New Mexico High School Basketball 5A Preseason Rankings

Top 2024 & 2025 Players to Watch


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2023 Player Rankings: Top 50

NMPreps will continue to update the rankings. E-mail nominations to grinejosh@yahoo.com.

Top 2023 Players to Watch

NMPreps list of the top 2023 players to watch for the 2022/2023 season. #nmpreps

TOP 50 SENIORS

1. Kamalani Anitielu, G - Farmington High School
2. Leilani Love, F - Albuquerque High School
3. Emma Christiano, G - Las Cruces High School
4. Aspen Salazar, G - Centennial High School
5. Alisa Bernal, G - Carlsbad High School
6. Olivia Haddock, G - La Cueva High School
7. Alexis Ayers, G - La Cueva High School
8. Mariana Sepulveda, F - Carlsbad High School
9. Aneesa Chavez, G - Moriarty High School
10. Kathleen Obsike - Hope Christian School
11. Lila Ashida, G/F - Las Cruces High School
12. Mari Manzanares, F - Volcano Vista High School
13. Anisa Gallegos, G - Atrisco Heritage Academy
14. Karleigh Gutierrez, G - La Cueva High School
15. Gabby O'Hara, F - Bernalillo High School
16. Ema Rose, F - Gadsden High School
17. Julia Espinosa, F - Rio Rancho High School
18. Tina Potin, G - Cibola High School
19. Tinaya Parrish, F - Farmington High School
20. Ariana Sanchez, G - Albuquerque High School
21. Storm Nguyen, G - Volcano Vista High School
22. Maci Cordoava, G - Santa Fe High School
23. Mistidawn Roybal, G - Robertson High School
24. Teghan Begay, G - Kirtland Central High School
25. Lyric Corona, G - Mayfield High School
26. Jaylene Harris-Rhea, G - Kirtland Central High School
27. Ericca Cannon, G - Goddard High School
28. Maesyn Lopez, F - Belen High School
29. Ebony Chavez, F - Grants High School
30. Aaliyah Nevarez, F - Highland High School
31. Daliyah Morris, G - Gallup High School
32. Catlyn Bittel, G - Manzano High School
33. Allyson Thomas, G - Clovis High School
34. Delia Tello, G - Gallup High School
35. Evann Segura, G - Moriarty High School
36. Madisen Valdez, G - Santa Fe Indian School
37. Zoe Brown, G - Valencia High School
38. Lliana Aragon, G - Valley High School
39. Alexus Lafferty, G - Tucumcari High School
40. Alyce Apachito, F - To'Hajiilee High School
41. Nizhoni Keeto, G - Bernalillo High School
42. Azlyn Padilla, G - Robertson High School
43. Shade-Phea Young, F - Santa Fe Indian School
44. Jordyn Henry, G - Santa Fe Indian School
45. Kylene Chino, G - Bernalillo High School
46. Jalen Abeyta, G - Santa Fe Indian School
47. Delvina Tom, G - Tohatchi High School
48. Zuriel Vigil, F - Santa Fe High School
49. Amerie Romero, F - Capital High School
50. Lauryn Pecos, G - St. Michael's School

Missing a player? Post or text to 505-414-4313

Should Danny be on the hot seat? How many years does he get?

Rank the games taking place this week?

NMPreps Top New Mexico High School Basketball Players


NMPreps will continue to update the list leading up to the 2022/2023 season. Text us with players to watch - 505-414-4313.

2022 NMPreps 5A Preseason Rankings

NMPreps preseason look at the 2022/2023 New Mexico high school basketball season. #nmpreps

Preseason Rankings: Click Here

No. 23 ROSWELL COYOTES

2021/2022 Season: 6-21 overall, 0-6 district

The Roswell Coyotes are coming off a 6-win season that finished with a 5-game losing streak. They actually lost 11 of the final 12 games of the season. Good news for the Coyotes is the return of senior Ivan Miramontes the team leader in scoring last season putting up 12 ppg and 5 rpg. Newcomers in the form of Jermeriah Burrola (2023), Josh Estrada (2024) and Jacob Palomino (2025) provide some excitement for what could be the early riser.

NO. 24 CLOVIS WILDCATS

2021/2022 Season: 6-22 overall, 2-4 district

Preview: The Wildcats are coming off a 6-win season and will feature a new head coach in Josh Mattox, a former Valencia High School head coach. The Wildcats only graduate four players off the 2021/2022 roster and look to build the Wildcats program back into a contender. Mattox will lean early on three point specialist Brian Weiss (2023) who provides the most offensive experience. Kash Robertson (2024) and RJ Nora (2023) will also be two other key players for this years roster.

NO. 25 PIEDRA VISTA PANTHERS

2021/2022 Season: 7-20 overall, 0-10 district

Preview: The Piedra Panthers open the season looking to snap a 11-game losing streak that ended their 2022 season. What we know: the Panthers graduate six players from their 13-man roster. The new head coach for the Panthers is Forest Becker a former Adams State University, Cliff High School assistant along with a stint as head coach of Jemez Valley. Brayden Smith (2023) provides some experience to the Panthers for the coming season.

NO. 26 RIO GRANDE RAVENS

2021/2022 Season: 4-21 overall, 2-8 district

Preview: We are intrigued by the Ravens entering this season because of talented guard Jonah Lopez (2023). This program has been in the 5A cellar for years now and the development of their young roster to help Lopez will be the difference. We predict a final ranking to be in the 20-27 range but the Ravens could improve their win total, 2 or 3 more wins will be an improvement. The Ravens are 7-53 in the last three years.

NO. 27 GADSDEN PANTHERS

2021/2022 Season: 2-24 overall, 1-11 district

Preview: Well, the Panthers could be looking at another season fighting out of the cellar. After a two win season the Panthers now need to replace six players who were part of the 2022 class. Marcandre Dominiguez (6'5/2024), Juan Blanco (6'2/2024), and Joseph Flores (6'2/2023) provide some height and talent.

6A FOOTBALL

Semifinals - Nov. 19th/20th
#1 Cleveland vs #5 Volcano Vista, Friday, 7pm (Community Stadium, ABQ)
#2 La Cueva vs #3 Centennial, Saturday 1PM (FOD, Las Cruces)

Quarterfinals - Nov. 11th or 12th
#1 Cleveland 49, #9 Los Lunas 9 - F
#2 La Cueva 41, #7 Farmington 6 - F
#3 Centennial 41, #6 Rio Rancho 14 - F
#5 Volcano Vista 35, #4 Hobbs 31 - F

First Round - Nov. 4th or 5th
#5 Volcano Vista 64, #12 Atrisco Heritage 14 - F
#6 Rio Rancho 21, #11 Alamogordo 7 - F
#7 Farmington 34, #10 Carlsbad 33 - F
#9 Los Lunas 31, #8 Cibola 14 - F

5A FOOTBALL

Semifinals - Nov. 20th
#1 Artesia vs #5 Deming, Sat. 1pm (in Deming)
#2 Roswell vs #3 Piedra Vista, Sat. 1pm (Wool Bowl, Roswell)

Quarterfinals - Nov. 11th or 12th
#1 Artesia 50, #8 Valley 0 - F
#2 Roswell 53, #10 Gadsden 0 - F
#3 Piedra Vista 42, #6 Mayfield 7 - F
#5 Deming 28, #4 Goddard 13 - F

First Round - Nov. 4th or 5th
#5 Deming 42, #12 Belen 0 - F
#6 Mayfield 21, #11 Santa Teresa 10 - F
#8 Valley 30, #9 Miyamura 6 - F
#10 Gadsden 44, #7 Los Alamos 21 - F

4A FOOTBALL

Semifinals - Nov. 20th
#1 Silver vs #4 Lovington, Sat. 1pm (in Silver)
#2 Bloomfield vs #3 Taos, Sat. 1pm (in Bloomfield)

Quarterfinals - Nov. 11th or 12th
#1 Silver vs #8 Aztec, Saturday, 1pm
#2 Bloomfield vs #7 Moriarty, Saturday, 1pm
#3 Taos vs #6 Albuquerque Academy, Saturday, 1pm
#4 Lovington 29, #5 Portales 23 - F

First Round - Nov. 4th or 5th
#5 Portales 48, #12 St. Pius X 3 - F
#6 Albuquerque Academy 7, #11 Bernalillo 6 - F
#7 Moriarty 53, #10 Kirtland Central 2 - F
#8 Aztec 12, #9 Valencia 6 - F

3A FOOTBALL

Semifinals - Nov. 19th/20th
#1 Socorro vs #4 St. Michael's, Fri, 6pm (in Socorro)
#2 Ruidoso vs #6 Raton, Sat. 1pm (in Raton)

Quarterfinals - Nov. 11th/12th
#1 Socorro 21, #9 Cobre 14 - F
#2 Ruidoso 52, #7 West Las Vegas 13 - F
#4 St. Michael's 50, #5 Thoreau 0 - F
#6 Raton 23, #3 Robertson 14 - F

First Round - Nov. 4th/5th
#5 Thoreau vs #12 Hope Christian, Saturday, 1pm
#6 Raton vs #11 Hatch Valley, Saturday, 1pm
#7 West Las Vegas 62, #10 Newcomb 16 - F
#8 Dexter vs #9 Cobre, Saturday, 1pm

2A FOOTBALL

State Championship - Nov. 18
#1 Jal vs #2 Texico, Fri, 7pm (in Texico)

Semifinals - Nov. 11th/12th
#1 Jal 53, #4 Eunice 16 - F
#2 Texico 41, #3 Santa Rosa 27 - F

Quarterfinals - Nov. 4th/5th
#1 Jal vs #8 Escalante, Saturday, 1pm
#2 Texico 62, #7 Tularosa 12 - F
#3 Santa Rosa 56, #6 Loving 13 - F
#4 Eunice 35, #5 Estancia 34 - F

8-MAN FOOTBALL - FORT SUMNER

State Championship - Nov. 12th
#2 Fort Sumner 44, #1 Lordsburg 34 - F

Semifinals - November 4th
#1 Lordsburg 68, #4 Magdalena 20 - F
#2 Fort Sumner 38, #3 Melrose 14 - F

Quarterfinals - October 28th/29th
#1 Lordsburg 50, #8 Menaul 0 - F
#2 Fort Sumner 50, #7 Clayton 0 - F
#3 Melrose 48, #6 Logan 0 - F
#4 Magdalena 54, #5 Tatum 6 - F

6-MAN FOOTBALL - GATEWAY CHRISTIAN

State Championship - Nov. 11th
#1 Gateway Christian 53, #2 Mountainair 14 - F

Semifinals - November 4th
#1 Gateway 31, #4 Dora 6 - F
#2 Mountainair 67, #3 Elida 47 - F

Quarterfinals - October 28th/29th
#1 Gateway Christian 61, #8 NMSD 8 - F
#2 Mountainair 60, Roy/Mosquero 6 - F
#3 Elida 71, #6 Animas 22 - F
#4 Dora 61, #5 Ramah 6 - F

Post Here

*****Week 13 Scoreboard (November 11th & 12th)*****

Post your live updates or text them to 505-414-4313.

Friday, November 11th
Centennial 41, Rio Rancho 14 - F
Cleveland 49, Los Lunas 9 - F
Deming 28, Goddard 13 - F
Gateway Christian 53, Mountainair 14 - F
La Cueva 41, Farmington 6 - F
Lovington 29, Portales 23 - F
Ruidoso 52, West Las Vegas 13 - F
Texico 41, Santa Rosa 27 - F
Volcano Vista 35, Hobbs 31 - F

Saturday, November 12th
Albuquerque Academy (7-4) at Taos (9-1), 1pm
Aztec (5-6) at Silver (9-1), 1pm
Fort Sumner (10-0) at Lordsburg (10-0), 1pm
Gadsden (5-6) at Roswell (8-2), 1pm
Jal (11-0) at Eunice (7-3), 1pm
Mayfield (5-6) at Piedra Vista (9-1), 1pm
Moriarty (8-3) at Bloomfield (9-1), 1pm
Raton (8-3) at Robertson (8-2), 1pm
Thoreau (9-2) at St. Michael's (9-1), 1pm
Valley (8-3) at Artesia (8-2), 1pm

Brackets: Continue Here

Don't Expect Much Excitement Out of 5A Football

The favorites should move along with ease today; #1 Artesia vs #8 Valley, #2 Roswell vs #10 Gadsden, and #3 Piedra Vista vs #6 Mayfield. The top three teams in the state will remain that way heading into the quarterfinals. Remarkable season for both Valley and Gadsden though as it will help build those football programs for success in the future.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 in 4A Football Today

Silver (1) will play host to Aztec (8) in what could be a close game but overall the Colts program is going to be tough to stop. The running backs are tough as nails. Moriarty (7) and Bloomfield (2) should go as planned with the Bobcats moving into the semifinals with ease. Taos (3) and Albuquerque Academy (6) has the potential to be exciting but Taos has been on a mission as of late.

Clash in 3A Football

Robertson (3) and Raton (6) was intense the first time around this season. Will the second time provide as much in the rematch? Raton has one of the toughest running backs in the state but Robertson and head coach Gonzales play their best football in November. St. Michael's (4) and Thoreau (5) square off in Santa Fe. Was last weeks Thoreau win the first playoff win?

Red or Blue

A twist on the famous New Mexico question gives us the 1-seed Jal Panthers and the 4-seed Eunice Cardinals. Will the Eunice Cardinals crash the title run for the Jal Panthers who have been unstoppable all season?

State Championship Handed Out Today

Lordsburg and Fort Sumner for the 8-man state championship today. There is some solid talent on the field for both teams and it should be a great game to watch.

I was watching my Alma Mater Hobbs Eagles play today and although they loss, I just wanted to make a shout out to Zachary Markham. One of our players got hurt and he was the first one from both teams to walk up to him and check to see if he was ok. He also flagged the down our medical staff to make sure they gave him immediate attention. He was fine but little things like that is what catches my attention so if anyone knows him personally, he definitely deserves some points for the Sportmanship Award. Just wanted to put his name out there..

Most Intriguing Score From Friday Night

How: You pick the winners and we track the points. We will play one season, 15 weeks.

Games:
Mountainair at Gateway Christian, +6000 either way
Lordsburg vs Fort Sumner/House, +6000 either way
Raton at Robertson, +4000 (Raton is the upset +4500)
Volcano Vista at Hobbs, +4000 (Volcano Vista is the upset +4500)
Deming at Goddard, +4000 (Deming is the upset +5500)

How:
Mountainair
Lordsburg
Raton
Volcano Vista
Deming

Ranking the Games for Week 13 (Nov. 11/12)

1. Lordsburg vs Fort Sumner
2. Gateway Christian vs Mountainair
3. Hobbs vs Volcano Vista
4. Lovington vs Portales
5. Centennial vs Rio Rancho
6. La Cueva vs Farmington
7. Cleveland vs Los Lunas
8. Robertson vs Raton
9. Texico vs Santa Rosa
10. Jal vs Eunice
11. Deming vs Goddard
12. Socorro vs Cobre
13. Piedra Vista vs Mayfield
14. Silver vs Aztec
15. Ruidoso vs West Las Vegas
16. Artesia vs Valley
17. Roswell vs Gadsden
18. Bloomfield vs Moriarty
19. Taos vs Albuquerque Academy
20. St. Michael's vs Thoreau

What games are you at this weekend?

Have you ever played in a game like this?

Thank you to all that served our country and gave us the opportunity to do this great life we call coaching.🎖️

Week 13 Friday Night Preview

Heading into the final three weeks of the 2022 New Mexico high school football season, win or go home at this point. 6A-3A football will start the quarterfinals, 2A will host their semifinal games, and a pair of state championships in 8-man and 6-man football. The weather turns down, the football tension turns up!

6A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS

(1) Cleveland Storm vs (9) Los Lunas Tigers, 7pm

Battle of the defending state champions; Los Lunas won 5A, Cleveland won 6A in 2021. The Los Lunas Tigers do feature a top ten level player in Paul Cieremans (QB/2023) and the Tigers will show fight. The Storm just have too many weapons on both sides of the ball -- insert the roster here of top players. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

(2) La Cueva Bears vs (7) Farmington Scorpions, 7pm

Here we have a District 2-6A rematch. The first game could be remembered as the scene from the Revenant. The La Cueva Bears controlled the entire game on their way to a 62-19 win. Will that happen again? Trel Griego played well last week in a close win for Farmington. La Cueva features the top ranked quarterback Aidan Armenta (2023) along with being surrounded by top talent -- Ian Sanchez, Gabriel Buie, and Jackson Hix (2024) just name a few. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

(3) Centennial Hawks vs (6) Rio Rancho Rams, 7pm

This one is hard to predict. Is it quietly a must-see game or will the Centennial Hawks flex, as many predict. Either way we are taking the Centennial Hawks in this contest but the Rio Rancho Rams have the potential to be solid squad. The Centennial defense will be too much for the run game. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

(4) Hobbs Eagles vs (5) Volcano Vista Hawks, 7pm

Road trip. The highly anticipated contest being the 4/5 seed that has been debated most of the season on who should be the 4-seed behind the top three. It has everything you want to watch in New Mexico high school football in the playoffs. Hobbs QB Omar Argott and Volcano Vista QB Elliot Pasket-Bell will both be announced on the 6A Quarterback of the year ballot. They both have targets on the outside. The battle will actually be Pasket-Bell escaping the Hobbs defense, led by Kenyon Singleton and Cameron Hernandez. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

5A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS

(4) Goddard Rockets vs (5) Deming Wildcats, 6pm

Almost two months ago the Goddard Rockets beat the Deming Wildcats on the road 28-13. Deming fought back from being down 14-0 early in that game and trailed 14-13 at one point. This one is predicted to be on the lines of a one possession game. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

4A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS

(4) Lovington Wildcats vs (5) Portales Rams, 7pm

Taking a look at every game taking place tonight, this one has me the most intrigued (well, second behind VV-Hobbs). Both teams have enough talent to be favored to play for the state championship. Lovington the defending champ is favored again and Ashton Aranda looks to build on his campaign for 4A QB of the year. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

3A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS

(1) Socorro Warriors vs (9) Cobre Indians, 7pm

Another district rematch taking place in the quarterfinals tonight. Despite the Socorro Warriors winning the first time 29-0, many have predicted this one could be a lot closer. Also, despite what you hear the Socorro Warriors have studs. ATH Marcus Armijo (2023) is a stat stuffer for Socorro this season with over 2200 yards. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

(2) Ruidoso Warriors vs (7) West Las Vegas Dons, 6pm

The night of the Warriors in 3A football quarterfinals. Ruidoso has won 8-straight heading into tonight and with dudes like Cooper Pritchett (2023), Kaden Sago (2023), Logan Sandoval (2024), and Dalton Trapp (2023) you have to like the Warriors big. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

2A FOOTBALL - SEMIFINALS

(2) Texico Wolverines vs (3) Santa Rosa Lions, 7pm

Although the Wolverines are the 2-seed, they will be on the road tonight as they face the 3-seed Santa Rosa Lions. The two teams met earlier this season with the Wolverines defending their home field 23-20. Plenty of reason to like this contest and one is running back Andres Madrid (nearly 1,500 yards rushing) for the Lions. We could list a handful for both teams that will be featured on post season awards lists. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.

Week 13 Picks and Predictions

NMPreps weekly favorites and underdogs feature.

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