Baker’s Dozen: Week 2 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 2 of New Mexico High School football season is here! Here are the top 13 games of Week 2, which we call the ‘Baker's Dozen.' Because many prominent teams are facing out-of-state opponents this weekend, this edition of Baker's Dozen looks&nbsp; a little different: &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GAME OF THE WEEK</strong>: <strong>Los Lunas at Rio Rancho (Fri., 7 p.m. Rams Stadium)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These teams had different results in two close, hard-fought low-scoring games in Week 1. Los Lunas made the trip to the Field of Dreams and knocked off Mayfield. If you don't know about <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2075776' first='Tayson' last='Gaxiola']</strong>, start doing your research. Gaxiola returned the opening kickoff for a touchdowns and then caught 8 passes for 175 yards and 2 TD. &nbsp;He scored all three of Los Lunas' touchdowns in the win at Mayfield. Standout LB [player_tooltip player_id='1606069' first='Brad' last='Mallory'] leads the Tigers defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even though Rio Rancho saw one of their elite defensive ends transfer to its chief rival, the Rams proved in Week 1 they can still stop people. They held Las Cruces to 14 points and had five players with double digit tackles, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114808' first='Angelo' last='Ortiz']</strong> with 19. The Rams defense had 9.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks and 13 QB hurries against the Bulldawgs. They played well enough to win. But the turnover-prone offense only scored 7 points. Everything here points to a low-scoring, physical battle. First team to 21 wins? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Artesia at Hobbs</strong>: Both teams are coming off hard-fought losses in Week 1. Artesia fell to Eddy County War rival Carlsbad at the Bulldog Bowl. The Bulldogs struggled to run the football, averaging less than 2.5 yards per carry (48 yards on 20 rushes). Defensively, they allowed 222 yards to Carlsbad. So, Artesia must improve on both sides of the ball in that area. You know the Hobbs' defensive coaches have been busy this week trying to get things fixed after the Eagles defense allowed close to 700 yards to Roswell in Week 1. Offensively, Hobbs is OK with dynamic QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605057' first='Junior' last='Medrano']</strong>, <strong>Jesse Nelson</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2255876' first='Bradan' last='Dunlap']</strong> and others. They just need to stop people.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/2091994561946292263","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/2091994561946292263 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Valencia at Grants</strong>: This game leaped up the board after both teams posted impressive Week 1 victories. Grants is No. 4 and Valencia is No. 6 in the new 4A MaxPreps rankings. Grants went on the road to 5A Miyamura and blanked the Patriots in front of their home crowd. Pirates DT <strong>Antonio Devargas</strong> is a force along the D-Line and in Week 1 he was joined by <strong>Matt Kuykendahl</strong>. Valencia mercy ruled Del Norte in Week 1. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604768' first='Santino' last='Mares']</strong> is a dangerous dual threat.    </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carlsbad at Goddard</strong>: Carlsbad wasn't lacking in optimism when the season started and it appears that belief was justified by Week 1's impressive Eddy County War win at Artesia. The Cavemen were fabulous on defense, blanking the Bulldogs for over two quarters before they scored. Offensively, Carlsbad relies on the dual threat skills of QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2101127' first='Marley' last='Munoz']</strong> and the power running of RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605005' first='Brock' last='Wright']</strong>. Goddard lost a hard-fought game at Lovington in Week 1. Dynamic QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1667558' first='Nate' last='Vazquez']</strong> leads the Rockets' offense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Farmington at Bloomfield</strong>: Game of the Year in the Four Corners? Perhaps. These two teams rarely square off on the gridiron. In fact, the last time they met during a full season was Week 11 in 2017. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114514' first='Wyatt' last='Babcock']</strong> debuted as Bloomfield's starting QB in Week 1 and he went out and threw for 271 yards against Clovis. Farmington is looking to bounce back after losing another rivalry game to Piedra Vista in Week 1. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pojoaque Valley at Moriarty</strong>: A classic speed vs. strength matchup. Pojoaque Valley isn't the biggest team at the offensive skill positions but the Elks' speed is impressive. They utilized that sped in a Week 1 win over Taos. Senior QB <strong>Josh Gonzales</strong> is tough to tackle as he showed in Week 1 when he had 254 yards rushing. Moriarty's run-dominated attack dares you to stop them. They don't do anything fancy. They just do it well. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dexter at West Las Vegas</strong>: Dexter comes north for an intriguing battle with the WLV Dons. Both teams won their openers, but in different ways. Dexter steamrolled Hozho Academy in Week 1, while WLV rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to stun Portales. Both teams have elite QBs. Dexter's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155032' first='CJ' last='Granados']</strong> is one of the top playmakers in the state. He has a talented supporting cast around him. WLV QB <strong>Cayden Encinias</strong> is a talented duel threat. The Dons showed some grit in Week 1? Can they do it again?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/DDemonFootball/status/2091020442022945058","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DDemonFootball/status/2091020442022945058 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Santa Fe at St. Michael's</strong>: St. Michael's has dominated the high school football scene in Santa Fe for a long time. The Horsemen carry a 34-game winning streak into the latest edition of the fiercest rivalry in the Capitol City. St. Michael's sits at No. 1 in the latest MaxPreps 3A ranking. RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2109755' first='Curtis' last='Valdez']</strong> (113 rushing yards vs. Capital) runs behind an experienced, senior-dominated O-Line. Santra Fe showed some spunk at Alamogordo last week before falling in a thriller.  Senior <strong>Manuel Pena</strong> is a solid QB.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Organ Mountain at Mayfield</strong>: When was the last time Organ Mountain was ranked in the 6A MaxPreps Top 10 this early in the season? The Knights earned their spot by virtue of an impressive Week 1 road win at Deming. The Knights are talented, so watch out. RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613370' first='Romeo' last='Jones']</strong> is healthy again and it showed in Week 1 when he had 177 rushing yards. Mayfield lost a tough battle to Los Lunas in Week 1. The Trojans defense was solid, allowing just two scores. The offense has some playmakers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alamogordo at Clovis</strong>: Alamogordo rose to No. 7 in the MaxPreps 5A rankings following Week 1's shootout win over Santa Fe. The Tigers found themselves trailing by double digits before rallying at home. Alamogordo loves to run the football. <strong>Nathaniel Cereceres</strong> had nearly 120 yards rushing against the Demons. Clovis fell to Bloomfield in a neutral site game in Week 1. Next level prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2246466' first='Ethan' last='Gutierrez']</strong> is a weapon for the Wildcats. He had 132 all-purpose yards against Bloomfield. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Portales at Espanola Valley</strong>: The Frank Galvan Era at Espanola Valley began on a very positive note with an impressive victory at Los Alamos. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606533' first='Benny' last='Trujillo']</strong>, one of the top players in northern New Mexico, had a big hand in the win. Portales looks to rebound from a tough loss to West Las Vegas in which they let a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter slip away. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114603' first='Donovan' last='Lucero']</strong> leads the Rams defense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Albuquerque Academy at Bernalillo</strong>: Albuquerque Academy rose to No. 3 in the 4A MaxPreps rankings after a solid victory over Manzano in the opener. The Chargers amassed 476 yards in total offense. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1369761' first='William' last='Braun']</strong> was flawless, completing 26-of-31 passes for 378 yards and 5 TD. He has an elite receiver in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605074' first='Logan' last='Hague']</strong>. Bernalillo's Goon Squad defense must play better than they did in the opener at Belen when they allowed 320 yards on the ground. Will FBS prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853757' first='Ulisses' last='Castro']</strong> play QB again for the Spartans? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Capitan at Santa Fe Indian</strong>: Based on the latest MaxPreps rankings following Week 1, this has become a Top 10 battle in Class 2A. Both teams are coming off impressive victories in Week 1. Led by sophomore RB <strong>Damian Kern</strong>, Capitan's balanced rushing attack was too much for Laguna Acoma in the opener. SFIS was led by RB <strong>Candido Trujillo</strong> (125 rushing yards, 3 TD) as they piled up 351 rushing yards in the win at Zuni.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/OrganMountainHS/status/2091306151254389128","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/OrganMountainHS/status/2091306151254389128 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BEST OF THE REST</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Albuquerque High at Eldorado</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sandia at Manzano</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gadsden at Capital (Sat., 2 p.m.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Deming at Silver (Battle of 180)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Legacy Academy at Hope Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Los Alamos at Taos</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Volcano Vista at Cibola</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robertson at Santa Rosa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Belen at Miyamura</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cobre at Hatch Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER GAMES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atrisco Heritage at Rio Grande</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Mesa at Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highland at Del Norte</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tularosa at Ruidoso</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tucumcari at Tohatchi</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Estancia at Hozho Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gallup at Navajo Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aztec at Cuba</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Socorro at Thoreau</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shiprock at Zuni</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2347244,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/08/778958105_1555609509356170_4577733912873776318_n.jpg?w=819" alt="" class="wp-image-2347244" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NEW MEXICO VS. THE WORLD</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 6A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Centennial at El Paso (TX) Andress</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>La Cueva at Monument (CO) Palmer Ridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Las Cruces at Dumas (TX)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Littleton (CO) Chatfield at Cleveland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 5A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chaparral at El Paso (TX) Mountain View</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Durango (CO) at Piedra Vista</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roswell at Amarillo (TX) Randall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 4A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>El Paso (TX) Irvin at Santa Teresa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lubbock (TX) Christian at Lovington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Pius X at Holtville (CA)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 3A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bayfield (CO) at Kirtland Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NMMI at El Paso (TX) Cathedral</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 2A&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eunice at Wink (TX)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lamar (CO) at Raton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Texico at Sudan (TX)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->