Week 7 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games And Fun Stuff

Week 7 of the 2025 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our seventh edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our comprehensive deep dive into everything that happened on the field. Enjoy!   Teams of the Week: West Mesa (6A), Lovington (5A), Albuquerque Academy (4A), Pojoaque Valley (3A), Legacy Academy (2A).   It's been a challenging season for West Mesa, but the Mustangs put everything together in a convincing 55-14 win over Atrisco Heritage Saturday to snap their three-game losing streak. West Mesa led, 7-0, after the 1st quarter before scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter for a 27-0 halftime advantage. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1680028' first='Max' last='Romero'] ran 2 yards for a TD and [player_tooltip player_id='1680035' first='Isaiah' last='Cazares'] caught a TD pass in the first 13 minutes of the game. Victor Aguilar's 30-yard TD run with about 4 minutes left in the second quarter made it 27-0.        Lovington (3-4) scored 42 unanswered points to wallop Mayfield, 50-6, at Field of Dreams, snapping the Trojans' brief two-game winning streak. Lovington QB [player_tooltip player_id='1665332' first='Justin' last='Allen'] scored on a 16-yard run for the game's first points. Lovington led, 21-6, at halftime. A safety and two catch-and-run scores by Wildcat WR Elijah Rivero in the third quarter increased Lovington's lead to 37-6. Lovington RB [player_tooltip player_id='1750336' first='Zachary' last='Diaz'] rushed for 2 TD.   Albuquerque Academy (3-3) snapped its 3-game losing streak with an impressive and thrilling (though penalty-filled) comeback win over St. Pius X on Saturday at home. Trailing 36-34, Chargers QB [player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'] connected with WR Gabe Conway for the game-winning TD with 24 seconds left. The two-point conversion gave the Chargers a 42-36 lead. Conway then sealed the win with a Pick-6 in the final seconds. The Chargers trailed, 21-6, after the first quarter when they gave up two long TD runs to St. Pius X's speedy star RB [player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'], a FBS target. But the Chargers managed to close the gap to 28-20 at halftime when Braun hit WR [player_tooltip player_id='1605074' first='Logan' last='Hague'] on a slant pass for a 56-yard score late in the 2nd quarter. Academy tied the score at 28-28 in the third quarter on Braun's 7-yard TD pass to [player_tooltip player_id='1137120' first='Finn' last='Thompson'].          Pojoaque Valley QB [player_tooltip player_id='1248677' first='Joshua' last='Gonzales'] accounted for 316 total yards (174 passing, 1452 rushing) and converted a do-or-die 2-point conversion in overtime as the Elks stunned Class 3A power Robertson, 32-31, for the school's first-ever win over the Cardinals in 29 games. In OT, Robertson got the ball first and scored on an 8-yard run by [player_tooltip player_id='1672753' first='Andres' last='Sanchez'] (121 rushing yards) and kicked the PAT for a 31-24 lead. Pojoaque Valley got the ball and scored on RB [player_tooltip player_id='1416992' first='D'Marcus' last='Rodriguez']'s 7-yard TD run. Elks head coach Zeke Villegas gambled and went for two and the win. Gonzales took the snap from under center, rolled right and sprinted for the pylon. He beat the Robertson defense to the spot for the game-winning points.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Here is how Pojoaque beat Robertson 32-31, for the first win in program history over the Cardinals. <a href="https://t.co/zXSgg7kAYj">pic.twitter.com/zXSgg7kAYj</a>— New Mexican Sports (@sfnmsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/sfnmsports/status/1974321613974933505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>   Players of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1605033' first='Dailen' last='Ramirez'], Centennial (6A); [player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'], Los Alamos  (5A); [player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'], Albuquerque Academy (4A); [player_tooltip player_id='1248677' first='Joshua' last='Gonzales'], Pojoaque Valley (3A); Devon Chavez, Estancia (2A).   Centennial RB [player_tooltip player_id='1605033' first='Dailen' last='Ramirez'] rushed for 180 yards and 4 TD on a workhorse 28 carries to help lift the Hawks to a key 42-32 home victory over Alamogordo. Centennial QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604943' first='Ruiz' last='Laborin'] completed 15-of-21 passes for 264 yards and 2 TD to earn serious consideration for 6A POTW. Ramirez scored 3 TD in a back-and-forth first half against the Tigers, while Laborin threw a 30-yard TD pass to WR [player_tooltip player_id='1679776' first='Andrew' last='Sandoval']. Ramirez added a 12-yard TD run in the second half.   Los Alamos RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'] has been a fixture in this space and for good reason as few players in the state have been as dominant as Herrera this season. Herrera added to his impressive season rushing total by rushing for 274 yards and 5 TD in the Hilltoppers' 43-36 shootout win over Belen that kept Los Alamos' dream of an undefeated season alive. The Hilltoppers are 7-0 going into the bye week. Their final three games are against Rio Grande, Valley and Miyamura.   Albuquerque Academy QB [player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'] led the Chargers comeback against St. Pius X by completing 18-of-33 passes for 268 yards and 5 TD with zero interceptions. He was helped by a strong running game led by [player_tooltip player_id='1137080' first='Ryan' last='Williams'], who had 149 yards rushing on 19 carries.                      Best Team Offensive Performance: Albuquerque Academy.     Best Team Defensive Performance: St. Michael's.      Best Games: Pojoaque Valley 32, Robertson 31 (OT); NMMI 36, Hatch Valley 33; Albuquerque Academy 42, St. Pius X 36.   At Colt Field in Roswell, NMMI rallied for the win over Hatch Valley as RB Aquaylis Jordan capped a 7-minute drive by scoring on a 3-yard run and then converting the 2-pointer with 1:28 left in the fourth quarter. Hatch Valley took the ensuing kickoff and quickly drove down the field. The Bears ran 10 plays before they were finally denied by the NMMI defense. Jordan finished with 144 rushing yards and 2 TD on 17 carries. With the thrilling win, NMMI improved to 2-1 in District 3A-3 play. They are tied for 3rd place with Hot Springs.  Four teams have 2 district wins, so the race is wide open.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Epic comeback — these Chargers don't quit! <a href="https://twitter.com/WillBraun_9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WillBraun_9</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jq26Izthpj">pic.twitter.com/Jq26Izthpj</a>— James Braun (@jrwbraun) <a href="https://twitter.com/jrwbraun/status/1974949161356394693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>   Sophomore of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1826239' first='Tripp' last='Hamilton'], Portales. Hamilton played a major role as Portales' defense slammed the door on the Silver offense in the Rams' 19-8 home victory in a District 4A-2 contest. The trio of Hamilton (13 tackles), senior [player_tooltip player_id='1751793' first='Klayt' last='Hamilton'] (12) and sophomore Ace Saiz (11) combined for 36 tackles in the win.                                                              Freshman of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1581314' first='Kingston' last='Lee'], Portales. The Rams young promising quarterback has shown steady improvement this season and has now led Portales (2-5, 2-1) to consecutive impressive District 4A-2 victories over Valencia and Silver. In the Rams latest win, Lee completed 7-of-10 passes for 178 yards and 2 TD. Lee and Portales get a huge test in Week 8 when they travel to Albuquerque to face St. Pius X. Yet, it's also a huge opportunity for Portales to stamp themselves as serious contenders for the district crown.            Class 6A Roundup: Cleveland (5-1, 1-0) opened District 6A-1 play with a resounding 49-3 road win over Farmington at Hutchinson Stadium. Cleveland scored on all seven first-half possessions before the game ended shortly after the third quarter started due to lightning. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1600936' first='Samuel' last='Bustillos'] scored 3 TD for Cleveland, while QB [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'] (16-of-18, 235 yards, 4 TD) threw TD passes to [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'], Cale Hollingsworth and Michael Denison. . .Volcano Vista (5-1) overcame a slow start to score 35 unanswered points in a 35-7 victory over Piedra Vista Thursday night. Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1423739' first='D'Angelo' last='Mitchell'] rushed for 100 yards and 3 TD on 19 carries while WR [player_tooltip player_id='1245683' first='Ismael' last='Mendez'] had 7 receptions for 94 yards and 2 TD, displaying elite athleticism and fancy footwork on his TD grabs. Volcano Vista began to pull away by scoring a pair of TDs in the 2nd quarter for a 21-7 halftime lead. . .Rio Rancho (3-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 25-15 victory over Cibola. Most of the scoring came in the second half as Rams WR [player_tooltip player_id='1266408' first='Parker' last='Miller'] caught 2 TD passes and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'] raced 96 yards on a designed keeper in the fourth quarter for the game-sealing TD. Both teams kicked a field goal in the second quarter and entered halftime deadlocked, 3-3. . .Alamogordo RB [player_tooltip player_id='1605059' first='Bryson' last='Bloom'] rushed for 159 yards and 2 TD on just 13 carries and threw a TD pass in the Tigers' loss to Centennial. Bloom had first-half TD runs of 39 and 79 yards. . .Las Cruces (7-0, 3-0) stayed unbeaten with a mercy-rule 56-6 win at Clovis as elite RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] rushed for 5 TD. . .La Cueva outscored Eldorado, 13-0, in the second half in a 26-7 win over the Eagles at Wilson Stadium. Eldorado took a brief 9-7 lead in the second quarter before RB Maverick Bone gave the Bears a 10-7 lead with a 9-yard TD run. They soon added a FG for a 13-7 halftime lead. Two field goals and a passing TD accounted for La Cueva's second half points. . .Los Lunas set up a Week 8 showdown with La Cueva by beating Albuquerque High, 38-24, Saturday afternoon. Tigers RB Martin Cordova rushed for 143 yards on 19 carries while QB [player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese'] threw for 130 yards and rushed 11 times for 69 yards. The Los Lunas defense did a nice job slowing down Albuquerque High's powerful rushing attack by holding [player_tooltip player_id='1266534' first='Alberto' last='Landeros'] to 69 yards on 15 carries. . .Carlsbad RB Marley Munoz rushed for 149 yards and 2 TD on 12 carries to power the Cavemen past Organ Mountain, 35-7, Saturday at Field of Dreams. WR [player_tooltip player_id='1137066' first='Robert' last='Castaneda'] had 7 receptions for 142 yards and 3 TD. Carlsbad has sole possession of 3rd place in District 6A-3. They travel to Alamogordo in Week 8.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Hawks came to fight for a cause and walked away with a 35-7 win over Piedra Vista! 💗 Strong plays, big hits, and plenty of pink on display.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHawks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHawks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreastCancerAwareness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreastCancerAwareness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HawkPride?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HawkPride</a> <a href="https://t.co/P5vxtDHtea">pic.twitter.com/P5vxtDHtea</a>— Volcano Vista HS Football (@vvhsfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/vvhsfootball/status/1974637955139665982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 5A Roundup: Roswell QB [player_tooltip player_id='1750685' first='Luke' last='Lynn'] completed 18-of-24 passes for 216 yards, rushed for 72 yards on 6 carries and accounted for 3 TD as Roswell posted a 33-14 road win over Gadsden. Roswell head coach Jeff Lynn won his 100th game as Coyotes head coach. Artesia and Roswell are tied for first place in District 5A-2 with identical 4-0 marks. They square off Oct. 17 at the Wool Bowl. . .Artesia did its part in the District 5A-2 race by mercy-ruling Sanat Teresa, 58-0, in a game that ended at halftime. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 28-0 after the first quarter as QB [player_tooltip player_id='1672571' first='Derrick' last='Warren'] threw 2 TD passes, RB [player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'] ran 2 yards for a YD and [player_tooltip player_id='1266504' first='Edel' last='Villa'] returned a punt 55 yards for a TD. Parra returned a kick 70 yards for a TD as the Bulldogs continued to score at will in the second quarter. . .Highland RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137423' first='Jose' last='Tapia'] followed up last week's impressive performance by rushing for 180 yards and 2 TD on 24 carries to carry the Hornets to a 20-8 road win over Miyamura. Highland continued to prove their one of the top ground attack teams in the state by rushing for 266 yards. . .Valley RB [player_tooltip player_id='1605046' first='Zachary' last='Perez']-Verdeja's 3-run TD run midway through the fourth quarter carried the Vikings to a hard-fought 7-3 victory over Capital in a District 5A-1 contest Thursday night. Valley's bend-but-don't break defense allowed just 3 points in four Capital drives inside the red zone. Two of those possessions ended with Valley interceptions. Capital drove as far as the Valley 23-yard line in the final minute of the game but incomplete passes doomed the drive and killed the Jaguars' final chance. . .Goddard (5-2, 3-1) continued to surge under second-year head coach Arturo Bolanos with a 40-33 victory over winless Deming at the Wool Bowl. The Rockets occupy third place in District 5A-2 behind powerhouses Artesia and Roswell. . .Del Norte beat Rio Grande, 32-6, for the Knights' first win of the season.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">100 Wins and many more to come! Congradulations <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffJefflynn1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffJefflynn1</a> <a href="https://t.co/anMvsi6181">pic.twitter.com/anMvsi6181</a>— Josh Lynn (@CoachJoshLynn) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJoshLynn/status/1974442767767240707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 4A Roundup: St. Pius X's loss to Albuquerque Academy on Saturday gave Chaparral (6-1, 3-0) undisputed possession of first place in District 4A-2. The Lobos whipped Valencia, 40-14, Friday night behind a strong defense led by [player_tooltip player_id='1613670' first='Cesar' last='De La Rosa'], who led Chaparral with 13 tackles and 3.0 TFL. Overall, the Chaparral had 13.0 TFL, 9 QB hurries, 2 sacks and 1 interception. QB [player_tooltip player_id='851884' first='Israel' last='Nieto'] completed 13-of-15 passes for 250 yards and 4 TD in the win. . .Bernalillo traveled to the Four Corners to face Kirtland Central and rode home with a 42-0 victory. QB [player_tooltip player_id='853757' first='Ulisses' last='Castro'] passed for 135 yards, rushed for 92 yards and accounted for 4 TD in the lopsided win. Bernalillo built a commanding 28-0 halftime lead and cruised home to the win in the second half, forcing a running clock along the way. After hosting Aztec in Week 8, the Pirates square off with Bloomfield and Grants in Weeks 9 and 10, two games that will likely decide the district title. . .Moriarty (3-2, 2-1) also traveled to the Four Corners and trounced Aztec, 50-0, as senior RB Abraham Sloan rushed for 2 TD. The game ended via the mercy rule on a safety late in the third quarter. The Pintos have a huge game against Bloomfield in Week 8. . .Taos scored three TD in the final 9 minutes of the second quarter and went on to a 30-0 victory over Espanola Valley.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">4A District Football Silver 🏈 8 Portales 🏈 19 Final<a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_NMAA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesDYodice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesDYodice</a> <a href="https://t.co/NApRuP4b2P">pic.twitter.com/NApRuP4b2P</a>— Artie Sanchez (@SHS24AD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SHS24AD/status/1974311832233152861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 3A Roundup: St. Michael's (7-0) stayed unbeaten by jumping out to a 27-0 lead after the first quarter (40-0 at halftime) in a 47-8 rout of Hope Christian Saturday at Wilson Stadium. St. Michael's dynamic QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600843' first='Kamal' last='Stith'] had a first half for the ages: 242 yards and 5 TD passes + 50 yards rushing. The powerful St. Michael's offense overwhelmed the Hope Christian defense by scoring seven touchdowns. Meanwhile, the physical and fast Horsemen defense shut down the Hope Christian offense all game long. . .QB [player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker'] completed 10-of-15 passes for 150 yards and rushed for 156 yards and RB [player_tooltip player_id='854288' first='Tristan' last='Polanco'] scored 4 TD as Hot Springs routed Socorro, 41-0, in Truth or Consequences. Hot Springs scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and led, 28-0, at halftime. The Hot Springs defense collected 11.0 TFL, 6.0 sacks and 3.0 QB hurries. [player_tooltip player_id='1155121' first='Billy' last='Baca'] had FOUR interceptions. . .Wingate (5-2) stayed unbeaten in District 3A-1 with a 31-16 victory over Shiprock. Wingate and Thoreau are currently tied for first place in the district standings with identical 3-0 records and could be headed for a winner-take-all district championship showdown on Oct. 24. . .Dexter (4-1) walloped Cobre, 50-0, as RB [player_tooltip player_id='854287' first='Garet' last='Gonzalez'] rushed for 154 yards and 4 TD. Dexter amassed 285 rushing yards against the Indians. The winner of Week 8's Dexter-Ruidoso game will claim solo possession of 1st place in District 3A-3. . .Gallup (3-4) continued to demonstrate improvement under first-year head coach Lawrence Garcia with a 32-8 win over Zuni. The Bengals face a big test in Week 8 against Wingate. . .Thoreau routed Tohatchi, 51-0.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">St. Michael's goes 90+ yards for the TD. They lead 40-0 over Hope Christian in the final minute of the 2Q. <a href="https://t.co/NGD4BZiZDe">pic.twitter.com/NGD4BZiZDe</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1974537168992547251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 2A Roundup: Eunice QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'] had another great game with 4 TD passes as Eunice routed Loving, 56-6. Melancon moved into second place on New Mexico's all-time career passing touchdown list. . .Texico QB [player_tooltip player_id='1613755' first='Cross' last='Figg'] was stellar again as he threw for 153 yards and 3 TD and rushed for 228 yards and 3 TD on 10 carries (381 total yards) as the Wolverines trounced Jal, 49-0. . .Estancia's all-freshman backfield did it again as QB Devon Chavez (249 rushing yards on 28 carries) and RB Juan Cuevas (137 yards on 21 rushes) combined for 386 rushing yards on 49 carries (7.9 yds per attempt) as the Bears knocked off Tucumcari, 38-14. . .Legacy Academy (5-1) traveled to Raton and beat the Tigers, 21-14. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600087' first='Lorenzo' last='Sedillo-Urban'] threw for 201 yards and 2 TD on 10-of-17 passing and rushed for 54 yards to lead the Silverbacks' offense. . .Unbeaten Santa Rosa (6-0) mercy-ruled Capitan, 50-0. . .McCurdy's dynamic backfield duo of JJ Vigil (165 yards on 20 carries) and Julian Nino (13 carries, 162 yards) combined for 327 yards and 4 TD on the ground in the Bobcats' 52-0 mercy-rule win over independent Santa Fe Indian.                                                                              Week 8 Top Games (Oct. 9-11)   Centennial at Hobbs   La Cueva at Los Lunas   Rio Rancho at Piedra Vista (Thur.)   Cibola at Cleveland   Portales at St. Pius X   Carlsbad at Alamogordo   Moriarty at Bloomfield   Dexter at Ruidoso   Albuquerque Academy at Manzano (Sat.)   West Las Vegas at Robertson   Chaparral at Silver   Pojoaque Valley at Hope Christian   Loving at Texico   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Friday Night Scoreboard: Week 7<a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtesiaSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArtesiaSports</a> Click to view the article!<a href="https://t.co/ruFFRCP59O">https://t.co/ruFFRCP59O</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1974459183966855414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thursday Throwdown: Battle Of The Vistas (Recap/Video)<a href="https://twitter.com/IsmaelMendezIII?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IsmaelMendezIII</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amasi_griego223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amasi_griego223</a> Click to view the article!<a href="https://t.co/8IR2i6TkNq">https://t.co/8IR2i6TkNq</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1974458714326499408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Bears win!! Congratulations to Coach Back on his 100th career win. <a href="https://t.co/EKrr65Zsxj">pic.twitter.com/EKrr65Zsxj</a>— Melanie Tapia (@LCHS_MTapia) <a href="https://twitter.com/LCHS_MTapia/status/1974319440683807158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>

Week 7 of the 2025 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our seventh edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our comprehensive deep dive into everything that happened on the field. Enjoy!