Look Ahead: Most Intriguing Non-District Games In 6A (Part 2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the NMAA reorganized New Mexico high school football in December, Class 6A was divided into two eight team districts. Thus, every team in 6A will play seven district games and three non-district games in 2026 (and 2027, as well). Most teams have scheduled their non-district games for August and early September prior to diving into district play. Here are 5 more non-district games involving Class 6A teams that have caught our eye:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Artesia at Centennial (Sept. 3)</strong>: These two teams close out their non-district schedules with a whopper of a Thursday Night Throwdown at Field of Dreams. These two teams just completed a home-and-home series in 2024-25 and renewed the contract for 2026-27. Good move. The Hawks won&nbsp; a shootout at the Bulldog Bowl in 2025, and we could see the same fireworks this time around. Centennial QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604943' first='Ruiz' last='Laborin']</strong> has 6A Player of the Year potential. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sandia at Cibola (Aug. 20)</strong>: This game was already an attractive Week 1 Thursday night season opener but it just got more riveting with former Atrisco Heritage standout WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155114' first='Deon' last='Session']</strong> transferring to Sandia. The Matadors have an elite QB in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594010' first='Jahleel' last='Lewis']</strong> and Session joins a long list of weapons around him. Sandia will be a fun team to watch this season. I'm sure Cibola head coach David Howes, a defensive wizard, will have something cooked up for the Matadors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lovington at Carlsbad (Sept. 4)</strong>: Two of the top defensive players in the entire state square off in this intriguing 6A-4A battle. Carlsbad LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1248663' first='Colton' last='McKibben']</strong> is a beast in the middle of the Cavemen defense with elite size, speed and strength. He's committed to UCLA. Lovington just added elite DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606138' first='Amryn' last='Wheeler']</strong>, who (according to his social media posts) transferred from Lea County rival Hobbs, to their already capable defensive forces.         </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alamogordo at Clovis</strong> <strong>(Aug. 28)</strong>: Both teams face daunting district schedules (Alamogordo moved to Class 5A under the NMAA's realignment in December), so this game is huge for both teams. And both teams have talent, too. The best battle could be between Clovis WR <strong>Ethan Gutierrez</strong> and speedy Alamogordo DB [player_tooltip player_id='1605059' first='Bryson' last='Bloom'], one of the top players at his position in the state.             </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hope Christian at Atrisco Heritage</strong> <strong>(Sept. 3)</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1155114' first='Deon' last='Session']'s decision to transfer to Sandia takes a little of the steam out of this game, but it remains a matchup of elite wide receivers. Hope Christian WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605990' first='Darrien' last='Williams']</strong> proved last season and again during camping season in June that he's one of the top pass catchers in the Albuquerque Metro Region. College coaches are certainly taking notice. New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico have offered. Despite losing Session, Atrisco Heritage still has <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272752' first='J'ven' last='Smith']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1642384' first='Jude' last='Maldonado']</strong> at receiver, a talented young QB in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1362443' first='Izaiah' last='Casaus']</strong> and a huge offensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Getting better everyday! Can't wait to be back out on that field! <a href="https://x.com/Angrybirdfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Angrybirdfb</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_TSanchez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_TSanchez</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachYost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachYost</a> <a href="https://x.com/Beau_Davidson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beau_Davidson</a> <a href="https://x.com/CanaanYarro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanaanYarro</a> <a href="https://t.co/9JnYsNQj7n">pic.twitter.com/9JnYsNQj7n</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1604943' first='Ruiz' last='Laborin'] (@Ruiz_J_Laborin) <a href="https://x.com/Ruiz_J_Laborin/status/2056432753147551849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Junior Year Highlights <br>2083 Passing Yards<br>22 Passing TDs<br>358 Rushing Yards<br>7 Rushing TDs<br>7 ints<br>(2441 Total Yards &amp; 29 Total TDs)<a href="https://x.com/tony_mccoy3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tony_mccoy3</a> <a href="https://x.com/coachwilder0917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachwilder0917</a> <a href="https://x.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://x.com/Coach_Avina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Avina</a> <a href="https://x.com/CoachCala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachCala</a> <a href="https://x.com/_CoachElliott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_CoachElliott</a> <a href="https://x.com/_CoachPowell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_CoachPowell</a> <a href="https://t.co/kRlHEieuJ3">pic.twitter.com/kRlHEieuJ3</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1594010' first='Jahleel' last='Lewis'] (@JahleelLewis1) <a href="https://x.com/JahleelLewis1/status/1987357536132194488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/WBlqE5lHse">https://t.co/WBlqE5lHse</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1248663' first='Colton' last='McKibben'] (@COLTONMCKIBBEN9) <a href="https://x.com/COLTONMCKIBBEN9/status/1994828471261085789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highlights from my junior season. Still got a lot to prove. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/trustthegrind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trustthegrind</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/football?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#football</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/footballrecruiting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#footballrecruiting</a> <a href="https://x.com/ENMUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ENMUFootball</a> <a href="https://x.com/NMHUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NMHUFootball</a> <a href="https://x.com/NMStateFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NMStateFootball</a> <a href="https://x.com/nmmibroncos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmmibroncos</a> <a href="https://t.co/ntBLDtbM1r">https://t.co/ntBLDtbM1r</a></p>&mdash; Ethan Gutierrez (@gutierrez_24374) <a href="https://x.com/gutierrez_24374/status/1988328777223680261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Had a great time at the Prep Redzone NM showcase this weekend<br><br>Longest broad jump at the camp, 9'10<br> <a href="https://t.co/TH2dzkWgRW">pic.twitter.com/TH2dzkWgRW</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1605990' first='Darrien' last='Williams'] (@darrien_will23) <a href="https://x.com/darrien_will23/status/2061916748610417086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>            </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->