The Best Games​

• 6A No. 8 Eldorado vs. No. 9 Hobbs
  Albuquerque’s Eldorado, riding a four-game winning streak, will host a talented Hobbs team with a dynamic offense and strong defensive potential. If Hobbs hits their stride, this could be a thrilling matchup, but Eldorado's tight defense will look to keep the game low-scoring and pull off the win on home turf.
• 5A No. 5 Los Alamos vs. No. 12 Valley
  The previous face-off between these two saw Los Alamos come out on top in a 99-point shootout, 63-33. Expect another high-scoring battle that could test defensive endurance—so bring plenty of pencils (JB) if you’re covering this one!
• 5A No. 8 Miyamura vs. No. 9 Highland
  Miyamura narrowly defeated Highland 36-31 in their first meeting this season, and this rematch promises to be another nail-biter. Highland will be out for redemption, but Miyamura, one of the season’s most improved teams, looks ready to defend their home turf.
• 4A No. 7 Grants vs. No. 10 Silver
  Silver comes into this game with momentum after winning their last two, while Grants will aim to rebound from back-to-back losses. This is a game that screams “upset alert,” as both teams are evenly matched and hungry to advance.
• 2A No. 7 Raton vs. No. 10 Jal
  This matchup pits the northern tip of New Mexico against the southern tip, with Jal making a 400-mile journey to Raton. Both teams are tough competitors, but Jal will need to bring their best game to pull off the road upset.

5-12 Seeds with Championship Potential​

• 2A No. 5 Eunice
  Despite a couple of losses, Eunice nearly defeated top-seeded Texico and could face them again in the semis if they can navigate past Laguna-Acoma and fourth-seeded Tularosa.
• 3A No. 5 NMMI and No. 6 West Las Vegas
  Both teams have paths that involve tough matchups, with West Las Vegas potentially facing rivals like No. 3 Robertson and No. 2 Dexter. If they can pull off some upsets, they might reach the finals.
• 5A No. 6 Mayfield and No. 7 Lovington
  These teams have been solid down the stretch, with Mayfield in particular showcasing consistency as of late. Lovington, if they could return to early season form could be a threat.
• 6A No. 5 Las Cruces
  With a talented roster, Las Cruces has shown they can compete with anyone. They’ll need to put it all together to make a deep run.

Toughest Path for a No. 1 Seed​

• 2A – Texico
  Texico faces the challenge of a potential semifinal against Eunice or Tularosa, teams capable of making deep playoff runs themselves.
• 4A – Bloomfield
  Bloomfield could encounter No. 5 Portales in the semifinals—a team that ended Bloomfield’s undefeated run last year in the same round. Before that, Portales would need to overcome No. 4 Bernalillo and No. 12 Chaparral, which won’t be easy.

Most Likely to Upset in the First Round​

• 4A – No. 10 Silver over No. 7 Grants
  Silver's recent form has been impressive, while Grants has struggled in recent games. This could be the round’s big upset if Silver keeps their momentum going.
• 6A – No. 11 Piedra Vista over No. 6 Los Lunas, and No. 9 Hobbs over No. 8 Eldorado
  Piedra Vista and Hobbs both have the potential to surprise their higher-seeded opponents. Hobbs, in particular, has a fighting chance to edge out Eldorado if their offense clicks.

First-Round Predictions​

6A First Round (Nov 8/9)​

• No. 5 Las Cruces vs. No. 12 West Mesa
  • Prediction: Las Cruces 44, West Mesa 12
  • Grine’s Pick: Las Cruces
• No. 6 Los Lunas vs. No. 11 Piedra Vista
  • Prediction: Los Lunas 24, Piedra Vista 22
  • Grine’s Pick: Piedra Vista (Upset)
• No. 7 Rio Rancho vs. No. 10 Sandia
  • Prediction: Rio Rancho 33, Sandia 23
  • Grine’s Pick: Rio Rancho
• No. 8 Eldorado vs. No. 9 Hobbs
  • Prediction: Eldorado 25, Hobbs 21
  • Grine’s Pick: Hobbs (Upset)

5A First Round (Nov 8/9)​

• No. 5 Los Alamos vs. No. 12 Valley
  • Prediction: Los Alamos 40, Valley 24
  • Grine’s Pick: Los Alamos
• No. 6 Mayfield vs. No. 11 Belen
  • Prediction: Mayfield 44, Belen 12
  • Grine’s Pick: Mayfield
• No. 7 Lovington vs. No. 10 Goddard
  • Prediction: Lovington 33, Goddard 22
  • Grine’s Pick: Lovington
• No. 8 Miyamura vs. No. 9 Highland
  • Prediction: Highland 34, Miyamura 21
  • Grine’s Pick: Highland

4A First Round (Nov 8/9)​

• No. 5 Portales vs. No. 12 Chaparral
  • Prediction: Portales 36, Chaparral 20
  • Grine’s Pick: Portales
• No. 6 Española Valley vs. No. 11 Manzano
  • Prediction: Española Valley 31, Manzano 30
  • Grine’s Pick: Manzano
• No. 7 Grants vs. No. 10 Silver
  • Prediction: Silver 24, Grants 22
  • Grine’s Pick: Grants
• No. 8 Valencia vs. No. 9 Moriarty
  • Prediction: Valencia 41, Moriarty 22
  • Grine’s Pick: Valencia

3A First Round (Nov 8/9)​

• No. 5 NMMI vs. No. 12 Hot Springs
  • Prediction: NMMI 34, Hot Springs 7
  • Grine’s Pick: NMMI
• No. 6 West Las Vegas vs. No. 11 Ruidoso
  • Prediction: West Las Vegas 32, Ruidoso 12
  • Grine’s Pick: West Las Vegas
• No. 7 Hatch Valley vs. No. 10 Pojoaque Valley
  • Prediction: Hatch Valley 26, Pojoaque Valley 24
  • Grine’s Pick: Hatch Valley
• No. 8 Hope Christian vs. No. 9 Thoreau
  • Prediction: Hope Christian 28, Thoreau 24
  • Grine’s Pick: Hope Christian

2A First Round (Nov 8/9)​

• No. 5 Eunice vs. No. 12 Laguna-Acoma
  • Prediction: Eunice 50, Laguna-Acoma 0
  • Grine’s Pick: Eunice
• No. 6 Loving vs. No. 11 Cuba
  • Prediction: Loving 44, Cuba 12
  • Grine’s Pick: Loving
• No. 7 Raton vs. No. 10 Jal
  • Prediction: Raton 28, Jal 14
  • Grine’s Pick: Raton
• No. 8 Navajo Prep vs. No. 9 McCurdy
  • Prediction: Navajo Prep 30, McCurdy 20
  • Grine’s Pick: Navajo Prep