First Round Playoff Preview: Class 6A and 5A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The playoffs are here. First-round action in Classes 6A-2A gets underway Friday night at various stadiums throughout the state. Please note that the severe winter storm currently affecting New Mexico could alter some of the dates and kickoff times: &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 6A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 11 Piedra Vista at No. 6 Los Lunas (Fri., 6 p.m.)</strong>: Piedra Vista (3-7) earned a spot in the playoffs despite winning just three games on the season. But they managed to defeat crosstown rival Farmington last weekend in what turned out to be a playoff elimination contest. The centerpiece of the Panthers run-dominated offense is RB <strong>Brig Keiser</strong>, who has rushed for over 1,300 yards. Los Lunas (7-2) dual threat QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese']</strong> led the Tigers to a second-place finish in District 6A-2 behind La Cueva. Reese accounted for 1,641 yards in 9 games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 12 West Mesa at No. 5 Las Cruces (Fri., 7 p.m.)</strong>: West Mesa slipped into the playoffs as the No. 12 seed for the second consecutive year and now faces the tough task of upending the Bulldogs at Field of Dreams. Running backs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594033' first='Jamari' last='Phillips-Woods']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672389' first='Logan' last='Jacobson-Waldrep']</strong> headline the run-dominated offense. The Las Cruces offense is led by junior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola']</strong> and junior RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro']</strong>. Throwing to a talented WR corps, Guardiola has completed 65 percent of his passes this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 9 Hobbs at No. 8 Eldorado (Fri., 7 p.m.)</strong>: Arguably the best and most attractive first-round matchup in the state. Hobbs (6-4) has leaned on a balanced offensive attack to reach the playoffs. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119255' first='Brock' last='Beaty']</strong> has passed for nearly 1,900 yards and 23 TD, while the run game is balanced between senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422014' first='Omarrion' last='Kennedy']</strong> and sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604984' first='Shamus' last='Wright']</strong>. Eldorado (7-3) returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Eagles sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155116' first='Jahari' last='Morehead']</strong> is a dynamic kick returner and wide receiver with plenty of speed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 10 Sandia at No. 7 Rio Rancho (Fri., 7 p.m.)</strong>: Sandia was a top four seed a year ago but the Matadors are still a dangerous team as they've shown at times this season. Sophomore QB <strong>Jahleel Lewis</strong> is a promising young signal caller. RBs <strong>Lucas Hoswell</strong> and freshman <strong>Gad Lewis</strong> spark the rushing attack. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119683' first='Joey' last='Harris']</strong> is an exciting WR. Rio Rancho looks to get back on track after losing two of their final three games to Volcano Vista and crosstown rival Cleveland. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613752' first='JJ' last='Arellano']</strong> appears to have regained his starting QB job after attempting 30 passes and throwing for 6 TD in each of the final two games. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259000' first='Jace' last='Pitt']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266408' first='Parker' last='Miller']</strong> are elite receivers. The Rams struggled to run the ball against Volcano Vista (27 yards on 20 carries) and Cleveland (30 yards on 11 carries), and need to get the ground game going.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 5A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 9 Highland at No. 8 Miyamura (Fri., 7 p.m.)</strong>: Intriguing RB battle in this one. Highland brings their high-powered rushing attack led by stud RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba']</strong> to the Four Corners. Despite being slowed by injuries, Mumba still rushed for 1,643 yards and 17 TD on 178 carries, an average of 9.2 yards per attempt. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615426' first='Alex' last='Lopez']</strong> is the Hornets' second leading rusher and one of their top defenders. Miyamura features the underrated <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258872' first='Seth' last='Torres']</strong>, who has 4.5 speed. Torres leads a balanced rushing attack highlighted by 6 rushers with 100+ yards along with catching 34 passes for 461 yards. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 11 Belen at No. 6 Mayfield (Sat., 1 p.m.)</strong>: Once 2-5, a regular season-closing two-game winning streak got Belen into the playoffs as the No. 11 seed. The Eagles have one of the most balanced rushing attacks in the state with five ball carriers between 209 and 443 yards. Sophomore QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604925' first='Gonzalo' last='Cano']</strong> leads the group with nearly 450 yards. Belen ran the ball about 77 percent of the time this season. Mayfield (4-6) finished the District 5A-2 grind with competitive losses to Roswell (28-27 in OT) and Artesia (42-28). As always, Mayfield relies on toughness and physicality to win football games. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 12 Valley at No. 5 Los Alamos (Sat., 1 p.m.)</strong>: These two teams engaged in a wild shootout three weeks ago, combining for 96 points in the Hilltoppers' 63-33 victory. After struggling early, Valley cranked up its offense late in the season, scoring 114 points in the final 3 games. Quarterbacks <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600815' first='Jose' last='Jaramillo']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1595733' first='Julian' last='Butkivich']</strong> combined for 2,676 passing yards during the regular season. Senior <strong>Chris Melendez</strong> was their favorite target with 57 receptions for 1,079 yards. Underrated Los Alamos QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119597' first='Kyle' last='Evenhus']</strong> helped lead the Hilltoppers to a 7-0 district record&nbsp; by throwing for over 1,900 yards and 22 TD. He is supported by a solid ground game sparked by 1,100+ yards rusher <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera']</strong>. WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594208' first='Akim' last='Leija']</strong> (50 receptions) amassed nearly 1,000 receiving yards. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 10 Goddard at No. 7 Lovington (Sat., 1 p.m.)</strong>: These two district rivals met in September with Lovington winning by 40 points at the Wool Bowl. Obviously, the Rockets hope for a different outcome this time. At that time, Lovington was one of the hottest teams in the state after beating Roswell soundly at home. But the Wildcats cooled off significantly and enter the playoffs with four losses in their last five games. QB <strong>Mathew Prudencio</strong> threw for 2,623 yards and 31 TD during the regular season. He has an array of weapons around him, both on the ground and in the air. Four receivers had 30+ receptions. Goddard (2-8) just wrapped up its first regular season under new head coach Arturo Bolanos. The Rockets lost their final six games and didn't score more than 20 points in any of them. They'll need to get the offense cranked up if they want to stick with the Wildcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚌 Trip! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TPW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TPW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGoldStandard?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGoldStandard</a> <a href="https://t.co/BygkObbsdW">pic.twitter.com/BygkObbsdW</a></p>&mdash; Hobbs Eagles Football (@HobbsEaglesFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1853448159587979733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First week of STATE!! Let's go Tigers, bring home the BLUE!! Don't forget to come cheer on our boys this Friday, November 8th at 6 PM! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PROVEIT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PROVEIT</a> <a href="https://t.co/TmqnCX2AA1">pic.twitter.com/TmqnCX2AA1</a></p>&mdash; Los Lunas Tigers Football (@LosLunasFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/LosLunasFB/status/1853463426745684176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The matchup is set, now we just await the time and date. We were selected as the 9 seed in this years 5A Football Playoffs and they will travel to Gallup for their first round matchup against the #8 Miyamura Patriots. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DOWHATITTAKES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DOWHATITTAKES</a> <a href="https://t.co/7sfRBtJL9p">pic.twitter.com/7sfRBtJL9p</a></p>&mdash; Highland Hornets Football (@HHS_HornetsFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HHS_HornetsFB/status/1853149849278923213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's time for the 2024 Nusenda Credit Union 6A State Football Championships!<br><br>In the first round, the Las Cruces Bulldawgs will take on the West Mesa Mustangs on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Field of Dreams. Kickoff is at 7pm. <a href="https://twitter.com/LCPSnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lcpsnet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a><br><br>Game info: <a href="https://t.co/xPxMYXDe3v">https://t.co/xPxMYXDe3v</a> <a href="https://t.co/8qXRhp7exZ">pic.twitter.com/8qXRhp7exZ</a></p>&mdash; Las Cruces Public Schools (@LCPSnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/LCPSnet/status/1854245303555133645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NMAA 5A 1st round football playoff game is at home Saturday, November 9th, at 1:00 pm vs. Goddard. Come out and support your Wildcats! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LMSDWildcats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LMSDWildcats</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoWildcats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoWildcats</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LovingtonFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LovingtonFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoCats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoCats</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WildcatFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WildcatFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FaithOverFear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FaithOverFear</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/lvtwildcatsfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lvtwildcatsfb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachjoshbailey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachjoshbailey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pam_quinones?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pam_quinones</a> <a href="https://t.co/mLqGJVvo00">pic.twitter.com/mLqGJVvo00</a></p>&mdash; Kirk Murad (@CoachKirkMurad) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKirkMurad/status/1853299034447843402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><br></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->