Week 3 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games and Fun Stuff

Week 3 of the 2025 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our third edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our comprehensive deep dive into everything that happened on the field. Enjoy!   Teams of the Week: Centennial (6A), Belen (5A), Silver (4A), Gallup (3A), Eunice (2A).   Few teams go into the Bulldog Bowl and outscore Artesia. But Centennial (2-1) did exactly that in a 42-38 road victory for the Hawks. Artesia led, 17-14, after a high-scoring 1st quarter before Centennial used a 14-0 second quarter advantage on a pair of TD passes to take a 28-17 halftime lead. The Hawks scored first in the third quarter before Artesia scored twice to slice the deficit to 35-32 early in the fourth quarter. Centennial responded with a TD for a 42-32 lead. Artesia scored with about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs got no closer.          Belen (1-2) stunned local rival Valencia, 28-27, by scoring a touchdown and 2-point conversion in the final minute to pull out the thrilling victory and capture the Plow Trophy. Chalito Cano scored the TD and the 2-point conversion for Belen. The Eagles won their first game of the season.   Silver (3-0) stayed unbeaten by walloping rival Deming, 40-14, in the annual Battle of 180 game at Memorial Stadium. Colts QB [player_tooltip player_id='1709925' first='Josiah' last='Madrid'] (our Class 4A POTW) threw for 364 yards and 5 TD on 20-of-35 passing as Silver overwhelmed Deming through the air. The Colts had four receivers with 4+ receptions and two with 90+ receiving yards ([player_tooltip player_id='1751718' first='Milo' last='Brines'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1751703' first='Mekhi' last='Grant']). Brines and Grant each had 2 TD catches for the unbeaten Colts. After a Week 4 bye, Silver hosts Valencia on Sept. 19. A victory in that game would set up a potential District 4A-2 showdown with St. Pius X in Silver City on Sept. 26.         Gallup (1-2) has won just four games since the start of the 2021 season. But one of those wins came Friday night on the road against 2A Newcomb, 40-24. Bengals QB Tristan Garcia completed 14-of-23 passes for 189 yards and 4 TD while senior Alex Gonzalez led a balanced rushing attack with 73 yards on 8 carries. WR Jayson Bruner had 9 receptions for 137 yards and 4 TD.        Eunice (3-0) stayed unbeaten with an impressive 50-20 home victory over NMMI. Prolific senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'] is now less than 100 yards from the 9,000-yard career passing mark as he completed 16-of-24 passes for 426 yards and 6 TD. Eunice had THREE receivers with 100+ receiving yards: Lucas Lopez (132 yards), [player_tooltip player_id='1600116' first='Dyson' last='Lord'] (112) and Greyson Meek (102). The Cardinals also ran for 139 yards as they totaled 565 yards in total offense.              Players of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'], Las Cruces (6A), [player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'], Los Alamos (5A), [player_tooltip player_id='1709925' first='Josiah' last='Madrid'], Silver (4A), [player_tooltip player_id='853063' first='Isaiah' last='Dominguez'], St. Michael's (3A), [player_tooltip player_id='854299' first='David' last='Chavez'], Santa Rosa (2A).   Las Cruces RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] is arguably the leading contender after three weeks for the 2025 New Mexico Heisman Award. He boosted his credentials with another impressive outing against Rio Rancho Thursday night. Amaro rushed for nearly 200 yards, added about 100 yards receiving and scored 5 TD to propel the Bulldawgs to a 47-22 victory over the Rams Thursday night at Field of Dreams. Amaro has scored 13 TD in 3 games to start the season, an average of more than 4 scores per game. He scored on TD runs of 71 and 17 yards in the 1Q. Rio Rancho took a 15-14 lead on WR [player_tooltip player_id='1266408' first='Parker' last='Miller']'s 51-yard catch-and-run TD before the Bulldawgs scored 33 straight points to take a 47-15 lead late in the 3Q.   Los Alamos junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'] repeats as Class 5A Player of the Week. In the Hilltoppers' 58-20 penalty-filled victory over local rival Pojoaque Valley Thursday night at Sullivan Field, Herrera rushed for 233 yards (177 in the first half) and 5 touchdowns on just 19 carries. Herrera, who runs behind an experienced offensive line, stands just 5-foot-8, but he's incredibly strong, physical and fast. His 80-yard TD run on the third play of the game opened the scoring. Defenders have a difficult time tackling him. Los Alamos broke the game open by scoring 27 points in the third quarter, turning a 21-14 halftime lead into an insurmountable 48-20 advantage. Los Alamos improved to 3-0 and chatter has already started in the Land of Oppenheimer about an unbeaten regular season. The Hilltoppers travel to Highland in Week 4 for the district opener. Their next four opponents after that are Capital, Del Norte, Belen and Rio Grande. Los Alamos could be 8-0 going into the Oct. 25 game at Valley.   St. Michael's RB/KR [player_tooltip player_id='853063' first='Isaiah' last='Dominguez'] totaled 151 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Horsemen dominated cross-town rival Santa Fe, 28-0, on a wet and rainy night at Ivan Head Stadium. Dominguez returned a punt 67 yards for a TD in the 1st quarter to give St. Michael's an 8-0 lead following the successful 2-point conversion. Later, QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600843' first='Kamal' last='Stith'] passed to [player_tooltip player_id='1267011' first='Brayden' last='Hollis'] for a 7-yard TD pass with just over 8 minutes left in the 2Q. St. Michael's led, 15-0, at halftime and went on to win easily. Santa Fe was denied on fourth down in the red zone late in the 3rd quarter.              Best Team Offensive Performance: Los Lunas. The Tigers put together a fourth quarter for the ages, scoring 40 points in the final 12 minutes to turn an 18-14 deficit after three quarters into a runaway 54-18 win over winless Farmington in the Four Corners. Martin Cordova started the Tigers onslaught with a rushing TD to give Los Lunas (1-2) the lead for good at 21-18. A TD pass and rushing TD by Anthony Scott pushed the lead to 34-18. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1787301' first='Luke' last='Cieremans'] completed a nine-yard TD pass to Anthony Castillo + [player_tooltip player_id='1826009' first='Diego' last='Parra'] broke loose for a 41-yard TD to make it 47-18.     Best Team Defensive Performance: Santa Rosa. The Lions did something that has proven virtually impossible over the years: go to 3A Robertson and shutout the Cardinals in an 8-0 victory. Santa Rosa forced three Robertson turnovers (2 INT, 1 fumble) with Daryn Pacheco and Major Johnson coming up with picks. [player_tooltip player_id='854299' first='David' last='Chavez'] led the defense with 15 tackle and led the offense with 76 yards rushing. The Lions ran the ball 42 times for 130 yards, so they did an excellent job controlling the clock offensively. All in all, the perfect road performance by Santa Rosa.   Best Games: West Las Vegas 20, Ruidoso 14; Belen 28, Valencia 27; Bernalillo 19, Portales 13 (OT); Hope Christian 24, Albuquerque Academy 21; Santa Rosa 8, Robertson 0; McCurdy 40, Tucumcari 38; Organ Mountain 35, Mayfield 28.   Organ Mountain's defense came up with a late defensive stop to edge cross-town rival Mayfield, 35-28, at Field of Dreams. Knights WR [player_tooltip player_id='1680055' first='Zeke' last='Weir'], who caught a Hail Maty TD pass to beat Deming in Week 2, leaped over several Mayfield defenders for a 52-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Halftime ended with the two teams tied, 14-14. Sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1613370' first='Romeo' last='Jones'] scored on a 7-yard run just 42 seconds into the third quarter before Weir, emerging as an elite receiver, caught his second touchdown of the game on a 3-yard fade pass to give the Knights a 28-21 lead. Organ Mountain improved to 2-1, its first winning record since 2022.     Who's 3-0?: Alamogordo (3-0) made a rare trip to the Albuquerque Metro Region and rallied with a pair of fourth quarter TD runs to beat Albuquerque High, 31-20, at Milne Stadium. The Tigers trailed 20-18 at the start of the fourth quarter before QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600835' first='Nathanael' last='Best'] (4-4 passing) rushed for two short yardage scores to give Alamogordo the win. [player_tooltip player_id='1606032' first='Tristan' last='Bowman'] returned the second half kickoff for a TD to give Alamogordo an 18-6 lead. Albuquerque scored two TD in the third quarter to take a 20-18 lead going into the final frame. [player_tooltip player_id='1266538' first='Gabriel' last='Fernandez'] booted 2 field goals for Albuquerque High, which got 135 rushing yards on a workhorse 25 carries from senior [player_tooltip player_id='1266534' first='Alberto' last='Landeros']. . .Bernalillo (3-0) has displayed a remarkable ability to win close, tension-filled games through the first three weeks. The Spartans went to overtime for the second straight week and again pulled out the victory. Following an interception on Portales's first possession of OT, Bernalillo RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='853756' first='Mario' last='Molinar'] scored give Bernalillo a 19-13 walk-off win at Greyhound Stadium. . .Hope Christian (3-0) is becoming one of the best stories in Class 3A this season. The Huskies made the short trip to face local rival Albuquerque Academy in the Chargers' lone night game of the season and jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead before rallying in the second half for the emotional win. Albuquerque Academy scored 14 consecutive points for a 14-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Hope Christian scored two TDs later in the 4th quarter for a 24-14 lead. The Chargers scored late but it wasn't enough as the Huskies won, 24-21. Hope Christian QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137124' first='RJ' last='Montoya'] scored 2 TD for the Huskies.   Here are the 3-0 Teams Heading Into Week 4 (Listed By State Ranking): Cleveland, Las Cruces, Alamogordo, St. Michael's, Gadsden, Santa Rosa, Silver, Bernalillo, Los Alamos, Eunice, Hope Christian, Navajo Prep.   Huge Week 4 Ahead: Week 4 will feature numerous attractive games, starting of course with the Clash of the 6A Titans between Las Cruces and Cleveland at Lightning Bolt Stadium. Could that game be a preview of the Class 6A state championship game on Thanksgiving weekend? Centennial also travels north to face Rio Rancho at Rams Stadium, Carlsbad faces Cibola on Thursday night at Community Stadium, Dexter makes the long trip to Pojoaque Valley and Alamogordo goes to the Four Corners for an intriguing 6A cross-district matchup with Piedra Vista. Week 4 could be dubbed ‘The South Comes North.'                      Class 6A Roundup: Next to Alamogordo, Cibola might be the most improved team in 6A, particularly offensively. The Cougars were blanked in their final five games a season ago, but Friday's 35-14 win over Eldorado marked their second straight game of 35+ points. Head coach David Howes has begun to utilize elite LB [player_tooltip player_id='854199' first='Hayes' last='Baum'] out of the Wildcat formation and so far the decision has paid handsome dividends. Baum rushed for 4 TD on 11 carries and made 12 tackles and 2.5 TFL on defense in the win over Cibola. He scored on rushes of 2, 1, 17 and 8 yards. WR Jeremiah Gutierrez had 5 receptions for 80 yards. Cibola had 4 defensive players with 10+ tackles led by [player_tooltip player_id='1601052' first='Andrew' last='Lueras'] with 15. The Cougars defense totaled 4 interceptions, 9.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks. . .Unleashing a run-dominated attack, Carlsbad (2-1)  outlasted Lovington, 31-28, for a key road win. The Cavemen amassed 228 rushing yards with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1605005' first='Brock' last='Wright'] leading the attack with 143 yards on 21 carries. Carlsbad also excelled on special teams with Eaven Leos and Ty Young returning kickoffs for touchdowns, and those scores proved to be the difference. . .Cleveland (3-0) crushed Clovis, 57-0, in a game that was over by halftime. In fact, Cleveland scored 42 points in the first quarter, taking advantage of numerous miscues by the Wildcats. Super sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1613490' first='Evan' last='Nanez'] had 6 receptions for 135 yards and scored 4 TD + 2-point conversation for the Storm. QB [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'] threw 6 TD passes. . .Hobbs built a 23-7 halftime lead and held off Roswell in the second half for a 37-27 home victory over the Coyotes. Eagles QB [player_tooltip player_id='1605057' first='Junior' last='Medrano'] threw 1 TD pass for Hobbs and rushed for two more scores. [player_tooltip player_id='1601125' first='Adrian' last='Mora'] scored 2 touchdowns. Roswell scored twice in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 23-19, and then scored in the fourth quarter to cut Hobbs' lead to 30-27, but the Eagles held on for the win. . .Volcano Vista (2-1) trounced winless Sandia, 51-13, Saturday at Community Stadium. The Hawks struck first on RB [player_tooltip player_id='1423739' first='D'Angelo' last='Mitchell']'s 34-yard TD run in the 1Q. A FG on the final play of the 1Q made it 10-0. [player_tooltip player_id='1613284' first='George' last='Smith']'s 58-yard catch-and-run narrowed the deficit to 10-6. But the Hawks began to pull away late in the 2Q and took a 23-6 halftime lead. Kody Patton booted 3 FGs in the 1st half for Volcano Vista. The Hawks made it 30-6 with a 24-yard TD pass from QB [player_tooltip player_id='1608127' first='Aurelious' last='Wiley'] to [player_tooltip player_id='1748667' first='Zachary' last='Corona']. They kept pouring it on and led 44-6 by the midway point of the 3Q. . .Four Atrisco Heritage quarterbacks combined to complete 16-of-22 passes for 229 yards as the Jaguars walloped Rio Grande, 57-7, on Thursday. [player_tooltip player_id='1633802' first='Gianluca' last='Ramirez'] led Atrisco Heritage with 99 total yards. The Jaguars defense had 3 INT and 19 QB hurries. . .Piedra Vista lost at Durango (CO), 17-0.                                           Class 5A Roundup: Highland (2-1) concluded non-district play with a 26-20 road victory at Taos. Speedy sophomore RB [player_tooltip player_id='1688720' first='William' last='Anchondo'] extended his outstanding start to the season by rushing for 148 yards, including a 92-yard scamper, and 1 TD on just 10 carries to spark the Hornets offense. It marked the second time this season Anchondo has surpassed 140 rushing yards in a single game. [player_tooltip player_id='1137423' first='Jose' last='Tapia'] had a 91-yard kickoff return for a TD and added an 87-yard return. The Highland defense recorded 4 sacks. . .Gadsden QB [player_tooltip player_id='1751388' first='Ethan' last='Morales'] threw for 232 yards and 5 TD, RB Deion Torres rushed for 116 yards and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1155087' first='Anthony' last='Palomares'] had 7 receptions for 226 yards and 5 TD to lead the Jaguars to a 36-21 victory over Clint (TX). The Panthers improved to 3-0 entering the start of District 5A-2 play in Week 4. . .Goddard (2-1) continued to show significant improvement in Year 2 of Arturo Bolanos' tenure as head coach as the Rockets trounced Valley, 49-14, at the Wool Bowl.                    Class 4A Roundup: A pair of Pick-6 interceptions boosted Grants (2-1) to a 44-22 road win at 3A Dexter. The Pirates raced to a 30-6 lead in the first half and cruised home to the victory. . .Bloomfield (2-01) took out their frustrations over the Week 2 loss to Piedra Vista on Miyamura in a 59-18 win over the Patriots. Bobcats QB  Manual Chavarria led the way with five TD passes to four different receivers while scoring another on the ground. His 75-yard strike to [player_tooltip player_id='1137877' first='Kaleb' last='Hutchens'] on the first play after the Bloomfield defense intercepted a deep pass gave the Bobcats a 12-0 lead in the first quarter. Chavarria hit Peyton Duncan for a 61-yard TD pass to give Bloomfield an 18-6 lead after the first quarter. The scoring fest continued into the second quarter as Bloomfield led, 40-12, at halftime. . .Kirtland Central mercy-ruled local rival Shiprock, 50-0, at Chieftain Stadium. Broncos QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604919' first='Chance' last='Aspaas'] threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more scores to spark the offense. Aspaas completed 10 of 19 passes for 205 yards, throwing TD passes to [player_tooltip player_id='1752411' first='Kayben' last='Dowdy'] and Angel Acosta in the 1st quarter, which ended with Kirtland Central holding a 21-0 lead. Memphis Thomas had a Pick-6 for the Broncos. . .Moriarty jumped out to a 14-0 lead over St. Pius X midway through the 1Q, but Mother Nature intervened and the contest never resumed. Declared a No Contest. . .Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1155082' first='Raul' last='Lopez'] rushed for 110 yards as Chaparral dominated on the ground in a 49-0 victory over Santa Teresa. The Lobos rushed for 227 yards on 28 carries, an average of 8.1 yards per carry. . .Espanola Valley won their second straight game under new head coach Caleb Holbrook by going to Santa Fe and beating Capital, 20-6, on a wet and rainy night. The Sundevils have allowed only 6 points in the last two games. Espanola Valley QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137865' first='Irvin' last='Primero'] was 9-for-15 for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. . .Manzano QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137898' first='Bodi' last='True'] threw for 226 yards and 3 TD in the Monarchs' 22-0 win over winless Del Norte. Most of those yards went to WR [player_tooltip player_id='1137881' first='Aiden' last='Erickson'], who had 5 receptions for 166 yards. He had TD receptions of 60 and 80 yards. . .[player_tooltip player_id='854302' first='Justin' last='Duran'] added 73 rushing yards and 14 tackles, 1 INT and 1 forced fumble on defense.                                                                          Class 3A Roundup: West Las Vegas (2-1) stunned Ruidoso, 20-14, as QB Fiddel Herrera threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to WR Andres Sena with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Ruidoso took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter when [player_tooltip player_id='1613409' first='Mason' last='Fikany'] turned a short reception into a 60+ yard TD jaunt. Fikany finished with 79 yards rushing on 18 carries, 2 receptions for 49 yards and 2 TD. West Las Vegas scored twice in the second quarter to take a 13-7 halftime lead, including a scoop-and-score on a fumbled punt snap. . .Cobre lost at Anthony (TX), 48-16. Cobre QB Eythan Castillo threw a 65-yard TD pass to Noah Rodriguez. . .Crownpoint QB [player_tooltip player_id='1606066' first='Kory' last='Harvey'] threw for 99 yards and rushed for 83 yards on 15 carries to carry the Eagles past Socorro, 30-19. The Crownpoint defense had 4 interceptions. . .Hot Springs won at Capitan, 37-6. . .Wingate edged Cuba, 24-20.   Class 2A Roundup: McCurdy RB JJ Vigil rushed for 184 yards and 5 TD on a workhorse 31 carries to lift the Bobcats past Tucumcari, 40-38. Tucumcari senior QB Nick Geon completed 15-of-24 passes for 248 yards and 3 TD. . .Tularosa downed Estancia, 52-32, in a high-scoring contest. The Wildcats overcame 145 rushing yards by Estancia freshman QB Devon Chavez. . .Texico fell to cross-border rival Farwell (TX), 44-6. Wolverines QB [player_tooltip player_id='1613755' first='Cross' last='Figg'] rushed for 84 yards. . .Laguna Acoma posted a hard-fought 10-6 road victory over independent Santa Fe Indian School. . .Navajo Prep trounced Zuni, 40-0.                                                                         Week 4 Top Games (Sept. 11-13)   Las Cruces at Cleveland   Centennial at Rio Rancho   Carlsbad at Cibola (Thur.)   Alamogordo at Piedra Vista   Los Alamos at Highland   Organ Mountain at St. Pius X   Lovington at Roswell   Albuquerque Academy at St. Michael's (Sat.)   Dexter at Pojoaque Valley (Sat.)   Bernalillo at Moriarty   Hope Christian at Manzano (Sat.)   Espanola Valley at Grants   Tucumcari at Loving   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Week 3: Friday Night Scoreboard<a href="https://twitter.com/sportsprimo2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sportsprimo2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GadsdenPanthers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_NMAA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SHS24AD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SHS24AD</a> Click to view the article!<a href="https://t.co/jxR5qxfMKv">https://t.co/jxR5qxfMKv</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1964266111056433371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Eagles win again! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EAT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EAT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGoldStandard?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGoldStandard</a> <a href="https://t.co/agiZ5slWQh">pic.twitter.com/agiZ5slWQh</a>— Hobbs Eagles Football (@HobbsEaglesFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1964531012085698958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sights and Sounds: Week 3 (Video + Recap)<a href="https://twitter.com/TristanBowman_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TristanBowman_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NathanBest65684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NathanBest65684</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/beto_l26?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@beto_l26</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BrysonBloom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrysonBloom</a> Click to view the article!<a href="https://t.co/ME1oHpfqGe">https://t.co/ME1oHpfqGe</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1964651930040590500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thursday Night Throwdown: Ruidoso-West Las Vegas (Video/Recap)<a href="https://twitter.com/KingCoker27?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KingCoker27</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KenseyDevaughn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KenseyDevaughn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AshdynUrban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AshdynUrban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/masonfikany10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@masonfikany10</a> Click to view the article!<a href="https://t.co/CM73Wk4PFz">https://t.co/CM73Wk4PFz</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1964265890142150962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Warren to Byers <a href="https://t.co/THUAe3TkFs">pic.twitter.com/THUAe3TkFs</a>— BulldogFootball 🏈🏆x32 (@artesiafootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1964712581865820166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>

Week 3 of the 2025 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our third edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our comprehensive deep dive into everything that happened on the field. Enjoy!