Week 10 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games and Fun Stuff

Week 10 of the 2024 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our 10th edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our deep dive into everything that happened on the field:   Teams of the Week: Eldorado (6A); Deming (5A); St. Pius X (4A); West Las Vegas (3A); Texico (2A).   Eldorado (6-3, 4-2) clinched a 6A playoff berth with a 28-6 victory over West Mesa Thursday at Community Stadium. RB Isaiah Quintana rushed for 2 TD (1 and 21 yards) to give Eldorado a 14-6 lead after three quarters. The Eagles secured the win with a pair of Pick-6 interceptions by Jaxson Fischer and Daniel Saavedra in the 4th quarter.   If Roswell and Artesia are the top two teams in Class 5A, who's No. 3? Deming made a strong argument for themselves with an impressive 29-25 come-from behind road victory at Lovington. The Wildcats trailed by two scores (25-16) late in the third quarter after Lovington kicked a FG before scoring the final 13 points of the game to pull out the victory.   St. Pius X (7-2, 5-0) clinched the District 4A-2 title with an emphatic 65-28 victory over Valencia Friday night at Community Stadium. Sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter'] completed 14-of-18 passes for 243 yards and 6 TD while sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'] rushed for 254 yards and 2 TD on just 11 carries and sophomore WR [player_tooltip player_id='1154956' first='Cayl' last='Cox-Liggins'] had 8 receptions for 132 yards and 2 TD. Every other team in District 4A-2 had two district losses. St. Pius X is ranked No. 3 in the new MaxPreps poll, so the Sartans are likely to earn a top four seed in the 4A playoffs.   Players of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'], Cleveland (6A); [player_tooltip player_id='1566538' first='Brig' last='Keiser'], Piedra Vista (5A); [player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter'], St. Pius X (4A); [player_tooltip player_id='1089649' first='Cole' last='Seidenberger'], NMMI (3A); [player_tooltip player_id='1600987' first='Ekahi' last='Tiller'], Laguna-Acoma (2A).   Cleveland junior WR [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'] has everything you look for in a great pass catcher: good size, great speed, soft hands, elite athleticism, ability to catch passes in traffic and the ability to get open. Maldonado put all his attributes in display in Cleveland's 38-3 victory over Volcano Vista. Maldonado finished with 6 receptions for 138 yards and 3 TD. For the season, he has 30 receptions for 631 yards and 8 TD. He'll be fun to watch next season.           Piedra Vista RB [player_tooltip player_id='1566538' first='Brig' last='Keiser'] continued his strong season by rushing for 268 yards and 2 TD on 22 carries in the Panthers' 42-0 riad victory over Cibola. Keiser has rushed for 1,239 yards and 11 TD on 173 carries this season. Even though Piedra Vista is just 2-7, they are No. 12 in the new MaxPreps 6A rankings, putting them squarely on the bubble as they prepare for the Week 11 rivalry game against Farmington.            Laguna-Acoma RB [player_tooltip player_id='1600987' first='Ekahi' last='Tiller'] rushed for a season-high 198 yards and 3 TD in Laguna Acoma's 54-19 victory over Hozho Academy. Laguna-Acoma (4-4, 2-2) is currently No. 11 in the MaxPreps 2A rankings, so the Hawks are on the playoff bubble. They host No. 12 Cuba (3-6, 3-1) in a key Week 11 matchup.       Best Team Offensive Performance: St. Pius X. The Sartans faced a Valencia defense that had allowed 19 or fewer points in five of their first eight games. St. Pius X, though, piled up 529 yards in total offense in their impressive 65-28 win.     Best Team Defensive Performance: Cleveland. The Storm have played great defense most of the season and that trend continued as they held Volcano Vista to 226 yards in total offense and forced 4 turnovers in a 38-3 win over the Hawks. Volcano Vista managed just 80 yards rushing on 27 carries.        Best Game: Roswell 28, Mayfield 27 (OT)      Honorable Mention: Bernalillo 15, Grants 12; Taos 23, Moriarty 22; Deming 29, Lovington 25.   Week 11 Winner Take All District Championship Games Set: Going into Week 11, four winner-take-all district championship games are on the docket. Here they are:   Las Cruces at Centennial (6A-3): These two city rivals are both undefeated in district play. In fact, Centennial hasn't lost this season and hopes to enter the postseason with a perfect record and the district title in its back pocket. Las Cruces hasn't lost in six weeks when they fell to Cleveland at Field of Dreams. Third meeting between these teams in the last 12 months.        Miyamura at Los Alamos (5A-1): Los Alamos has won all six of its district games after opening the season with three losses. Miyamura has lost just once in district play. If the Hilltoppers prevail, they will win the district title outright. If Miyamura wins, they'll claim the district championship via the tiebreaker.          St. Michael's at Robertson (3A-2): The Horsemen and Cardinals are both unbeaten and have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in Class 3A all season long. Now we'll find out who will be seeded No. 1 for the Class 3A playoffs. However, if these two teams meet again in the 3A championship game Thanksgiving weekend, it will be played in Las Vegas, regardless of who wins this clash, pursuant to the NMAA's controversial ‘Who Owes Who' Rule.       Legacy Academy at Santa Rosa (2A-2): Both teams are 4-0 in district play. Legacy Academy has steamrolled opponents all season long. Santa Rosa has quietly put together a solid season. Their three losses are to defending 2A champion Texico and a pair of 3A teams – West Las Vegas and Robertson.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-27-at-16-07-41-6A-District-3-District-Football-Standings.png?w=673" alt="" class="wp-image-1543185" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></figure>   Who Clinched District Titles?: Several teams clinched district titles in Week 10. Unbeaten Bloomfield (8-0, 6-0) clinched the District 4A- 1 title with an emphatic 53-0 mercy-rule win over Espanola Valley and will likely be the No. 1 seed for the Class 4A playoffs. QB [player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer'] was 13-of-13 passing for 4 TD in the 1st half as the Bobcats built a commanding 34-0 halftime advantage. [player_tooltip player_id='1594564' first='Kaden' last='McCown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1137877' first='Kaleb' last='Hutchens'] both caught 2 TD passes. The contest ended with just under 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter. The Bloomfield defense posted its SIXTH shutout of the season. . .Texico (8-0, 3-0) mercy-ruled Tularosa,  in a surprisingly one-sided affair to clinch the District 2A-3 title and likely the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A playoffs. Junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1343408' first='Bennett' last='Wahlen'] threw 2 TD passes (60 yards to Edgar Mendoza and 15 yards to [player_tooltip player_id='1600127' first='Maverick' last='Hawkins']) and added a 1-yard scoring run for the Wolverines. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1119205' first='Alex' last='Fuentes'] raced for a 73-yard touchdown run and totaled 208 yards on 14 carries to propel Texico's relentless 348-yard ground game. . .Dexter (10-0, 6-0) wrapped up an undefeated regular season and sealed the outright District 3A-3 title with a convincing 60-6 victory over Hatch Valley. The Demons are No. 2 in the new MaxPreps Class 3A rankings and could move up to No. 1 if Robertson beats St. Michael's in Week 11. Either way, Dexter has earned a top four seed and first-round bye. They have a Week 11 bye.       West Las Vegas QB Chasing History: West Las Vegas QB C.J. Perea threw for 167 yards on 13-of-18 passing in WLV's 35-13 road win at Hope Christian. Perea increased his career passing yardage total to 7,717 yards, putting him within 73 yards of the Top 10 passers in state history. He needs 283 yards in the next 2 games (WLV will make the 3A playoffs) to become just the ninth passer in state history to reach 8,000 career passing yards. The Dons host Pojoaque Valley in the regular season finale.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachCarlos62/status/1850387849843269758 </div></figure>   Class 6A Roundup: Defending 6A champion La Cueva continued its march towards the No. 1 playoff seed with a 55-0 mercy-rule road victory at Santa Fe. . .Red hot Cleveland (8-1, 4-0) beat Volcano Vista, 38-3, in a District 6A-1 showdown Friday night at Lightning Bolt Stadium. Junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'] completed 15-of-22 passes for 249 yards and 3 TD (all to [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado']), RB [player_tooltip player_id='1595801' first='Isaiah' last='Yannis'] ran for a TD and DB [player_tooltip player_id='1594112' first='Micah' last='Hoffman'] had a 75-yard Pick-6 in the 2nd quarter when the Storm pulled away. Cleveland hosts crosstown rival Rio Rancho in Week 11 with an opportunity to capture the outright district title and a top three seed in the 6A playoffs. . .Rio Rancho QBs [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='613752' first='JJ' last='Arellano'] combined to complete 30-of-49 passes for 345 yards and 4 TD (all by Arellano) as the Rams took another step towards securing a first-round playoff home game with a 34-23 victory at Farmington. Rio Rancho (6-3, 3-1) also rushed for 184 yards. They are ranked No. 7 in the new MaxPreps poll. . .Las Cruces positioned themselves for a top four seed with a 30-12 victory over Carlsbad as they get ready to face rival Centennial in Week 11. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] rushed for 2 TD and threw for another on a fourth-quarter flea flicker to lead the Bulldawgs offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1118237' first='Dalin' last='Walter'] scored a TD and booted a field goal. Carlsbad faces a must-win situation against Hobbs in Week 11. . .Centennial routed Clovis, 49-0, to remain unbeaten and protect its No. 2 ranking in the MaxPreps 6A poll. The Hawks scored on their first seven possessions and needed 5 plays or less on all of the drives. Centennial led, 35-0, at halftime. . . Hobbs dominated the second half in a 56-6 victory over Organ Mountain. The Eagles outscored the Knights, 42-0, after holding a 14-6 halftime lead. Hobbs scored two TD in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter for a 28-6 lead and added two more TDs later in the quarter for a 42-6 lead after 3 quarters. Hobbs is No. 10 in the new MaxPreps 6A rankings and travels to Carlsbad in Week 11. . .Sandia is on the 6A playoff bubble after a 26-17 victory over Albuquerque High. Freshman RB [player_tooltip player_id='1613382' first='Gad' last='Harris'] rushed for two touchdowns and Lucas Hoswell rushed for another score for the Matadors, who are No. 11 in the new MaxPreps 6A rankings but can make a major move up the ladder and seal a playoff berth with a victory at No. 6 Los Lunas in Week 11. . .Los Lunas is No. 6 in the new MaxPreps 6A rankings and remained in second place in District 6A-2 behind La Cueva after a 43-21 victory over Atrisco Heritage. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese'] threw for 153 yards and 2 TD and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1119303' first='Jordan' last='Howard'] rushed for 114 yards and 2 TD on 17 carries for the Tigers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-27-at-16-14-04-6A-District-1-District-Football-Standings.png?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-1543188" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></figure>   Class 5A Roundup: Roswell, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 5A by MaxPreps, gambled in overtime but it paid off as [player_tooltip player_id='1118273' first='Xai' last='Carrasco'] ran for the 2-point conversion to give the Coyotes a thrilling 28-27 victory over Mayfield. The Trojans scored first in OT on a 7-yard run by [player_tooltip player_id='1599566' first='Xavier' last='Ochoa'] on fourth down. Roswell tied the score at 20-20 with a fourth quarter field goal. . .Artesia, ranked No. 2 in 5A, traveled to the Wool Bowl in Roswell and beat Goddard, 55-20 as WR [player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn'] amassed 174 receiving yards and 3 TD while RB [player_tooltip player_id='1118283' first='Frankie' last='Galindo'] had 120 rushing yards and 2 TD. Artesia QB [player_tooltip player_id='1432984' first='Izac' last='Cazares'] threw for 300+ yards and 4 TD. Artesia jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before Godard closed the deficit to 21-13 in the second. But the Bulldogs scored 4 TD in the final 9 minutes of the 2Q for a 48-13 halftime lead. . .Lovington QB Mathew Prudencio completed 25-of-42 passes for 263 yards and 2 TD in the Wildcats' loss to Deming. Lovington has lost four straight games after a 5-0 start but could still earn a top four seed if they beat Santa Teresa in Week 11. Lovington entered Week 10 ranked No. 5 in Class 5A. Deming and Gadsden battle in Week 11 with the winner likely earning the No. 3 seed for the 5A playoffs. . .Gadsden blanked Santa Teresa, 38-0, and heads into Week 11 ranked No. 3 in Class 5A. RB [player_tooltip player_id='615673' first='Alfredo' last='Andrade'] rushed for 2 TD in the first half as the Panthers led, 12-0, at halftime. Gadsden added two more TD in the third quarter for a 26-0 lead. . .Los Alamos scored at least five different ways in a 63-33 victory over Valley that cemented the winner-take-all district championship game against Miyamura in Week 11. The Hilltoppers scored TDs via passing, running, Pick-6, fumble return and kickoff return. They scored 42 points in the first half and forced six Valley turnovers. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1119597' first='Kyle' last='Evenhus'] was 10-of-12 passing for 170 yards and 1 TD while RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'] had 87 yards and 2 TD rushing on 19 carries. Four receivers had 3+ receptions. Valley QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600815' first='Jose' last='Jaramillo'] completed 18 of 23 passes for 231 yard and four touchdowns in the high scoring first half . . .Miyamura, meanwhile, set up the winner-take-all district championship game against Los Alamos with a 35-0 victory over Del Norte. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600795' first='Salid' last='Rashid'] completed 16-of-28 passes for 223 yards and 2 TD to spark the Patriots' offense along with RB [player_tooltip player_id='1258872' first='Seth' last='Torres'], who rushed for 128 yards and 2 TD on 13 carries and caught a TD pass. . .Belen beat Rio Grande, 35-13, to keep its 5A playoff hopes alive. Eli Lucero caught a 65-yard TD pass for Rio Grande. Belen QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604925' first='Gonzalo' last='Cano'] had a 4-yard rushing TD late in the 3rd quarter for the game's final points. Belen is No. 11 in the new MaxPreps 5A rankings and concludes the regular season at Capital in Week 11. . .Highland (5-4, 4-2) moved over the .500 mark and enhanced its prospects of hosting a 5A playoff game with a 37-22 victory over Capital. Stud RB [player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba'] rushed for 211 yards and 3 TD, and has now rushed for more than 1,400 yards and 15 TD despite being limited by injuries for several weeks. Highland hosts struggling Del Norte in Week 11.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-27-at-16-16-48-5A-District-2-District-Football-Standings.png?w=672" alt="" class="wp-image-1543189" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MaxPreps</figcaption></figure>   Class 4A Roundup: Bernalillo pulled off another fourth-quarter comeback as they scored on a TD pass and converted the 2-point conversion with about 5 minutes left to nip Grants, 15-12, in a defensive struggle at BHS. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1594652' first='Nathan' last='Encinias'] rushed for 69 yards on 11 carries for the Spartans, who likely clinched a top four seed and first round bye in the 4A playoffs. Grants, ranked No. 7 in the latest MaxPreps 4A poll, will likely host a 1st round playoff game. . . Portales made their third trip to the Albuquerque Metro Region on Saturday and the Rams beat Albuquerque Academy, 27-7, as QB [player_tooltip player_id='1594674' first='Tommy' last='Lopez'] rushed for 3 TD. Albuquerque Academy scored its only TD of the game on an 85-yard blocked field goal return. Portales (6-4, 3-2) holds down 2nd place in District 4A-2 by virtue of owning the tie-breaker over Valencia, which lost to St. Pius X. . .Taos QB [player_tooltip player_id='853710' first='Evan' last='Salazar'] rushed 14 yards for a TD with about 2 minutes remaining to rally the Tigers to a 23-22 road win at Moriarty. The Pintos drove into Taos territory on their ensuing possession but a sack by DE Jedrek Jozwiak and then an interception by [player_tooltip player_id='1599919' first='Roman' last='Quintana'] killed Moriarty's hopes for a last-second win. . .Silver wrapped up the regular season with a 16-13 victory over Manzano in Silver City. The Colts are No. 10 in the new MaxPreps 4A rankings and should play on the road in the first round of the playoffs. . .Kirtland Central snapped a 5-game losing streak with a 20-7 victory over Aztec. Kirtland Central led, 12-7, at halftime and scored the only points of the second half on a TD with about a minute left in the fourth quarter. The Broncos host Moriarty in Week 11.      Class 3A Roundup: While Robertson enjoyed a bye, St. Michael's prepared for the Week 11 District 3A-2 showdown against the Cardinals with a 55-0 victory over Pojoaque Valley. The Elks played without head coach Zeke Villegas, who was reportedly suspended for the game. The game started badly for Pojoaque Valley as a poor snap led to St. Michael's recovering a fumble in the end zone on the first snap. [player_tooltip player_id='1119160' first='Soren' last='Annon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='613193' first='Cole' last='Sandoval'] each scored two TDs in the first half as the Horsemen built a 36-0 lead early in the second quarter. . .Socorro (7-2, 4-1) likely secured a first-round home playoff game and possibly a first-round bye with a 51-28 victory over Ruidoso, which was held to 223 total yards. The Warriors probably need to beat NMMI in Week 11 to earn serious consideration for a top four seed. [player_tooltip player_id='615689' first='Trenton' last='Hall'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1600953' first='Zach' last='Friberg'] both made 14 tackles for Ruidoso. . .NMMI QB [player_tooltip player_id='1089649' first='Cole' last='Seidenberger'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1119319' first='Cohen' last='Tomasits'] combined for 294 rushing yards in a 35-0 victory over Hot Springs. NMMI is No. 4 in the new MaxPreps 3A rankings and they'll be eying a top four seed and first round bye when they host NO. 6 Socorro in Week 11. . .The West Las Vegas defense recorded 7 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss in a 35-13 road win at Hope Christian. The Dons are No. 5 in the latest 3A MaxPreps rankings and hope to grab a top four seed with a Week 11 victory over Pojoaque Valley along with the right outcomes in other games. . .Thoreau (7-2, 5-0) stayed unbeaten in District 3A-1 with a 62-20 victory over Wingate. The Hawks will clinch the outright district title with a victory over Crownpoint in Week 11.  . .Crownpoint (5-4, 4-1) walloped Gallup, 50-8, and would create a three-way tie atop District 3A-1 with a win over Thoreau, together with a win by Tohatchi over Zuni, in Week 11. Kayden Stevenson ran 12 yards for a rushing TD midway through the 1Q. Crownpoint led, 30-0, at halftime. . .Tohatchi (6-3, 4-1) trounced independent Santa Fe Indian, 47-0. . .Shiprock won its first game of the season with a 44-14 victory over Zuni.           Class 2A Roundup: Eunice QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'] surpassed the 7,000 yard career passing mark by completing 22-of-29 passes for 307 yards and a season high 6 TD in a 41-0 victory over Jal. RB [player_tooltip player_id='615650' first='Eljan' last='Woods'] rushed for 145 yards and 1 TD on 16 carries. Eunice faces Loving in Week 11 knowing they have already wrapped up a top four seed in Class 2A. . .Legacy Academy (9-0) continued its remarkable journey in the first year playing 11-man football as the Silverbacks trounced Tucumcari, 54-0 to set up the winner-take-all District 2A-2 championship game against Santa Rosa. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600087' first='Lorenzo' last='Sedillo-Urban'] passed for 200+ yards for the fourth time this season and also rushed for 61 yards, while RB Adam Quesada rushed for 122 yards and 4 TD on 13 carries. . .Estancia defeated Capitan, 40-7, for its first win of the season. . .Santa Rosa (6-3, 4-0) stayed unbeaten in District 2A-2 with a 47-19 victory over Raton and now faces Legacy Academy in a winner-take-all district championship game.                                                                               Week 11 Top Games (Oct. 31-Nov. 2)   Las Cruces at Centennial   St. Michael's at Robertson   Rio Rancho at Cleveland   Gadsden at Deming   Hobbs at Carlsbad   Miyamura at Los Alamos   Socorro at NMMI   Sandia at Los Lunas   Bernalillo at Taos   Bloomfield at Grants   West Mesa at Santa Fe   St. Pius X at Manzano   Pojoaque Valley at West Las Vegas   Piedra Vista at Farmington   Legacy Academy at Santa Rosa   Crownpoint at Thoreau   Loving at Eunice   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1850129811475468397 </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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1850317182867009758 </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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1850050420485341489 </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/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1850039093373124944 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-27-at-16-28-44-28-Prep-Redzone-New-Mexico-@PrepRedzoneNM-_-X.png?w=535" alt="" class="wp-image-1543193" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Twitter</figcaption></figure>

Week 10 of the 2024 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our 10^th edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our deep dive into everything that happened on the field: