November Madness: Class 6A Championship Game Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 6A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who</strong>: No. 1 Las Cruces (12-0) vs. No. 2 Cleveland (11-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What</strong>: Class 6A State Championship Game</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Where</strong>: Lightning Bolt Stadium, Rio Rancho, NM</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>When</strong>: Sat., Nov. 29, 1 p.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When these two teams met earlier this season in September, they gave us an instant classic won by Las Cruces on a last-minute touchdown, 38-34. Expecting the same late game drama in the state championship game is unrealistic, of course, but that contest demonstrated how close these two teams are in terms of talent, execution and coaching. There's no reason to believe this won't be another close, hard fought, down-to-the-wire affair. If it proves to be as exciting and dramatic as the regular season clash, we're in for a treat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The unbeaten Bulldawgs are the first team from Las Cruces to play in the state championship game since 2016. Their victory over La Cueva in the semifinals assured there wouldn't be a fourth straight state championship game between the Bears and Storm.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We've lived up to expectations and then some,” Las Cruces head coach Mark Lopez told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Our goal wasn't necessarily to be undefeated. We wanted to win the city championship, district championship and then be in position to win a state championship. Here we are. We've loved this group from day one, loved their character and loved their work ethic. These guys care about each other and how they sacrifice for each other. It's inspiring.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland is making their seventh consecutive appearance in the Class 6A state championship game. They've won four of the last five 6A titles. The Storm's roster is filled with players with championship game experience. Does that experience give the Storm an edge on Saturday?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I don't know if it gives us an edge, but it is nice to have guys who have been there before,” Cleveland head coach Robert Garza told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “You don't want the moment to be too big for them. It does help, but this is a new year, new team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garza said he and the Storm coaches have watched the film of the matchup with Las Cruces earlier this season “several times already since Saturday.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“There's a lot to take from that game, good and bad,” Garza said. “When you lose, there's always something you can tweak. We've grown as a team since that game. Ultimately, we're going to rely on our guys to come out and execute.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FOOTBALL: #2 Las Cruces upset #1 defending state champ Cleveland 38-34 on Friday night. Here are some of the highlights (courtesy NFHS network) <a href="https://twitter.com/LCPSnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCPSnet</a> <a href="https://t.co/hBJVlivYhL">pic.twitter.com/hBJVlivYhL</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1966714282491719740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WHEN LAS CRUCES HAS THE BALL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is there a better offensive trio in the state that Bulldawgs senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola']</strong> (67.5 completion percentage, 24 TD passes), senior running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro']</strong> (1,843 rushing yards) and senior wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142363' first='Francisco' last='Winnikoff']</strong> (64 receptions)? Probably not. All three have the opportunity to play at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Guardiola is a three-year full-time starter at quarterback (he even started a couple of games as a freshman) and his leadership and productivity are top-notch. He's thrown just 2 interceptions this season in 230 pass attempts for an impressive 12-to-1 TD Pass-to-INT ratio. Simply, Guardiola doesn't get rattled and doesn't make mistakes. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It would be hard to say we've had a better offense here,” Lopez said. “The numbers speak for themselves. Gunnar does a great job managing what we do with all the motions and formations. He gets us in the right positions and snaps the ball at the right time and gets his eyes on the right spot. He's been in almost every situation you can think of. He's special. How well he handles the game mentally is incredible.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amaro is stocky, fearless and powerful. He can run inside and take (or initiate) contact or bounce outside and beat defenders to the perimeter. He is averaging 10.2 yards per carry and leads the state with 39 rushing TDs. Amaro is second in the state in rushing and first in rushing TDs. In fact, only one other RB has as many as 278 rushing TDs. When the Bulldawgs reach the red zone, they do the smart thing and hand the ball to Amaro. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272747' first='Jaxon' last='Alba']</strong> should get some carries Saturday as well in relief of Amaro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Daniel does it all,” Lopez said. “He's outstanding in pass protection too. He's very versatile. He can run or catch the football. He runs with power and speed. He's elusive. He's a complete back.” &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Winnikoff has enjoyed the best year of his career at wide receiver with 64 receptions for 1,248 yards and 12, all career highs. He's second in the state in receiving yards and should be No. 1 when Saturday's game is over. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672408' first='Jacob' last='Misquez']</strong> is a reliable No. 2 receiver. Senior <strong>Isaiah Borunda</strong> had multiple key receptions against La Cueva in the semifinals. Tight end <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680164' first='Diego' last='Lopez']</strong> is a weapon as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our receivers have stepped up in a huge way,” Lopez said. “We feel like we have four or five guys who can make a play at any time. That takes some of the heat off Francisco. Diego is a very versatile tight end and does a very good job in both the run game and passing game.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldawgs' offensive line consists of several first-years starters but they've done a remarkable job opening holes for Amaro and protecting Guardiola in the pocket. Their battle with Cleveland's elite defensive line is a matchup to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our offensive line has a lot of new starters but they've done a tremendous job,” Lopez said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland's D-Line is led by the dominant trio of DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1230420' first='Elijah' last='Richards']</strong> (UNM commit), DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599835' first='Riley' last='Haussler']</strong> and DT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671767' first='Eli' last='Powell']</strong>. The defensive leader is LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599859' first='Troy' last='Logan']</strong>. The senior-dominated secondary is filled with ballhawks such as <strong>Karson Weddle</strong>, who has a team high 6 interceptions. Historically, the Storm defense is extremely balanced and this year is no exception. Eleven players have 20+ tackles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“That's what we hang our hat on at Cleveland,” Garza said. “We take pride in playing team defense. We're never going to have a situation where one guy makes all the tackles. Everything is built to have guys work together. This year is no different. Most of the time, we have 10 seniors out on the field on defense. They have a lot of experience.” </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happy Las Cruces HC Mark Lopez speaks to his team following the Bulldawgs big win over La Cueva. Las Cruces is 12-0. <a href="https://t.co/1oA9S4rjPQ">pic.twitter.com/1oA9S4rjPQ</a></p>&mdash; Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1992091843576930462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WHEN CLEVELAND HAS THE BALL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland has an experienced quarterback as well in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch']</strong>. He took over the Cleveland offense in 2023 as a sophomore. Since then, all the key numbers have increased every year – completions, passing yards, passing yards per game, completion percentage and touchdown passes. In 39 career games, he's thrown for 87 TD with just 14 interceptions. This season, he's completing 75.1 percent of his passes for 2,808 yards and 39 TD.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Jordan has done exactly what he should do,” Garza said. “He's a year wiser. We went with an entirely new offense last year and now he has two season with it under his belt. He's grown as a person and player.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600936' first='Samuel' last='Bustillos']</strong>, who didn't play in the first meeting against Las Cruces earlier this season due to injuries, doesn't get the same notoriety as Amaro but he's a solid running back. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599859' first='Troy' last='Logan']</strong> is often utilized in the red zone, which is why he has 7 rushing TD on just 26 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Sammy is a tough kid,” Garza said. “He runs hard. He gets us the tough yards.” &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The wide receiver duo of UNM commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado']</strong> and sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613490' first='Evan' last='Nanez']</strong> is arguably the best in the state. Maldonado excels at making difficult &nbsp;catches look easy while Nanez brings blazing speed and athleticism. Hands down, he's the Breakout Player of the Year in Class 6A. Nanez has 49 receptions for 977 yards and 15. He's also a dynamic kick returner as we&nbsp; saw again in Saturday's semifinal rout of Hobbs when he had a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1651252' first='Ajay' last='Vigil']</strong> is underrated for the things he can do as receiver.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The secret is out on Evan,” Garza said. “He can play. He's as dynamic a football players as any in the state. He's explosive and catches the ball well. Ajay is very underrated. When he has the ball in his hands, he's slippery and can make things happen. He makes the big catch at the right time.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland's offensive line is led by three seniors who will play at the next level: Utah commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851862' first='Moses' last='Sparks']</strong> (LT), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671759' first='Nathaniel' last='Gutierrez']</strong> (RT) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671762' first='Damion' last='Lopez']</strong> (C). &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The underrated Las Cruces defense is led by the phenomenal junior linebacker duo of MLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606042' first='Denton' last='Walter']</strong> (186 tackles) and SAM/Nickel <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606076' first='Hunter' last='Parmeter']</strong> (163). Walter relentlessly attacks opposing backfields as seen by his 19.0 TFL, 7.0 sacks and 18 QB hurries. Both are back next season. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266523' first='Isaac' last='Gomez']</strong> is a next level talent at defensive back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Inside our house, we know how good our defense is,” Lopez said. “Obviously, we go against them every day in practice. Our defense is very sound. We have some playmakers on that side of the ball. We're very physical. We fly around. Our defensive coaches have done a great job bringing that defense along. We started running a new system last year and got better at it this year. Denton is a stud. He's physical, long and athletic. He's very instinctive in how he plays.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Regular season highlights/stats❗️<br>144 Carries 1,514 yds<br>10.51 avg per carry <br>18 receptions 359 yds <br>2,097 all purpose yds <br>36 Touchdowns <br>⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/mjlopezdawgs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjlopezdawgs</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/LCHSFOOTBALL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCHSFOOTBALL</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/ake4yKimw1">pic.twitter.com/ake4yKimw1</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] (@AmaroDaniel22) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmaroDaniel22/status/1986634668972871787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Grateful to be named <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanRivalry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmericanRivalry</a> Scholar Athlete! <a href="https://t.co/mnDAeAtBxz">pic.twitter.com/mnDAeAtBxz</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'] (@Kekoa1_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kekoa1_/status/1986272260844626126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highlights from semi-finals: 303 all-purpose • 172 REC yards • 6 Total TDS (5 receiving, 1 kick return)<br><br>Also broke the record for most receiving touchdowns in a game in VSCHS history! <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_RGarza?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_RGarza</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Ridenour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Ridenour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coach_crow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coach_crow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ColinLockett15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ColinLockett15</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_CoachElliott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_CoachElliott</a>… <a href="https://t.co/MmPeyMC5pG">pic.twitter.com/MmPeyMC5pG</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1613490' first='Evan' last='Nanez'] (@EvanNanez5245) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanNanez5245/status/1992698369832354272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->