Baker's Dozen: Week 5 Preview

The 2025 New Mexico High School football season enters Week 5. The action begins Thursday night with a few games and runs through Saturday afternoon. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 5, Best of The Rest and Other Games of what promises to be another exciting week.   GAME OF THE WEEK: Artesia at Gadsden (Fri., 7 p.m., Sal Gonzalez Stadium, Anthony)   Once one of the most downtrodden programs in the state, everything that's happened over the past three-plus years has led up to this for unbeaten Gadsden. The talented Panthers are rolling with a 4-0 record and now they have mighty Artesia coming to town for a District 5A-2 showdown. It should be quite a scene at Sal Gonzalez Stadium in Anthony on Friday night. Is this the most important regular season game for Gadsden in years? Yes. It's a HUGE opportunity for the Panthers to prove they can hang with the big boys of Class 5A – Artesia and Roswell.   As most teams have discovered, beating Artesia is easier said than done. As always, the Bulldogs offense is prolific and loaded with weapons, starting with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1672571' first='Derrick' last='Warren'], who's the third different signal caller for Artesia in three years. But he's also the third straight senior, and that makes a difference. The Bulldogs have scored 38+ points in all four games this season. Warren has already thrown for nearly 900 yards with 10 TD and just 1 interception. His receiving corps is balanced with [player_tooltip player_id='1600893' first='Trent' last='Egeland'], [player_tooltip player_id='1750200' first='Jack' last='Byers'], Jett Fuentes and Sawyer Whithead all contributing.   Speedy senior [player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'] is averaging over 146 rushing yards per game and 12.5 yards per carry. He's difficult to catch and more tougher to bring down. The Gadsden defense must find a way to deal with his speed and quickness. It will be the responsibility of Panther linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='1751399' first='Rocky' last='Rodriguez'] and Aiden Santaella – Gadsden's top two tacklers - to keep Parra from breaking long runs. Gadsden's defensive front must get pressure on Warren and force him into bad throws.   The Panthers have an outstanding run-dominated offense as well. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1751388' first='Ethan' last='Morales'] has completed 60 percent of his passes for 511 yards and 9 TD. But the bread and butter of Gadsden's offense is a powerful ground game led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1357130' first='Juan' last='Rios'] (425 yards on 50 carries) and sophomore Deion Torres (282 yards on 30 carries). Gadsden runs the ball 76 percent of the time. The trench battle between Gadsden's offensive line and Artesia's defensive front seven led by [player_tooltip player_id='1672806' first='Marco' last='Soto Jr.'] will be crucial to the outcome of the game.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Week 5 <a href="https://t.co/jFeG6WzhJ8">pic.twitter.com/jFeG6WzhJ8</a>— BulldogFootball 🏈🏆x32 (@artesiafootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1967570778544824415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote>   Hobbs at Las Cruces: Hobbs closed out the non-district portion of their 2025 schedule with impressive victories over Roswell and El Paso (TX) Parkland. But now the Eagles have to travel to Field of Dreams to face Las Cruces, which is coming off a huge Week 4 road win at Cleveland. Dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id='1605057' first='Junior' last='Medrano'] has been one of the breakthrough players so far this season, He has thrown for over 600 yards and rushed for over 500 yards in 4 games. Junior RB Demarcus Hill has been a revelation as well. [player_tooltip player_id='1599800' first='Justice' last='French'] is the Eagles top receiver. The stars of the Bulldawgs' high-scoring offense are very familiar to those paying attention: QB [player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola'], RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1142363' first='Francisco' last='Winnikoff'] (state leader in receiving yards). Hobbs LB [player_tooltip player_id='1679730' first='Gavin' last='McPherson'] has been a tackling machine so far in 2025.   Eunice at St. Michael's (Sat.): This is arguably one of the most intriguing cross-classification matchups in the entire state this season. It's also the only matchup between 4-0 teams in Week 5. Eunice makes the LONG trip to Santa Fe (320 miles each way) and they're bringing their powerful passing offense led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'], who has passed for 9,131 yards and 131 TD in four years as the Cardinals starter. His array of weapons includes RB Greyson Meek and WRs Ezequiel Garcia, [player_tooltip player_id='1600116' first='Dyson' last='Lord'] and freshman Lucas Lopez. They'll be challenged by the physical St. Michael's defense. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600843' first='Kamal' last='Stith'], RB [player_tooltip player_id='853063' first='Isaiah' last='Dominguez'] (131 yards rushing + 50-yard TD reception last week vs. Albuquerque Academy) and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1267011' first='Brayden' last='Hollis'] lead the Horsemen offense.              West Las Vegas at Santa Rosa: Santa Rosa (4-0) is developing into one of the best stories of the 2025 season. The Lions advanced to the 2A state championship game last November and they're off to an undefeated start this season. [player_tooltip player_id='854299' first='David' last='Chavez'] has been a beast on both sides of the ball for Santa Rosa. He's rushed for 342 yards in 4 games and leads the state in tackles with 65. He's averaging over 16 tackles per game. West Las Vegas (3-1) has one of the most balanced rushing attacks anywhere and extremely athletic senior [player_tooltip player_id='853064' first='Devaughn' last='Kensey'] is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.             Centennial at Carlsbad: Centennial (3-1) is coming off a huge road wins at Artesia and Rio Rancho, so the vibes are pretty good right now for the Hawks. Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1605033' first='Dailen' last='Ramirez'] is enjoying a monster first season as Centennial's No. 1 RB. He had 280 yards rushing at Artesia and 158 yards at Rio Rancho. His game-winning TD in the final seconds last week was a thing of beauty. Carlsbad's offense was shackled last week by Cibola and must improve if the Cavemen have any chance to upend Centennial at home. Stud RB [player_tooltip player_id='1605005' first='Brock' last='Wright'] was held to 37 yards rushing by Cibola after averaging 120.3 yards in his first three games. If he gets going against Centennial, watch out.          Valencia at Silver: Largely due to geography, unbeaten Silver (4-0) is flying under the radar. But the Colts are a very good football team sparked by a solid, stingy defense that allowed just 36 points in the first 3 games ahead of last week's forfeit win over Cobre. LB [player_tooltip player_id='1790845' first='Kade' last='Aguirre'] (27 tackles) and LB Christian Maynes lead the Colts defense. Their No. 1 job this week? Stop Valencia RB [player_tooltip player_id='1599923' first='Michael' last='Storms III'], who is approaching 500 yards rushing despite limited action in last week's mercy-rule win over Cuba. Storms III vs. the Silver defense is must-see football.           Organ Mountain at Alamogordo: A fascinating District 6A-3 matchup between two teams trying to climb the 6A ladder and battle their way into the playoffs. Dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id='1680049' first='Jaden' last='Gonzales'] and stud WR [player_tooltip player_id='1680055' first='Zeke' last='Weir'] are two “dudes” for the Knights. Seven of Weir's 15 receptions have been for touchdowns. Alamogordo started 3-0 before dropping a hard-fought road game at Piedra Vista in Week 4. The Tigers love to run the football with QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600835' first='Nathanael' last='Best'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1605059' first='Bryson' last='Bloom'] being the primary weapons.       Goddard at Lovington: Goddard (3-1) has been one of the most improved teams in Class 5A so far this season. After this game, though, the Rockets must still play Gadsden, Artesia and Roswell. Lovington will be a handful too, especially on the road. Six-foot-3 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1248678' first='Josiah' last='Castillo'] is a next level talent, while LB [player_tooltip player_id='1137457' first='Taylen' last='Payne'] is an outstanding LB. Lovington's District 5A-2 battles began last week with a close loss at Roswell. In fact, their last two losses have been by a total of 8 points. [player_tooltip player_id='1137475' first='Jayden' last='Gutierrez'] was outstanding as Lovington's QB at Roswell with 219 yards on 20-of-32 passing. WR [player_tooltip player_id='1137867' first='Elijah' last='Rivero'] is having a solid season.              Robertson at Raton: Two former heated district rivals renew acquaintances in Raton. Robertson bounced back from their shutout loss at home to Santa Rosa with a nice road win at Ruidoso. Six-foot-5 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1155256' first='Nathan' last='Gonzales'] is a very good dual threat QB for the Cardinals. [player_tooltip player_id='1613594' first='Diego' last='Maez'] is his favorite receiver. Tigers RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604784' first='Cael' last='Walton'] is living up to the proud Walton Legacy in Raton with 319 rushing yards in 3 games.             Dexter at Hatch Valley: Dexter is one of the most prolific offensive teams in Class 3A with talented QB C.J. Granados, RB [player_tooltip player_id='854287' first='Garet' last='Gonzalez'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1137829' first='Enrique' last='Wyatt Sena']. Dexter reached the Class 3A state championship game last November and came agonizingly close to lifting the blue trophy. They're one of the favorites to get there again. Can Hatch Valley's defense stop them? The Bears are led by dual threat QB Oscar Gonzalez.   Estancia at Hope Christian (Sat.): Even though Estancia is just 1-3, this game is utterly fascinating for one reason: it's the potential coming out party for the Bears' dynamic freshman duo of QB Devon Chavez and RB Juan Cuevas. Especially Chavez, a dynamic young athlete who's rushed for 166, 145 and 267 yards in the last three games. Hope Christian (3-1) won its first three games before the Week 4 loss to 4A Manzano. [player_tooltip player_id='1137124' first='RJ' last='Montoya'] is a talented dual threat QB for the Huskies, while [player_tooltip player_id='1248715' first='Noah' last='Carter'] has been solid as the No. 1 RB. The Huskies want to run the football.       Chaparral at Albuquerque Academy (Sat.): Since snapping its 40+ game losing streak last season, Chaparral (3-1) is 7-7 and showing signs of a team with the potential to make a deep playoff run. QB [player_tooltip player_id='851884' first='Israel' last='Nieto'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1155082' first='Raul' last='Lopez'] are an exceptional backfield tandem. Albuquerque Academy (2-2) QB [player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'] has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 TD in 4 games. His primary targets are [player_tooltip player_id='1605074' first='Logan' last='Hague'], Logan Gilmore and [player_tooltip player_id='851898' first='Gage' last='Conway'].              Legacy Academy at McCurdy (Sat.): Legacy Academy (3-1) hist the road for the first time this season after playing its first four games in the Albuquerque Metro Region. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1606048' first='Xander' last='Chavez'] and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600087' first='Lorenzo' last='Sedillo-Urban'] lead the ground game for the Silverbacks. Wide receivers [player_tooltip player_id='1137096' first='Jay' last='Lee'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1600110' first='Bryant' last='Scales'] are dangerous targets. Chavez leads Legacy in tackles. JJ Vigil is McCurdy's top offensive weapon.      BEST OF THE REST   Eldorado at Volcano Vista: The Hawks are No. 5 in the latest MaxPreps rankings. Eldorado has lost two in a row since beating Organ Mountain in Week 1.      La Cueva at Farmington: La Cueva won its first game of the season in Week 3. Farming also won its first game last Friday but its next 3 are La Cueva, Cleveland and Volcano Vista.   Moriarty at Espanola Valley: Moriarty is looking like a quality football team. Espanola Valley is 2-2 but has been blown out twice.   Kirtland Central at Grants: Grants is off to a nice start at 3-1 with the only loss being to Class 4A favorite St. Pius X. Pirates DE [player_tooltip player_id='851894' first='Gary' last='Chavez'] is a beast.   Deming at Roswell: The Coyotes are lurking and with upcoming games against Deming and Santa Teresa, they have an opportunity to fine tune things before the Oct. 3 showdown against Gadsden.   Los Lunas at West Mesa: Los Luna is another two-loss team flying under the radar. But the Tigers are a good football team. West Mesa looks to bounce back from last week's mercy-rule loss to Volcano Vista.   Cibola at Clovis: Cibola has been one of the feel good stories in Class 6A so far this season. That Cougars defense is stout. They stifled Carlsbad last week.     Sandia at Santa Fe: Here's something we haven't often said in the past: Santa Fe is 3-1. Sandia looks for their first win of the Tylon Wilder Era.       Manzano at Portales: Manzano is 3-1 and looking like a 4A playoff contender. [player_tooltip player_id='1137898' first='Bodi' last='True'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1613352' first='Broden' last='Price'] – the Killer B's – are solid players.       Valley at Miyamura: Huge game in District 5A-1. Both teams are coming off victories. The winner is in a nice spot.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-17-at-17-40-52-Photo-Google-Photos.png?w=489" alt="" class="wp-image-1894636" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Facebook</figcaption></figure>   NEW MEXICO VS. TEXAS   El Paso (TX) Pebble Hills at Cleveland   Rio Rancho at El Paso (TX) Eastlake   Texico at Stratford (TX)   OTHER GAMES   Atrisco Heritage at Albuquerque High   Highland at Rio Grande   Capital at Los Alamos   Santa Teresa at Mayfield   Aztec at Bloomfield   Hot Springs at NMMI   Pojoaque Valley at Hozho Academy   Santa Fe Indian at Navajo Prep   Belen at Del Norte   Tucumcari at Cuba   Shiprock at Thoreau   Tularosa at Capitan   Gallup at Tohatchi   Ruidoso at Socorro   Crownpoint at Wingate   Newcomb at Loving

The 2025 New Mexico High School football season enters Week 5. The action begins Thursday night with a few games and runs through Saturday afternoon. Here are our Top 13 games of Week 5, Best of The Rest and Other Games of what promises to be another exciting week.