Playoff Picture: Where Things Stand In Every Classification

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Entering Week 10 of the regular season, here's our playoff scenario and predictions for each classification in New Mexico. These scenarios are based on known results through Week 10 and predicted results in Weeks 10 and 11.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The teams listed in each category are in alphabetical order &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 6A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Four Seeds (4)</strong>: Cleveland, Hobbs, Las Cruces, La Cueva</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely In (3)</strong>: Centennial, Rio Rancho, Volcano Vista &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably In (3)</strong>: Carlsbad, Cibola, Los Lunas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>On The Bubble (4)</strong>: Alamogordo, Albuquerque High, Eldorado, Sandia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably Out (3)</strong>: Clovis, Piedra Vista, Santa Fe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely Out (4)</strong>: Atrisco Heritage, Farmington, Organ Mountain, West Mesa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis</strong>: Cleveland and Las Cruces are the top two teams in Class 6A and the MaxPreps rankings reflect that reality. However, both teams face critical battles in the final two weeks of the regular season. Cleveland must still play Volcano Vista and Rio Rancho, while Las Cruces squares off with crosstown rival Centennial in Week 11. Hobbs will be a top four seed unless they suffer an upset loss to Organ Mountain or Carlsbad in their final two games. La Cueva will win District 6A-2. Cibola has two huge games left: at Piedra Vista and vs. Volcano Vista. Carlsbad has a difficult final two games against Las Cruces and Hobbs, but those games will boost their strength of schedule. Seven teams are battling for the final two playoff spots. All face must-win situations in the final two weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MaxPreps Football Polls<br>Updated 10/19/25<br>Class 6A<br>1.Las Cruces<br>2.Cleveland<br>3.Hobbs<br>4.Centennial<br>5.Volcano Vista<a href="https://t.co/KUeJs4AveR">https://t.co/KUeJs4AveR</a> Cueva<a href="https://t.co/7UvdmMFseB">https://t.co/7UvdmMFseB</a> Rancho<br>8.Los Lunas<br>9.Cibola<br>10.Carlsbad <a href="https://t.co/WRjsR05m5O">pic.twitter.com/WRjsR05m5O</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1980740882769784881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 5A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Four Seeds (4)</strong>: Artesia, Goddard, Lovington, Roswell</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely In (2)</strong>: Gadsden, Los Alamos &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably In (3)</strong>: Mayfield, Highland, Belen</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>On The Bubble (3)</strong>: Deming, Miyamura, Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably Out (1)</strong>: Capital</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely Out (3)</strong>: Del Norte, Rio Grande, Santa Teresa.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis</strong>: Class 5A only has 16 schools and 12 get into the playoffs. So,. A couple of teams with poor records will get in. If there are two guarantees, Artesia and Roswell will be the top two seeds. Artesia will be the No. 1 seed based on their victory over the Coyotes last Friday at the Wool Bowl. The biggest argument will be whether an undefeated Los Alamos deserves a top four seed. Clearly, District 5A-1 is inferior to District 5A-2. The top five teams in the MaxPreps rankings are from 5A-2. Two four-loss teams (Lovington, Gadsden) are ahead of Los Alamos (8-0) in the rankings. There's more: Deming is 1-7 and yet they're ahead of Highland (5-3) and Belen (4-4) in the rankings. Highland has a huge game at Capital Thursday. It's a must-win for Capital and a near must-win for Highland.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MaxPreps Football Polls<br>Updated 10/19/25<br>Class 5A<br>1.Artesia<br>2.Roswell<br>3.Lovington<br>4.Goddard<br>5.Gadsden<br>6.Los Alamos<br>7.Mayfield<br>8.Deming<br>9.Highland<br>10.Belen <a href="https://t.co/5MpWehJqF1">pic.twitter.com/5MpWehJqF1</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1980741129608794543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 4A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Four Seeds (4)</strong>: Bloomfield, Chaparral, Silver, St. Pius X</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely In (4)</strong>: Albuquerque Academy, Bernalillo, Grants, Taos</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably In (2)</strong>: Moriarty, Valencia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>On The Bubble (3)</strong>: Espanola Valley, Manzano, Portales</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably Out</strong>: None</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely Out (2)</strong>: Aztec, Kirtland Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis</strong>: Twelve of the 15 teams in Class 4A get into the playoffs. We know two of the teams that won't get in, so the remaining 13 teams are jockeying for 12 spots. Barring a massive upset in the final two weeks, defending champion Bloomfield will be the No. 1 seed with St. Pius X the likely No. 2 seed. Chaparral has lost two straight, but should have enough in the end to get a first-round bye.. Watch out for Silver. The Colts defense is nasty and they're doing just enough offensively to make a deep run in the playoffs. Their Week 10 matchup at Manzano on Saturday is huge for both teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MaxPreps Football Polls<br>Updated 10/19/25<br>Class 4A<br>1.Bloomfield<a href="https://t.co/NJlgi3Es0Y">https://t.co/NJlgi3Es0Y</a>. Pius X<br>3.Chaparral<br>4.Albuquerque Academy<br>5.Silver<br>6.Bernalillo<br>7.Grants<br>8.Taos<br>9.Portales<br>10.Moriarty <a href="https://t.co/GG0BJr8dNb">pic.twitter.com/GG0BJr8dNb</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1980741381124485531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 3A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Four Seeds (4)</strong>: Dexter, Robertson, St. Michael's, West Las Vegas &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely In (3)</strong>: Hope Christian, NMMI, Hatch Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably In (4)</strong>: Ruidoso, Pojoaque Valley, Thoreau, Hot Springs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>On The Bubble (3)</strong>: Wingate, Gallup, Tohatchi</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably Out (1)</strong>: Crownpoint</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely Out (4)</strong>: Cobre, Shiprock, Socorro, Zuni.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis</strong>: Can anybody beat St. Michael's? Right now, Dexter might be the lone team capable of doing that. The Horsemen and Demons could be headed for a 3A championship game rematch. The other two top four seeds are up for grabs. Week 10's Hope Christian-West Las Vegas matchup will have a major impact on that. Robertson, recently depleted by player suspensions, has a bye and then a Week 11 matchup against St. Michael's. Santa Fe Indian School is independent and ineligible for the 3A playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MaxPreps Football Polls<br>Updated 10/19/25<br>Class 3A<a href="https://t.co/ftTK3Z2G5D">https://t.co/ftTK3Z2G5D</a>. Michael's<br>2.Dexter<br>3.West Las Vegas<br>4.Hope Christian<br>5.Robertson<br>6.NMMI<br>7.Hatch Valley<br>8.Ruidoso<br>9.Pojoaque Valley<br>10.Thoreau <a href="https://t.co/4ZVdqFKtxo">pic.twitter.com/4ZVdqFKtxo</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1980741632849834186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 2A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Four Seeds (4)</strong>: Eunice, Legacy Academy, Santa Rosa, Texico &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely In (4)</strong>: Jal, Loving, Raton, Hozho Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably In</strong>: None</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>On The Bubble (5)</strong>: Tularosa, Estancia, McCurdy, Navajo Prep, Tucumcari</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Probably Out (2)</strong>: Newcomb, Laguna Acoma</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Definitely Out (2)</strong>: Capitan, Cuba</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis</strong>: The top four teams in 2A are well established – Eunice, Legacy Academy, Santa Rosa and Texico. In fact, the gap between those four teams and the rest of 2A appears significant. The common denominator? All four of those teams benefit from outstanding quarterback play. Hozho Academy should win District 2A-1, which gives them an automatic bid. Will another team from that district get in? Seven teams are battling for four spots. Friday night's McCurdy at Navajo Prep has huge playoff implications.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MaxPreps Football Polls<br>Updated 10/19/25<br>Class 2A<br>1.Texico<br>2.Santa Rosa<br>3.Eunice<br>4.Legacy Academy<br>5.Jal<br>6.Loving<br>7.Raton<br>8.Hozho Academy<br>9.Tularosa<br>10.Estancia <a href="https://t.co/yopmCwqIel">pic.twitter.com/yopmCwqIel</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1980741884654862700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LATEST COACHES POLLS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NMOT Football Coaches Polls <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesDYodice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesDYodice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasPeerman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LucasPeerman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtesiaSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArtesiaSports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SHS24AD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SHS24AD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thenewmexican?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thenewmexican</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmprepcosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmprepcosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlesWiniecki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CharlesWiniecki</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/w?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@w</a> <a href="https://t.co/0brcEe9t3o">pic.twitter.com/0brcEe9t3o</a></p>&mdash; Richard Tripp (@rick_tripp58) <a href="https://twitter.com/rick_tripp58/status/1980582320202805413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->