Week 8 Whiparound: Top Performances, Best Games and Fun Stuff

Week 8 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our eighth edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field over the past three days:   Teams of the Week: St. Michael's and Bloomfield. Both the Horsemen and Bobcats went on the road and posted impressive shutout victories against highly ranked opponents. In Las Vegas, St. Michael's bounced back from last week's one-point loss to West Las Vegas with a 21-0 victory over Robertson. The Horsemen broke a scoreless tie midway through the second quarter on [player_tooltip player_id='1119160' first='Soren' last='Annon']'s 4-yard rushing TD before increasing the lead in the second half on a 55-yard punt return. They sealed the deal with a 20-yard TD pass on fourth down with 3:43 left. Robertson was held to 15 yard rushing and 43 total yards in the first half.   Bloomfield made the long journey from the Four Corners to Silver City in SW New Mexico and blanked the Silver Colts, 28-0, for their 13th straight victory dating back to last season. After a scoreless first quarter, Bloomfield scored all the points they would need in the second quarter with three touchdowns. They added a fourth TD in the second half. WR [player_tooltip player_id='275042' first='Drew' last='Perez'] (10 receptions for 107 yards) caught three TD passes from QB [player_tooltip player_id='615635' first='Blake' last='Spencer'] (22-33, 255 yards). While the Bobcats offense got cranked up after a slow start, the defense stymied Silver all afternoon long and didn't allow the Colts to get much going.   Honorable Mention: Farmington; Valley; West Las Vegas.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1710868152584957986?s=20 </div></figure>   Player of the Week: [player_tooltip player_id='275376' first='Jett' last='Stone'], Clovis. With leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id='275303' first='Kash' last='Roberts'] unable to play due to an injury, Stone took the reins of the Clovis offense and held on tight, rushing for 296 yards and accounting for EIGHT touchdowns (6 rushing, 1 receiving, 1 passing) in the Wildcat's wild 62-42 victory over Santa Fe at picturesque Ivan Head Stadium. Stone now has 821 rushing yards and 13 TD through eight games, putting him on pace for a 1,000-yard rushing season. Operating the flexbone offense flawlessly, Clovis ran the ball 41 times for 440 yards against the Demons, averaging 10.7 yards per rushing attempt. Clovis (3-5 overall) is 2-0 in District 6A-5 and could be headed for another winner-take-all district championship game against Los Lunas (54-0 victory over Albuquerque High).            Honorable Mention: [player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton'] (Valley); Joaquin Candelaria (St. Pius X)         Best Team Offensive Performance: Farmington. The Scorpions rocked West Mesa in a surprisingly one-sided 49-7 rout at Hutchinson Stadium. Farmington QB [player_tooltip player_id='274791' first='Trel' last='Griego'] completed 18 of 21 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Scorpions built a 35-0 lead at intermission, leading to a running clock in the second half. Griego also ran for two TD in the first half. He added a pair of TD passes in the second half in what was a nightmare performance for West Mesa on both sides of the ball.     Honorable Mention: Clovis; Escalante; Las Cruces; Volcano Vista; Dexter; NMMI..   Best Team Defensive Performance: St. Pius X. Defending Moriarty's Wing-T/Triple Option offense is always challenging and some teams struggle with the task. St. Pius X (3-4), though, held Moriarty to a total of 40 yards rushing, minus-3 yards over the final 3-1/2 quarters after the Pintos' 10-play, 50-yard opening drive. Joaquin Candelaria rushed for 158 yards (105 in the second half) and 2 TD as the Sartans won, 24-14, in their final non-district contest. St. Pius X drove 99 yards on their final scoring drive.                  Honorable Mention: Farmington; Bloomfield; Centennial; St. Michael's, Rio Rancho.                       Best Game: Cobre 27, Tularosa 26. In an intriguing 3A/2A matchup, Cobre DB Eric Harrington intercepted a Tularosa pass with about 7 minutes to go with the Indians trailing, 26-21, and Cobre eventually converted the takeaway into a Niko Trujillo rushing touchdown a couple of minutes later for the game-winning points. Tularosa had opportunities to take the lead late but were denied by the Cobre defense. Tularosa rallied from 21-6 halftime deficit by scoring the first 20 points of the second half. Three failed 2-point conversion attempts by Tularosa proved the difference in the game.           Honorable Mention: Grants 28, Taos 27.      Artesia, Roswell Ready For Week 9 Battle: It's officially Artesia vs. Roswell Week. The two highest ranked teams in MaxPreps' statewide poll clash Friday night at the Wool Bowl in what will likely be the first of two meetings this season between the long-time rivals. Unless either team suffers an unexpected upset in the playoffs, expect the Bulldogs and Coyotes to meet for the 5A championship on Thanksgiving weekend. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. A huge crowd is expected Friday night in Roswell for the scheduled meeting during the regular season.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1709969512483995719?s=20 </div></figure>   Centennial, Las Cruces On Collision Course?: Centennial and Las Cruces are both 2-0 in District 6A-3 and appear headed towards a winner-take-all district championship game on Oct. 27. Centennial faces Carlsbad and Alamogordo in the next two weeks, while Las Cruces squares off with Organ Mountain and Carlsbad. Barring an upset, the Hawks and Bulldawgs will both be 4-0 in the district heading into the Oct. 27 clash.   Centennial handled Hobbs, 28-7, Friday night at the Field of Dreams. The Hawks took the opening kickoff and drove down the field for a QB [player_tooltip player_id='340297' first='Daniel' last='Hernandez'] rushing TD with 7:53 left in the 1st quarter. They added another TD in the second quarter on a 61-yard run by [player_tooltip player_id='1037108' first='Jesus' last='Barraza'] for a 14-0 halftime lead. Hobbs had just 56 yards of total offense in the first half and didn't score until late in the fourth quarter. Las Cruces traveled to Alamogordo and built a 28-0 lead over the Tigers early in the third quarter en route to an important 48-21 victory for the Bulldawgs.   In another game involving District 6A-3 schools, Carlsbad kept Organ Mountain winless with a 29-10 home win over the Knights. [player_tooltip player_id='590551' first='Ulysses' last='Mendoza'] rushed for 154 yards and 3 TD on 23 carries to keep his solid season going. He looks headed for a 1,000-yard season. Meanwhile, Mayfield whipped Santa Teresa, 53-0, in their final non-district game. The Trojans led, 21-0, after the first quarter and never looked back.   Focus On The Four Corners: Farmington's defense came up with one of its best performances of the season in a 49-7 victory over West Mesa at Hutchinson Stadium. [player_tooltip player_id='1118058' first='Alex' last='Serrano'] had two interceptions and a punt return for a TD for the Scorpions. . .Kirtland Central lost at Pagosa Springs (CO), 46-6, for their third straight setback. The Broncos begin district play in Week 9 against Bloomfield. . .Aztec had a bye. The Tigers face Gallup in Week 9 as District 4A-1 play begins.         Finally, This: While district rival Cleveland enjoyed a bye, Volcano Vista pounded winless Cibola, 60-14, as RB [player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales'] eclipsed the 150-yard rushing mark yet again with 3 TD. He also returned a kickoff for a TD. . .Rio Rancho opened play in District 6A-1 with a 37-14 victory over Atrisco Heritage. The Rams scored four touchdowns in the second half after a low-scoring first half (10-0 Rio Rancho lead), two scores each by RB [player_tooltip player_id='590563' first='Rayce' last='Ramirez'] (182 rushing yards on 26 carries) and QB J.J. Arellano. Atrisco Heritage QB [player_tooltip player_id='1021201' first='Landon' last='Griego'] passed for 227 yards, but the Rio Rancho defense made the Jaguars one-dimensional by allowing zero net rushing yards and 6 QB sacks. . .Valley RB [player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton'] rushed for 297 yards and 3 TD and the Vikings defense had two key interceptions in a wild 62-42 District 5A-2 victory over Manzano Saturday at Wilson Stadium. Valley snapped a two-game losing streak. Manzano WR [player_tooltip player_id='590686' first='Josh' last='Nieto'] had 13 catches for 244 yards in a losing effort. . .Los Lunas (6-2 overall, 2-0 district) continues to bludgeon opponents as the Tigers beat Albuquerque High, 54-0. Los Lunas led, 35-0, after the first quarter as [player_tooltip player_id='274795' first='Dominic' last='Trujillo'] returned the opening kickoff for a TD, RB Emi De la Torre rushed for a TD and [player_tooltip player_id='1137088' first='Kaiden' last='Reese'] ran for a TD for the first three scores. Los Lunas has won three straight games by the mercy rule, four overall this season.   While St. Michael's was blanking Robertson, West Las Vegas defeated Raton, 33-21, across town as junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='615555' first='CJ' last='Perea'] threw for 215 yards on 15-of-22 passing and the Dons' ground game churned out 204 yards on 36 carries. WLV is 2-0 in District 3A-2 and controls its own destiny. After a bye in Week 9, WLV hosts Santa Fe Indian School in Week 10 and travels to rival Robertson for a possible district deciding showdown in Week 11 (Sat. Oct. 28). . .Sandia (6-1) continued its possible program-changing season with a 33-14 district victory over Eldorado. The Matadors' offense came alive in the second half. [player_tooltip player_id='590746' first='Hunter' last='Maldonado'] rushed for 151 yards, 124 in the second half, to spark the Sandia offense. The Matadors' defense forced four turnovers by Eldorado. Sandia led by just one point, 7-6, at halftime before erupting for 26 points in the second half. Grayson Frederich turned a short pass into a 92-yard TD for Sandia early in the game. . .Highland traveled to northern New Mexico and beat Pojoaque Valley, 28-6, as QB [player_tooltip player_id='615426' first='Alex' last='Lopez'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='615425' first='Amiri' last='Mumba'] both rushed for two TD. The Hornets are 4-3 and begin district play in Week 9 at winless Belen.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ChasinGrayson80/status/1710842767646367789?s=20 </div></figure>   Valencia built a 27-0 lead in the second quarter and mercy-ruled Rio Grande, 52-0. . .NMMI improved to 6-2 overall (2-0 district) and seized control of District 3A-4 with a 55-14 victory over Ruidoso as [player_tooltip player_id='1119319' first='Cohen' last='Tomasits'] accounted for 145 all-purpose yards. NMMI's Week 9 matchup against Dexter (6-1, 1-0) will likely decide the district championship. Dexter decimated Hope Christian, 54-12, in Week 8. . .Hatch Valley is 4-3 going into district play after a 47-0 victory over Capitan. . .Hot Springs won its second straight game under first-year head coach Dennis Barnes, a hard-fought 24-18 victory over Mescalero Apache. Tigers QB [player_tooltip player_id='854288' first='Tristan' last='Polanco'] accounted for 141 yards and 2 TD. . .Santa Rosa (7-1) kept rolling in Class 2A with a 62-12 mercy-rule district victory over McCurdy. . .Eunice trounced Hagerman, 53-0, as senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='340325' first='Kevin' last='Garcia'] rushed for 157 yards and 2 TD. . .[player_tooltip player_id='592334' first='Ray' last='Long'] rushed for 111 yards and [player_tooltip player_id='1103794' first='Isaac' last='Bear Eagle'] threw for 135 more as Thoreau dominated Newcomb, 37-0. . .Hozho Academy (Gallup) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 35-0 victory over Cloudcroft. . .Defending 2A champion Jal prepared for Week 9's district showdown with Eunice with a 24-6 victory over Loving, which was held to minus-14 rushing yards on 20 carries. . .Gallup won its first game of the season, a 30-6 victory over Shiprock, snapping a 16-game losing streak dating back to last season.                                               Week 9 Top Games (Oct. 12-14)   Artesia at Roswell (Game of the Week)   Farmington at Sandia   Bernalillo at Lovington   West Mesa at La Cueva (Sat.)   Atrisco Heritage at Cleveland   Albuquerque Academy at Portales   Centennial at Carlsbad   Goddard at Mayfield   Raton at St. Michael's   Alamogordo at Hobbs   NMMI at Dexter   Silver at Grants   Espanola Valley at Taos   Jal at Eunice   Hatch Valley at Hot Springs   Cuba at Thoreau   Cobre at Socorro   St. Pius X at Valencia   Tucumcari at Hope Christian (Sat.)   Escalante at McCurdy   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1710617167207845923?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1710866958147854565?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1710768962143969683?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1710768016957559071?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JamesDYodice/status/1710761859203399763?s=20 </div></figure>

Week 8 of the 2023 New Mexico High School football season is complete. Here is our eighth edition of the Weekly Whiparound, which takes a deep dive into everything that happened on the field over the past three days: