November Madness: Class 3A State Championship Game Preview

CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW   Who: No. 1 St. Michael's (12-0) vs. No. 2 Dexter (10-1)   What: Class 3A State Championship Game   Where: Dexter Demon Field, Dexter, NM   When: Sat., Nov. 29, 1 p.m.   The biggest storylines coming into Saturday's Class 3A state championship game at Dexter High is St. Michael's quest for a three-peat and its impressive 32-game winning streak, the third longest in state history. The Horsemen haven't lost since the middle of the 2023 season, capturing two titles during the stretch. The last team not named St. Michael's to win the 3A title? Ruidoso in 2022. Who did they beat? St. Michael's. In fact, this is the fifth straight year the Horsemen have reached the Class 3A state title game.   “We talk about it and we know we're on that streak,” St. Michael's head coach Joey Fernandez told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “But the biggest thing we always talk about is the next game and getting ready and prepared. We know if we're prepared, we'll do well. Our main goal every year is the blue trophy. That's what's out front of us. If we win our next game, we know our streak stays alive.”       This game is also a rematch of last year's instant classic in which a last-minute desperation do-or-die drive by St. Michael's, one that included an incredible fourth-down conversion, produced the game-winning TD for the Horsemen in their thrilling 28-26 victory.   “Our entire focus since the summer has been to get back to this point,” Dexter head coach Sonny Duran told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “I knew we had the athletes to do it. Our guys answered the bell. We've been looking forward to playing St. Michael's again after last year's title game. I don't think anybody is surprised both of us are back here. Now we play them at home.”                  WHEN ST. MICHAEL'S HAS THE BALL   This game features arguably the top two dual threat quarterbacks in Class 3A. St. Michael's QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600843' first='Kamal' last='Stith'] has thrown for over 2,000 yards and a school record number of TD passes. He's also rushed for over 750 yards and combines with senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='853063' first='Isaiah' last='Dominguez'] (800+ rushing yards) to form a lethal backfield duo.   “We've always known Kamal was an explosive player,” Fernandez said. “He has good accuracy throwing the ball and he can move with the ball. He just had to develop his decision-making ability and being a leader in the huddle. This year, he took the bull by the horns and decided he wanted to be that leader and wanted to be that quarterback we wanted him to be.”      When Stith throws the ball, his favorite targets are WR [player_tooltip player_id='1267011' first='Brayden' last='Hollis'], TE [player_tooltip player_id='1155019' first='Ryan' last='Hunt'] and Dominguez. The St. Michael's offensive line has battled through a high number of injuries this season, but so far they've persevered.   “This year, we're not as grind-it-out as we have been in the past,” Fernandez said. “This team is more of a big play team. We're trying to make big, explosive plays with the athletes we have. Offensively, the main focus is moving the ball down the field and scoring every time we have the ball. We're not moving the chains as much. We want to get big chunks of yardage based on how our offense is built.”      The Dexter defense is led by junior MLB [player_tooltip player_id='1155314' first='Rigo' last='Regalado'], who has 85 tackles and 17.0 TFL and LB/DE [player_tooltip player_id='1155310' first='Fernando' last='Prieto'] Jr., who has 73 tackles and 15.0 TFL. The Dexter defense has amassed a staggering 96.0 TFL in 11 games, an impressive average of nearly nine per game.   “Our best defensive guys really fly around,” Duran said. “They have a really good nose for the ball. Rigo is the middle linebacker and he really commands the defense. He's grown into that position. He has been impressive.”   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Games 1-8 Highlights 24 Passing TDs 11 Rushing TDs 3 INTs<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://t.co/8CiL5dz2WC">pic.twitter.com/8CiL5dz2WC</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1600843' first='Kamal' last='Stith'] (@MalStith2) <a href="https://twitter.com/MalStith2/status/1983559194516296011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>   WHEN DEXTER HAS THE BALL   Even though he's just a junior, 6-foot-3, 200-pound C.J. Granados is now in his third season as Dexter's starting quarterback. He's thrown for close to 4,500 yards and rushed for nearly 1,500 yards in his first 39 career games. He's the engineer of a dynamic Dexter offense that has amassed 4,421 total yards, an average of over 400 yards per game.   “CJ's strength is throwing the ball,” Duran said. “He has a very strong arm. This year, he has transitioned to more of a runner. He's become a threat in the running game. As a junior, he understands why we do things and why we call certain plays. His footwork has improved. He understands protections.”     Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='854287' first='Garet' last='Gonzalez'] has rushed for 1,148 yards and 20 TD. Granados has 16 rushing TD while [player_tooltip player_id='1155314' first='Rigo' last='Regalado'] has close to 500 yards and 6 TD on the ground. Dexter's offense is run-dominated. The Demons run the ball about 70 percent of the time.   “Garet is a workhorse,” Duran said. “The good thing is he has stayed healthy. So, when he carries the ball, he's fresh. He's the strongest player on the team. He has very good feet and vision. He works hard. When we're running the ball well with Garet and the others, we live off the play action.”      Junior DE [player_tooltip player_id='1155019' first='Ryan' last='Hunt'] has had an amazing season for the Horsemen. He has over 30 tackles for loss and over 20 sacks (a school record) heading into Saturday's game. Hunt leads the Horsemen in tackles. New Mexico State has expressed interest. MLB [player_tooltip player_id='1137830' first='Pete' last='Johnson'] has battled injuries this season but is now back healthy.        “Defensively, our mentality is the same as in the past,” Fernandez said. “We're always shooting for a shutout and get as many three-and-outs as possible. We hang our hat on our defense. The key is making sure the opponent isn't moving the chains and sustaining long drives.”   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/dbuQPAIYJi">https://t.co/dbuQPAIYJi</a> Regular Season! 8-1 (1 game canceled) District Champs! 958 Passing Yards 9 Passing Touchdowns 58-100 - 58% 492 Yards Rushing 14 Touchdowns <a href="https://twitter.com/DDemonFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DDemonFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKelleyLee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachKelleyLee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coacholney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coacholney</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachDaPrato?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachDaPrato</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/osoukup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@osoukup</a>— Cj Granados (@cj_granados10) <a href="https://twitter.com/cj_granados10/status/1987334482853257440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>

CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW