Baker’s Dozen: Week 6 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 6 of New Mexico High School football season is here! Here are the top 13 games of Week 6, which we call the ‘Baker's Dozen.' District play has now started for most districts throughout the state. Big weeks for Districts 6A-2 and 4A-2. Here we go!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GAME OF THE WEEK</strong>: <strong>Centennial at Volcano Vista</strong> (Sat., 1 p.m., Community Stadium)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the best things the NMAA's realignment of high school football brought about was the creation&nbsp; of some fascinating first ever matchups. Ever since December, this Battle of the Hawks showdown has been highly anticipated. Coming into the game, the two teams are ranked No. 3 (Volcano Vista) and No. 5 (Centennial) on the MaxPreps' Class 6A ladder. Volcano Vista is unbeaten at 5-0 while Centennial's two losses have come to Cleveland and one of the top teams in El Paso.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2109033' first='Jude' last='Herrera']</strong> has been fantastic for Volcano Vista, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 16 TD while completing 63 percent of his passes in the first five games. Surrounding him are RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114576' first='Jude' last='Gonzales']</strong>, WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1608127' first='Aurelius' last='Wiley']</strong>, dynamic ATH <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679989' first='Isaiah' last='McCary']</strong> (recently offered by Eastern New Mexico) and WR <strong>Zion Ward</strong>. The Centennial defense is led by the LB duo of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606127' first='Izmael' last='Medina']</strong> (45 tackles) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2103708' first='Johnathon' last='Valenzuela-Chaires']</strong> (42, team-high 4.5 TFL and 4.0 sacks).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Centennial's offense features the talented trio of 6-foot-4, 220-pound QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604943' first='Ruiz' last='Laborin'] </strong>(864 passing yards, team-high 317 rushing yards), RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605033' first='Dailen' last='Ramirez']</strong> and WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679776' first='Andrew' last='Sandoval']</strong> (23 receptions). WR Gavin Woods has 20 catches. Ramirez, though, exited the Week 3 contest against Artesia late in the third quarter with an injury and did not play in Centennial's first two district games against Carlsbad and Clovis. We'll see if he's available on Saturday. Volcano Vista's defense has already posted three shutouts. Leading tackler <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613703' first='Aiden' last='Gonzales'] </strong>is one of the top DB/Nickels in the state and is attracting Power 4 interest. LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2079456' first='Ixavier' last='Hansen']</strong> knows how to wreak havoc with his team-high 7.0 TFL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/2102483952699412986","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/_NMAA/status/2102483952699412986 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Portales at St. Pius X (Sat.)</strong>: How big is this game in District 4A-2? The Rams and Sartans are the top two 4A teams in the latest MaxPreps rankings. Portales (4-1) ascended to the No. 1 spot by winning four straight games after a close Week 1 loss to West Las Vegas in which they failed to protect a two-score fourth quarter lead. Junior dual threat QB [player_tooltip player_id='1826226' first='Jacoby' last='Bamforth'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='1613398' first='Slade' last='Segovia'] are a fantastic backfield duo. The Rams defense will be tested by St. Pius X's prolific offense. The names are familiar to most folks: QB [player_tooltip player_id='1154948' first='Isaiah' last='Carpenter'], RB [player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1155012' first='Curtis' last='Flakes III']. And they win the trenches as well.        </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Valencia at Belen</strong>: Already fierce rivals, these teams are now district foes. Belen is one of handful of 5-0 teams left in the state. They've done it with an ultra-dynamic QB in [player_tooltip player_id='1604925' first='Gonzalo' last='Cano'], who's on pace for a second consecutive 1,000-1,000 yard season. He is supported by RB [player_tooltip player_id='2109801' first='Jeremiah' last='Lord'], who is coming off a 156-yard, 2 TD outing in Week 5. Win this game, and the stakes only get higher for the Eagles in future weeks. For Valencia, there's no better way to bounce back from last week's disappointing loss at Dexter with a win over a rival. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1604768' first='Santino' last='Mares'] headlines a run-dominated attack for the Jaguars.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eldorado at Las Cruces (Thur.)</strong>: Both teams are part of a four-way tie atop the District 6A-2 standings, making this the second of the two ‘big' games in the district this weekend. Both teams are coming off impressive wins. The Bulldawgs dispatched city rival Organ Mountain in Week 5 while Eldorado outlasted Hobbs in a weather-delayed game in Albuquerque. Both teams feature young, up-and-coming quarterback. Las Cruces QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2182154' first='Aldo' last='Gallegos']</strong> has emerged as an outstanding dual threat with nearly 600 rushing yards. Eldorado sophomore QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2178505' first='Landon' last='Smith']</strong> has an excellent arm and impeccable pocket presence.. How he deals with that dominant Las Cruces defense (28 points allowed in 5 games) is a key question. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Artesia at Alamogordo</strong>: Artesia opened district play with emphatic victories over Deming and Gadsden. Now they take on an Alamogordo team that edged Goddard at the Wool Bowl in Week 5. Artesia QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2246666' first='Lucas' last='Atkins']</strong> had his best game of the season last week against Gadsden, impressively completing 20-of-24 passes for 352 yards and 6 TD. If he continues to play at that high level, it will be difficult for the Tigers to win. Alamogordo's recipe for success is running the football. Junior RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2108925' first='Qymani' last='Patterson']</strong> has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/2102139844277502245","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/2102139844277502245 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bloomfield at Espanola Valley (Thur.)</strong>: Another intriguing Thursday night battle. Bloomfield (4-1) has shown few signs of slowing down after capturing consecutive Class 4A state championships in 2024-25. Sophomore QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114514' first='Wyatt' last='Babcock'] </strong>has already thrown for over 800 yards and leads the Bobcats in carries by a wide margin. The Bloomfield defense has allowed only 16 points in the last three games. Espanola Valley (3-1) has been a pleasant surprise. The Terrific Trujillo Twosome of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1715054' first='Cody' last='Trujillo']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606533' first='Benny' last='Trujillo']</strong> have led the way with their dynamic playmaker skills on both sides of the ball.       </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Goddard at Gadsden</strong>: Gadsden hoped to make a statement last week when they traveled to the Bulldog Bowl to face Artesia. It didn't happen. Now the Panthers look to rebound against Goddard, a team whose first half of the season was defined by close losses, including Week 5's OT loss at home to Alamogordo. Rockets' QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1667558' first='Nate' last='Vazquez']</strong> has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 9 YD. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2252668' first='Bryant' last='O'Mera']</strong> is emerging as a reliable WR. Gadsden scored 51+ points in each of its first four games before running into the Artesia defense last week. Sophomore QB <strong>Rosalio Gomez Jr.</strong> distributes the ball nicely to the Panthers' playmakers. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chaparral at Roswell</strong>: Will the real Chaparral please stand up. The Lobos started 3-0, including an impressive road win in El Paso, but have struggled the past two weeks against District 5A-2 rivals<strong>. [player_tooltip player_id='1155082' first='Raul' last='Lopez']</strong> is a very underrated running back with close to 750 yards rushing. Roswell's offense has been lighting up the scoreboard. The Coyotes have scored 37+ points in every game this season. The trio of QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1853724' first='Andruw' last='Fuentez']</strong> (1,343 passing yards), RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1826036' first='Luis' last='Rodriguez']</strong> (504 rushing yards) and WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2103749' first='Izaic' last='Gonzales']</strong> (42 receptions) ranks among the best in the state. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sandia at West Mesa</strong>: Sandia (4-0) is still unbeaten with hopes of winning the district title. If the Matadors win, it will likely create a Battle of Unbeatens in Week 7 between Sandia and Cleveland. Blessed with an array of offensive weapons, the Matadors have scored 42+ points in all four games this season. First and foremost, they want to run the football. West Mesa's season has been a rollercoaster with victories over Valley and Highland and lopsided losses to St. Pius X and La Cueva. Moreover, QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1684430' first='Jericho' last='Brody']</strong> is sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in Week 2. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Santa Fe at Piedra Vista</strong>: A vital game in District 5A-1. MaxPreps has Piedra Vista at No. 2 in their latest 5A rankings. The Panthers opened district play with lopsided victories over Los Alamos and Miyamura. If they beat the Demons, they become the frontrunners (if they aren't already) to win the district title. It would also set up a likely showdown with Los Lunas on Oct. 16. Panthers QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2104394' first='Reuban' last='Marquez']</strong> is underrated. Santa Fe showed against Clovis and Highland that they have some offensive weapons. Now they're looking to bounce back from last week's home loss to Los Lunas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Santa Rosa at Estancia</strong>: Intriguing Class 2A cross-district battle between two teams that both love to run the football. Estancia sophomore QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2114509' first='Devon' last='Chavez']</strong> is electric. He had a season-high 355 yards rushing and 4 TD in last week's thrilling win over Raton. He's the state's leading rusher with close to 1,000 yards in 5 games. Santa Rosa employs the Wing-T. The Lions ground game is led by senior RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605069' first='Preston' last='Muniz']</strong>, who has 751 yards rushing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kirtland Central at West Las Vegas</strong>: Hidden in the northern New Mountains, West Las Vegas (5-0) looks to stay unbeaten. The Dons' secret is they have a lot of guys contributing on both sides of the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2108830' first='Fiddel' last='Herrera']</strong> is a name you need to know. Kirtland Central is trying to prove they can compete with the top teams in District 3A-1. A win here would go a long ways towards achieving that goal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pojoaque Valley at Robertson</strong>: Critical game in District 3A-1. If Pojoaque Valley wins, it would set up a possible Week 9 showdown against West Las Vegas. Robertson is 2-1 in the district, but has already lost to St. Michael's. So the Cardinals must keep winning  and hope two teams knock off the Horsemen to have a chance at the district title. Outstanding QB duel between Pojoaque Valley's  <strong>Josh Gonzales</strong> and Robertson's 6-foot-5 signal caller <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155256' first='Nathan' last='Gonzales']</strong>. Pojoaque beat Robertson for the first time ever last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/2102484038653292804","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/_NMAA/status/2102484038653292804 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BEST OF THE REST</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Farmington at Rio Rancho</strong>: With games against La Cueva, Sandia and Cleveland still left on their schedule, this game is a must-win for Rio Rancho (2-2).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>La Cueva at Albuquerque High</strong> <strong>(Sat.)</strong>: La Cueva looks to bounce back from the loss to Cleveland.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Organ Mountain at Hobbs</strong>: Both teams fell in Week 5. In fact, they're both carrying two-game losing streaks, making this a must-win for both teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clovis at Carlsbad</strong>: Both teams are looking for their &nbsp;first wins in district play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grants at Valley</strong>: Valley is one of three 2-0 teams in District 4A-1. Grants is 1-1 after last week's shutout loss at home.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tucumcari at Tularosa</strong>: Intriguing 2A matchup. Tucumcari's [player_tooltip player_id='1684748' first='Jermy' last='Jones'] and Tularosa's [player_tooltip player_id='1155336' first='Kade' last='Lockner'] are two talented players flying under the radar. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cobre at Jal</strong>: Cobre (4-1) aims to keep their solid season going. They already have more wins in 2026 than the previous two seasons combined. Jal comes off two consecutive games against West Texas opponents. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Los Alamos at Highland</strong>: Both teams like to run the ball and have talented running backs toting the football. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dexter at NMMI</strong>: Dexter will set the stage for a Week 7 showdown against district rival Texico if they win this one. They are the top two ranked teams in 2A by MaxPreps. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Crownpoint at Santa Fe Indian</strong>: SFIS is looking for their fourth win of the season after three consecutive 1-9 campaigns. Impressive turnaround by the Braves. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/2102484133717119384","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/_NMAA/status/2102484133717119384 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER GAMES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atrisco Heritage at Cleveland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cibola at Capital</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Deming at Mayfield</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Teresa at Albuquerque Academy (Sat.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Del Norte at Taos</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rio Grande at Manzano</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miyamura at Los Lunas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Navajo Prep at Hozho Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aztec at Gallup</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCurdy at Hot Springs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cuba at Legacy Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laguna Acoma at Raton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shiprock at Tohatchi</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newcomb at Zuni</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NEW MEXICO VS. THE WORLD</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stratford (TX) at Texico</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lamesa (TX) at Eunice</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Capitan at Anthony (TX)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2414312,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/qqqqqqHS6zFiYbUAAlSqA.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-2414312" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/2102484228164469192","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/_NMAA/status/2102484228164469192 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/2102484305104793610","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/_NMAA/status/2102484305104793610 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->