into last week's home matchup with Artesia. But the Wildcats were beaten badly by the Bulldogs. But they still possess a potent offense featuring QB Mathew Prudencio (1,594 passing yards + 18 TD) and a fleet of fast receivers. The good news from last week's loss was the return of RB [player_tooltip player_id='613065' first='Camon' last='Ochoa']. He will combine with [player_tooltip player_id='615565' first='Ondalis' last='Cardenas'] to give Lovington a very productive ground game. Mayfield (2-4) lost to Deming in Week 6 on a last-second TD by the Wildcats. This game begins a season-ending four-game gauntlet for the Trojans, who must later face Roswell and Artesia. [player_tooltip player_id='1257289' first='Luke' last='Linnan'] is a very good QB for the Trojans.            Raton at Legacy Academy (Thur. 7:30 p.m. at Bernalillo High): Unbeaten Legacy Academy (5-0) is writing one of the best stories of the 2024 season in their first year playing 11-man football. Since edging Hope Christian in Week 2, the Silverbacks have outscored their next three opponents, 162-3. The suffocating defense is supported by an offense led by dynamic QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600087' first='Lorenzo' last='Sedillo-Urban'], who has thrown for close to 1,000 yards and 19 TD with just 3 interceptions, and punishing RB [player_tooltip player_id='1595657' first='Noah' last='Sanchez']. Raton (2-3; two losses to 3A powers Robertson and St. Michael's ) could give Legacy Academy its toughest test since Week 2. [player_tooltip player_id='613159' first='Cannon' last='Walton'], younger brother of Tigers legend Cayden Walton, is an excellent dual threat QB. [player_tooltip player_id='613750' first='Chase' last='Middlebrook'] leads the defense.   Hope Christian at St. Michael's (Sat., 1 p.m.): Hope Christian (3-4) carries a two-game winning streak to Santa Fe, where they face the undefeated Horsemen and their powerful rushing attack in the District 3A-2 opener for both teams. Huskies QB Roman ‘RJ' Montoya has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 13 TD with zero interceptions, connecting with elite WR [player_tooltip player_id='613163' first='Breylon' last='Williams'] (35 receptions for 736 yards and 8 TD) all season long. St. Michael's has one of the deepest rushing attacks in the state with three RBs sharing the load – [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'].        Pojoaque Valley at Robertson: The district opener for both teams in 3A-2. Combined record of 10-1. Both teams have proven they can run the ball. Pojoaque Valley (4-1) features the duo of junior [player_tooltip player_id='1416992' first='D'Marcus' last='Rodriguez'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1129687' first='Jonah' last='Villegas']. They've combined for close to 1,000 rushing yards. Will they be able to run on a Robertson defense that has allowed only 39 points in the last five games? Unbeaten Robertson (6-0) has its own prolific backfield duo in QB Jesse James Gonzalez and dynamic freshman RB [player_tooltip player_id='1613284' first='George' last='Smith']. Great opportunity for Pojoaque Valley to show us how far they've come in two seasons under head coach Zeke Villegas.                  Albuquerque Academy at St. Pius X (Thur.): Intriguing battle between two of the top young quarterbacks in the Albuquerque Metro Region. Academy's decision to go with sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'] has proven to be a good one as he has thrown for 1,348 yards and 12 TD while completing 61.6 percent of his passes. St. Pius X is led by 6-foot-5 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter'], who has 1,045 passing yards and 10 TD in 5 games. If The Sartans have an edge, it's at running back. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'] is on pace for 1,100 rushing yards for the regular season.     NEW MEXICO VS. TEXAS:   Kermit (TX) at Eunice   BEST OF THE REST:   Centennial at Alamogordo (Thur.)   Los Alamos at Belen   Atrisco Heritage at West Mesa   Organ Mountain at Carlsbad   Goddard at Deming   Portales at Silver   Thoreau at Tohatchi   Hot Springs at Hatch Valley   Miyamura at Highland (Sat., 1 p.m.)   OTHER GAMES:   Clovis at Las Cruces   Volcano Vista at Piedra Vista   Artesia at Santa Teresa   Kirtland Central at Bernalillo   Valley at Capital   Aztec at Moriarty   Zuni at Gallup   Shiprock at Wingate   Ruidoso at Cobre   Tularosa at Jal   Chaparral at Valencia   Capitan at Santa Rosa   Estancia at Tucumcari   Rio Grande at Del Norte   Santa Fe Indian at McCurdy (Sat.)   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ColeSeidy/status/1840510459235160512 </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/artesiafootball/status/1840754289884434766 </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/mtz_media915/status/1841174084664565900 </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/rick_tripp58/status/1841085742975512758 </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/1841176251110998253 </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/1841176503146721437 </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/1841176754754314663 </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/1841177006378979580 </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/1841177257995375020 </div></figure>

High school football season enters its seventh week of action! District play continues in most districts. Here's our Top 13 Games of Week 7 plus other games. We fondly call this the Baker's Dozen: