Baker’s Dozen: Week 4 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 4 of New Mexico High School football season is here! Here are the top 13 games of Week 4, which we call the ‘Baker's Dozen.' District play begins for all eight-team districts in the state. Here we go! &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GAME OF THE WEEK</strong>: <strong>Las Cruces at Hobbs (Fri., 7 p.m. Watson Stadium)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The District 6A-2 battles begin with a bang with the Bulldawgs visiting Watson Stadium for a Blue Blood Battle. Las Cruces QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2182154' first='Aldo' last='Gallegos']</strong> has handled the pressure of his new job well, showing off his running ability in the first three games with 375 rushing yards on 50 carries. The first three games for Hobbs have all been decided by four points or less. The last two have been decided by a single point. Eagles QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605057' first='Junior' last='Medrano']</strong> could be the most exciting offensive player in the state. He's well on his way to another 1,000-1,000 yards season. Both defenses feature elite players, as well. Bulldawgs LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606042' first='Denton' last='Walter']</strong> is a tackling machine. He's committed to the UNM Lobos.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Aldo_football/status/2097206847904301255","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/Aldo_football/status/2097206847904301255 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carlsbad at Centennial</strong>: Most of the best Week 4 games in the state are in the south, particularly District 6A-2. This matchup, like our Game of the Week, is a firecracker. The battle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606042' first='Denton' last='Walter']</strong> between the Centennial offense led by QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604943' first='Ruiz' last='Laborin']</strong> and the Carlsbad defense led by UCLA commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1248663' first='Colton' last='McKibben']</strong> is worth the price of admission and then some. But the Carlsbad offense led by QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2101127' first='Marley' last='Munoz']</strong> is very good as well. That's why the Cavemen are unbeaten at 3-0.       </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Albuquerque High at Sandia (Thur.)</strong>: Clearly the best game in the Albuquerque Metro Region in Week 4. Also one of the few games This week pitting a pair of unbeaten teams. Albuquerque High tied Eldorado two weeks ago. Sandia, coming off an exciting OT win over Eldorado, has one of the most explosive offenses in the state led by next level QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594010' first='Jahleel' last='Lewis']</strong>. Albuquerque High has a good QB &nbsp;as well with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2251173' first='Adam' last='Aguirre']</strong>. Bulldogs WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2108944' first='Liam' last='Smartt-Saunders']</strong> is underrated. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Moriarty at Silver</strong>: Both these teams want to play physical, run-dominated football. Moriarty might have the best rushing offense in the state. The Pintos already have over 1,000 rushing yards in 3 games led by senior RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606046' first='Mario' last='Romero']</strong>. Moriarty likes to spread the wealth. Silver QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114491' first='Kingston' last='Lee']</strong> is a dynamic dual threat and leads the Colts in rushing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chaparral at Goddard</strong>: Chaparral is 3-0 under first-year head coach Anthony Martinez. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155082' first='Raul' last='Lopez'] is</strong> an elite running back for the Lobos with 540 yards and 7 TD through the first three games. Goddard picked up a huge win last week at Los Lunas. <strong>Jose Cruz Porras </strong>is an underrated WR for the Rockets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/JosePorras81/status/2097830981965107346","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/JosePorras81/status/2097830981965107346 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dexter at Santa Rosa: </strong>An intriguing top 5 battle in Class 2A. Dexter is No. 3 in the latest MaxPreps rankings, while Santa Rosa is No. 5. Both teams are 2-1 and looking to establish themselves as title contenders. Dexter QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155032' first='CJ' last='Granados']</strong> is one of the most dynamic players in 2A. Santa Rosa thrives with their run-dominate offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605069' first='Preston' last='Muniz']</strong> is a name to know.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Raton at West Las Vegas (Thur.)</strong>: West Las Vegas is off to a sensational start at 3-0. Their wins over Portales and Dexter were close, hard-fought battles. <strong>Caydin</strong><strong>Encinias</strong> is a dynamic dual threat QB. Raton's offense is fueled by RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604784' first='Cael' last='Walton']</strong>, who already has nearly 500 rushing yards in three games. Then again, Walton and Ration are synonymous with running backs. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kirtland Central at St. Michael's</strong>: The Broncos are the latest team to take on the powerful Horsemen, whose defense has allowed only 6 points in three games. They've posted shutouts in the past two games. So, Kirtland Central's offense led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604919' first='Chance' last='Aspaas'] and RB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='1787853' first='Trenton' last='Salt'] will have its hands full. Will the Broncos snap St. Michael's 36-game winning streak. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highland at Santa Fe</strong>: Highland is another team that wants to run the football most of the time. The Hornets passed the ball just 10 times in the first three games. They also want to share the wealth. Santa Fe made this game more intriguing when they handled Clovis last weekend. The Demons are improving, but are still searching for a signature win. They've risen to No. 6 in the latest MaxPreps 5A rankings. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pojoaque Valley at Belen: </strong>This game came about when Wingate dropped football and Pojoaque Valley needed a game. It's a fantastic matchup between two dynamic dual threat quarterbacks: Pojoaque Valley's Josh Gonzales and Belen's [player_tooltip player_id='1604925' first='Gonzalo' last='Cano']. Belen is 3-0 and owns victories over a pair of 5A schools – Miyamura and Los Alamos. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Estancia at Tucumcari: </strong>Tucumcari started 2-0 but lost to Eunice in Week 3. Two of the top offensive skill position players in 2A square off: Estancia QB [player_tooltip player_id='2114509' first='Devon' last='Chavez'] and Tucumcari ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1684748' first='Jermy' last='Jones'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Mesa at La Cueva: </strong>When the season started, this game may not have offered much appeal. But West Mesa's dominant second half in their win over Highland last week flipped the script. The Mustangs may have found their mojo by running the football in the wake of QB [player_tooltip player_id='1684430' first='Jericho' last='Brody']'s shoulder injury. They'll likely keep running the football. La Cueva looks to rebound after consecutive losses to Palmer Ridge (CO) and Volcano Vista. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1183085' first='Monty' last='Melendez'] is having an outstanding season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Roswell at Alamogordo</strong>: Roswell has played three shootouts this season, winning two of the three. The QB-RB-WR trio of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1853724' first='Andruw' last='Fuentez']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826036' first='Luis' last='Rodriguez']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2103749' first='Izaic' last='Gonzales']</strong> is elite. Alamogordo's offense has struggled to score points after scoring 41 in Week 1. They were shutout last weekend at Organ Mountain. The Tigers are looking to bounce back. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BEST OF THE REST</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cleveland at Farmington</strong>: The Storm look to keep[ winning after consecutive wins over out-of-state teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eldorado at Organ Mountain</strong>: Will Organ Mountain move to 4-0? They'll have to beat an Eldorado team that's better than its 0-2-1 record. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clovis at Volcano Vista</strong>: Unbeaten Volcano Vista is flying high after last week's win over La Cueva.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Deming at Artesia</strong>: It's strange to see Artesia at 0-3, but district play starts now. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Piedra Vista at Los Alamos</strong>: Piedra Vista is ranked No. 2 in Class 5A by MaxPreps. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <strong>Bloomfield at Manzano</strong>: The two-time defending 4A champions come to Albuquerque. <strong> </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Thoreau at Aztec</strong>: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hatch Valley at NMMI</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/2097104600650367378","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/2097104600650367378 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER GAMES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mayfield at Gadsden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rio Rancho at Atrisco Heritage</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Portales at Santa Teresa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miyamura at Cibola</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bernalillo at Taos</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Capital at Los Lunas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gallup at Robertson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Del Norte at Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rio Grande at Grants</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hope Christian at Ruidoso</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hot Springs at Socorro</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tohatchi at Navajo Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newcomb at Crownpoint</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cobre at Cuba</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Fe Indian at Laguna Acoma</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hozho Academy at Shiprock</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tularosa at McCurdy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NEW MEXICO VS. THE WORLD</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lovington at Monahans (TX)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Texico at Ropes (TX)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Van Horn (TX) at Jal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Legacy Academy at Lubbock (TX) Trinity Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zuni at Sanders (AZ) Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->