Week 11 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games and Fun Stuff

Week 11 of the 2025 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our eleventh and final regular season edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our comprehensive deep dive into everything that happened on the field. Enjoy!   Teams of the Week: Las Cruces (6A), Roswell (5A), Taos (4A), Pojoaque Valley (3A), Eunice (2A).   Las Cruces (10-0) completed an unbeaten regular season with a 31-21 victory over rival Centennial at Field of Dreams. The Bulldawgs won their first outright district championship since 2019. Las Cruces QB [player_tooltip player_id='853029' first='Gunnar' last='Guardiola'] threw for 2 TD and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1137388' first='Daniel' last='Amaro'] ran for 2 scores, including a 57-yarder in the third quarter, to spark the offense. Las Cruces drove 88 yards for a TD in the final 7 minutes of the second quarter to take a 21-7 halftime lead. After allowing an early TD to Centennial, the Bulldawgs defense forced three Hawk turnovers.   Players of the Week: Sandro Cordova, Clovis (6A);  [player_tooltip player_id='1751388' first='Ethan' last='Morales'], Gadsden (5A); [player_tooltip player_id='1155208' first='Mateo' last='Manley']-Griego, Moriarty (4A); David Dumas, Hatch Valley (3A); [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'], Eunice (2A).   Gadsden QB [player_tooltip player_id='1751388' first='Ethan' last='Morales'] completed 9-of-11 passes for 289 yards and 4 TD in the Panthers' 27-7 victory over Deming. Gadsden earned the No. 6 seed in the 5A playoffs, while Deming is the No. 12 seed.   Eunice QB [player_tooltip player_id='854273' first='Elijah' last='Melancon'] surpassed the 10,000-yard career passing plateau by throwing for 366 yards and 7 TD on 25-of-28 passing to lead the Cardinals to a resounding 62-13 rivalry victory over Jal. Melancon now has 10,278 career passing yards and 148 career TD passes heading into the playoffs. Eunice is the NO. 3 seed for the 2A playoffs.        Best Team Offensive Performance: Moriarty. The Pintos are renowned for their triple option/Wing-T power rushing attack. Against Kirtland Central, Moriarty rushed for close to 400 yards and had THREE ball carriers eclipse 100 yards – [player_tooltip player_id='1155208' first='Mateo' last='Manley']-Griego (156 yards on 10 carries), [player_tooltip player_id='1606046' first='Mario' last='Romero'] (137 yards on 17 carries) and [player_tooltip player_id='1606079' first='Royce' last='Dennisson'] (104 yards on 9 carries). That trio combined for seven rushing touchdowns. The Pintos averaged 11.0 yards per carry. Moriarty hosts Portales in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.         Best Team Defensive Performance: Raton.   Best Game: Piedra Vista 17, Farmington 14. After a short punt gave them ideal field position, Piedra Vista booted a 25-yard field goal in the final seconds to beat local rival Farmington, 17-14, and retain the Milk Jug Trophy. The Panthers secured a berth in the 6A playoffs and are the No. 9 seed. Caiden Fortney returned the opening kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to give Piedra Vista an early 7-0 lead. After that, the game became a defensive struggle. Farming went ahead 14-7 on a 45-yard TD pass from junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1680067' first='Rock' last='Kalcich'] to sophomore WR [player_tooltip player_id='1826019' first='Canton' last='Cahoon'] in the third quarter and a 29-yard TD scramble by Kalcich early in the fourth quarter. But Piedra Vista tied the score at 14-14 on QB Amasi Greigo's 43-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter. Griego stepped in for the Panthers when injuries depleted their QB corps.      Best Rivalry Win: Cleveland 49, Rio Rancho 14. Cleveland beat its City of Vision rival for the 12th straight time, jumping out to a 28-0 lead in the opening 16 minutes and cruising home from there. UNM commit [player_tooltip player_id='851903' first='Jacob' last='Maldonado'] scored three TD for the Storm – two receiving and one rushing. RB Sammy Bustillos rushed for 90 yards and 1 TD on 9 carries. LB Karson Weddle had a back-breaking Pick-6 in the 3rd quarter. The Storm outgained Rio Rancho, 182-72, on the ground.          Sophomore of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1826036' first='Luis' last='Rodriguez'], Roswell. After starting the season on the Roswell JV team, Rodriguez has emerged in the second half of the season as one of the top young running backs in the state. Against Goddard, he rushed for 197 yards and 1 TD on 15 carries to spark the Coyotes past the Rockets, 35-21, at the Wool Bowl. Roswell is the #2 seed in the Class 5A playoffs behind Artesia.              Freshman of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='1581314' first='Kingston' last='Lee'], Portales. Lee was fantastic in a losing effort against Chaparral as he completed 28-of-37 passes and threw 4 TD in the Lobos' 33-28 victory. Saturday night, Chaparral earned a top four seed while Portales is the No. 11 seed and travels to Moriarty for a 1st round game.        Class 6A Roundup: In the highest scoring game of Week 11, Eldorado won a 70-43 shootout over Atrisco Heritage. The win lifted the Eagles into the 6A playoffs as the No. 12 seed. Atrisco Heritage QBs Tommy Gallegos and [player_tooltip player_id='1362443' first='Izaiah' last='Casaus'] combined for 420 yards and 6 TD on 22-of-47 passing. . .Hobbs secured a top four seed with a 31-13 victory over Carlsbad. The Eagles led, 17-7, at halftime before pulling away in the second half. . .La Cueva QB [player_tooltip player_id='1183085' first='Monty' last='Melendez'] completed 15-of-19 passes for 247 yards and 2 TD to lead the Bears to a district-clinching 51-3 victory over Albuquerque High. . .Los Lunas routed Sandia, 57-7, to claim second place in District 6A-2. LB [player_tooltip player_id='1606069' first='Brad' last='Mallory'] had 12 tackles, 4 QB hurries and a 76-yard fumble return for a TD. . .Volcano Vista beat Cibola, 35-7, to head into the playoffs on a positive note after consecutive losses to Rio Rancho and Cleveland. . .In a battle of two teams that didn't make the 6A playoffs, West Mesa edged Santa Fe, 34-30. . .In another battle between two teams that didn't make the playoffs, Clovis outlasted Alamogordo, 48-43. Clovis QB Sandro Cordova threw for 146 yards and 2 TD, rushed for 2 TD and totaled 189 yards for Clovis. [player_tooltip player_id='1605059' first='Bryson' last='Bloom'] and Nathaniel Best combined for 401 rushing yards for Alamogordo.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Bears are your district 2-6A football champions. They had a decisive win this afternoon. Way to go Fellas!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WALC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WALC</a> <a href="https://t.co/8zvJgzhO7S">pic.twitter.com/8zvJgzhO7S</a>— Melanie Tapia (@LCHS_MTapia) <a href="https://twitter.com/LCHS_MTapia/status/1984705100649201734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 5A Roundup: Artesia, the No. 1 seed in the 5A playoffs, routed Mayfield, 51-0, at the Bulldog Bowl. The Bulldogs made quick work of the Trojans, building a 34-0 lead after the first quarter. [player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'] had four rushing TD and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1672571' first='Derrick' last='Warren'] fired a 55-yard TD pass to [player_tooltip player_id='1750200' first='Jack' last='Byers'] in the opening 12 minutes. Artesia led, 48-0, at halftime and ended the game with a field goal in the third quarter. . . Lovington blanked Santa Teresa, 54-0, and earned a top four seed in the 5A playoffs. Freshman Jude Madrid led the Wildcats defense with 11 tackles + 1 forced fumble. . .Belen secured second place in District 5A-1 with a hard-fought 22-14 win over Capital. Elite Eagles dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604925' first='Gonzalo' last='Cano'] rushed for 142 yards and threw for 115 to lead the Belen offense. . .Highland earned a first-round home playoff game by walloping Del Norte, 48-14. The Hornets unleashed their powerful rushing attack, which totaled 394 yards on just 32 carries. [player_tooltip player_id='1137423' first='Jose' last='Tapia'] led the way with 184 yards and 3 TD on just 11 carries, while sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1688720' first='William' last='Anchondo'] had 122 yards on 7 carries. . . Los Alamos RB [player_tooltip player_id='1604744' first='Jordan' last='Herrera'] capped a sensational junior season by rushing for 259 yards and 4 TD on 30 carries to lift Los Alamos to a 42-10 victory over Miyamura. The unbeaten Hilltoppers earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 5A playoffs. Going into the playoffs, Herrera is the state's top rusher by a wide margin with 2,019 yards and 32 TD on 217 carries. . .Valley earned a 5A playoff berth by beating Rio Grande, 28-14. The Ravens led, 6-0, early in the second quarter when a Valley interception flipped momentum. The Vikings scored two TD to take a 15-6 halftime lead.   Class 4A Roundup: Bloomfield sealed the No. 1 seed in the 4A playoffs with a 50-0 single half mercy rule win over Grants. Bobcats QB Manual Chavarria completed 12-of-14 passes for 248 yards and 5 TD. Bloomfield outgained Grants, 374-28, in 24 minutes of football. . .St. Pius X (8-1, 5-1) secured the No. 2 seed for the 4A playoffs with a 49-28 victory over Manzano. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter'] completed 11-of-17 passes for 271 yards and 1 TD while elite RB [player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'] rushed for 212 yards on 17 carries. WR [player_tooltip player_id='1154956' first='Cayl' last='Cox-Liggins'] caught 7 passes for 122 yards. . .Albuquerque Academy closed out the regular season with a convincing 34-0 win over Valencia. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun'] threw for 209 yards on 9 completions and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1605074' first='Logan' last='Hague'] had 6 receptions for 153 yards. The victory helped Albuquerque Academy secure the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. Valencia lost four of its final five games but squeezed into the 5A playoffs as the No. 12 seed. . .Taos earned the No. 4 seed in the 4A playoffs with a 27-7 road victory over Bernalillo. . .Espanola Valley scored seven touchdowns in the first half to take a commanding 42-0 lead into halftime against Aztec before ending the game with two more TDs in the third quarter for the 55-0 win. Sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id='1715054' first='Cody' last='Trujillo'] completed 14-of-23 passes for 210 yards and connected with five different receivers on TD passes.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Great group of Seniors! <a href="https://t.co/78RohgVVZr">pic.twitter.com/78RohgVVZr</a>— David Lee: HC Albuquerque Academy (@1209dlee) <a href="https://twitter.com/1209dlee/status/1984686237278748745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 3A Roundup: Looking to boost their chances of hosting a playoff game, Pojoaque Valley edged West Las Vegas, 19-16. The win paid off as the Elks earned a top four seed in the 3A playoffs. The game was tied 7-7 when Pojoaque Valley passed for a TD late in the second quarter for a 13-7 halftime lead. WLV rallied with a safety and passing TD to take a 16-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Elks scored the game-winning TD with about two minutes left. . .Dexter trounced Socorro, 50-0, and earned the #2 seed in the 3A playoffs. . .In the renewal of one of the top rivalries in northern New Mexico, unbeaten St. Michael's (10-0) won its 30th straight game with a 40-6 win over Robertson. The Horsemen are the No. 1 seed for the 3A playoffs. . .Gallup (5-5) finished the season on a high note with a 40-20 victory over Shiprock. Bengals QB Tristan Garcia completed 13-of-21 passes for 213 yards and 3 TD, while RB Jeremias Cleveland rushed for a season-high 105 yards and 1 TD on 14 carries and Jayson Bruner scored 3 TD, one on an 80-yard punt return. Despite the win, Gallup failed to earn a berth in the 3A playoffs. . .Tohatchi beat Zuni, 26-6, in the final game for both teams. . .Hatch Valley got 157 rushing yards on 20 carries from David Dumas and 106 receiving yards from [player_tooltip player_id='854307' first='Demarcus' last='Alaniz'] in a 26-20 victory over Ruidoso. Hatch Valley is the #9 seed for the 3A playoffs. . .Thoreau (9-1, 6-0) celebrated its district title with a lopsided 60-6 victory over Crownpoint. . .Hot Springs mercy-ruled Cobre, 50-0, as QB [player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker'] threw for 153 yards and 4 TD and RB [player_tooltip player_id='854288' first='Tristan' last='Polanco'] rushed for 78 yards and caught 4 passes for 118 yards. . .NMMI (6-4, 4-2) concluded the regular season with a 35-27 victory over El Paso (TX) Cathedral.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">St. Michael's HC Joey Fernandez talks to his team following the win over rival Robertson. <a href="https://t.co/FhU8Gt8XbF">pic.twitter.com/FhU8Gt8XbF</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1984734422927884315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote>   Class 2A Roundup: Legacy Academy (9-1, 5-0) won the District 2A-2 title with a 6-0 victory over Santa Rosa Thursday night at Bernalillo HS. Silverbacks WR [player_tooltip player_id='1600110' first='Bryant' last='Scales'] scored the game's only points early in the second quarter with a TD reception from QB [player_tooltip player_id='1600087' first='Lorenzo' last='Sedillo-Urban']. Legacy Academy rushed for 157 yards on 28 carries. Raton (6-4, 4-1) finished second in the district ahead of Santa Rosa (8-2, 3-2), which lost its final two games after an 8-0 start. . .Raton (6-4, 4-1) routed Estancia, 54-13, as [player_tooltip player_id='1604784' first='Cael' last='Walton'] rushed for 138 yards and 2 TD on 12 carries. Freshman Braylon Walton quarterbacked the Tigers and completed 6-of-7 passes for 96 yards and 1 TD. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1680201' first='Luciano' last='Castillo'] had 152 total yards, including a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD. Freshman Harlem Corley had a fumble return for a TD. Raton scored four different ways. . .QB [player_tooltip player_id='1343408' first='Bennett' last='Wahlen'] returned for Texico as the Wolverines locked up the No. 1 seed in Class 2A with a 53-0 victory over Tularosa. Wahlen threw for 156 yards on just 4 completions. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1613755' first='Cross' last='Figg'] threw a 56-yard pass, rushed for 57 yards and caught 3 passes for 118 yards. . .Hozho Academy secured the District 2A-1 title and earned a top four seed in the 2A playoffs with a 42-14 road win over McCurdy. . .Overcoming 211 rushing yards on a staggering 52 carries by Newcomb senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1600856' first='Landon' last='Noble'] and an opening 18-play, 11:48 drive by the Skyhawks in the first quarter, Navajo Prep rallied for a 30-22 victory that eventually helped the Eagles secure the No. 8 seed in the 2A playoffs. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1600887' first='LeVaughn' last='Jim'] ran for two TD in the second half for Navajo Prep. . .RB [player_tooltip player_id='1613423' first='Brez' last='Tiller'] rushed for 94 yards and 1 TD on 13 carries to lift Laguna Acoma (4-5, 2-3) to a 25-8 victory over Cuba. However, the win wasn't enough to get the Hawks into the Class 2A playoffs. . .Tucumcari rushed for 188 yards on just 17 carries in a 47-0 victory over Capitan. The Rattlers are the No. 11 seed in the 2A playoffs.   First Round Playoff Schedule (Nov. 7-8)   Friday, Nov. 7   Valencia at Albuquerque Academy, 1:30 p.m. (4A)   Jal at Navajo Prep, 5 p.m. (2A)   Piedra Vista at Los Lunas, 6 p.m. (6A)   Ruidoso at West Las Vegas, 6 p.m. (3A)   Cibola at Volcano Vista, 7 p.m. (6A)   Valley at Belen, 7 p.m. (5A)   Hot Springs at Thoreau, 7 p.m. (3A)   Tucumcari at Santa Rosa, 7 p.m. (2A)   Eldorado at La Cueva, 7 p.m. (6A)   Portales at Moriarty, 7 p.m. (7 p.m.)   Estancia at Loving, 7 p.m. (2A)   Capital at Gadsden, 7 p.m. (5A)   Mayfield at Highland, 7 p.m. (5A)   Manzano at Bernalillo,  7 p.m. (4A)     Sat., Nov. 8   Deming at Goddard, 1 p.m. (5A)   Silver at Grants, 1 p.m. (4A)   Hatch Valley at Robertson, 1 p.m. (3A)   Carlsbad at Rio Rancho, 1 p.m. (6A)   Tularosa at Raton, 2 p.m. (2A)   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Week 11 Scoreboard: Sat. 11/1 (Complete) La Cueva 51, Albuquerque 3 Los Lunas 57, Sandia 7 Volcano Vista 35, Cibola 7 St. Pius X 49, Manzano 28 Valley 28, Rio Grande 14 St. Michael's 40, Robertson 6 Hozho Academy 42, McCurdy 14 Espanola Valley 55, Aztec 0 <a href="https://t.co/u5yShcM9fJ">pic.twitter.com/u5yShcM9fJ</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1984784209911906811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Week 11: Friday Night Scoreboard<a href="https://twitter.com/warren12212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@warren12212</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tootiemcneil2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tootiemcneil2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GadsdenPanthers</a> <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/r9vcWWm7xZ">https://t.co/r9vcWWm7xZ</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1984632269043065035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thursday Night Throwdown: City of Vision Rivalry (Recap/Video)<a href="https://twitter.com/jakemaldonado08?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jakemaldonado08</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Kekoa1_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kekoa1_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Micah_Takahashi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Micah_Takahashi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanNanez5245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EvanNanez5245</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/samueIbustillos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@samueIbustillos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Imtheajaymay2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Imtheajaymay2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_Noah_Escudero?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_Noah_Escudero</a> Click to view the article!<a href="https://t.co/6OSneH8Nuf">https://t.co/6OSneH8Nuf</a>— Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1984631765546516955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Highlights from Centennial 21, Las Cruces 31 Bulldawgs win first district title since 2019 <a href="https://t.co/Sx4jeyQi5I">pic.twitter.com/Sx4jeyQi5I</a>— Nick Coppola (@Nick_Coppola__) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nick_Coppola__/status/1984494558793908276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote>

Week 11 of the 2025 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our eleventh and final regular season edition of the Weekly Whiparound, our comprehensive deep dive into everything that happened on the field. Enjoy!