NMPreps Tuesday Truths: Who Plays for the 5A State Championship?

What we knew at the end of last season isn’t what we know now—or is it? With Roswell's earlier district loss to Lovington and their close 28-27 overtime win over Mayfield last weekend, should there be cause for concern with the Coyotes? Is 5A shaping up to be less predictable than the Roswell-Artesia final we anticipated?

If teams can contain Roswell's run game and force them to pass, could that lead to more close contests? There may be a sleeper team ready to make a deep run.

Then there’s Deming: questions swirl around their loss of their starting QB last weekend. Will he return, or is this an extended absence? And how vulnerable is Artesia after their loss to Roswell? Is 5A more open than we expected?

Gadsden’s offense was stymied against Roswell in a 48-7 loss, but they managed to score 38 against Artesia. Or was that just typical of Artesia's high-scoring, outpace-you style—until it isn’t enough?

And then there’s Mayfield. Thought to be out of the running, they've surged back, beating 6A Organ Mountain, losing closely to Gadsden, thrashing Santa Teresa, narrowly losing to Deming 29-27, beating Lovington 50-49, and defeating Goddard. Last week, they took Roswell to the brink. Can they keep it close against Artesia this week? November could be a thrill, especially in the quarterfinals.

While District 1-5A may be out of the championship conversation, District 2-5A is primed for an intense quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. Who will survive, stay healthy, and get hot? And what about Lovington? After a 5-0 start and a win over Roswell, they've dropped four straight. They should handle Santa Teresa this weekend—will that reinsert them into the conversation? Could they win their first-round game and upset Roswell again in the quarterfinals? And then the young Rockets--Goddard a quarterfinal team?

Get ready for a wild finish in 5A football.