We will post all too performers here for the week.

LeAnthoney Harrison had 36 for Goddard tonight.
Dominic Roybal had 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 assists pojoaque
Tularosa's Michael Sheridan had 21 against NMMI last night. Joe Perez had 17 points, 6 boards, 4 blocks and 4 steals
Cobre Sophomore Damian Guck had 16 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks against Mesilla Valley.
Grants- Matt Vail 28 points, Greg Harris 19 points and Michael Anzures 12 points in win over Piedra Vista.
Piedra Vista junior Jarrett Graham had 24pts in loss against Grants.
McCurdy Soph. Ubaldo Barela had 15pts and 8rebs against NACA in limited action due to foul trouble. He is averaging 14pts, 7 rebs, and 4 blocks over in the first 3 games.
Valley's Anthony Chavez - 25 pts, 10 boards and 6 assists against Del Norte.
RJ Brown had 16 points and 6 Rebounds and Alanso Johnson had 15 points and 6 assist against a very good Cathedral team out of El Paso.

Poll: Which State Champ Is Most Likely To Repeat?

C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove, TX will be broadcast on ESPN 3 at 6 PM TX time (5 PM in NM)

ENMU (LSC) vs Ft. Hays (MIAA)

A few notes about the 2016 Hounds:

Offense


#1 in the LSC in Total Offense (479.4) 20th in the Nation

#1 in the LSC in Rushing Offense (346.9) 2nd in the Nation

#1 in the LSC in Pass Efficiency (168.7) 9th in the Nation

#1 in the LSC in First Downs (22.8)

#1 in the LSC in Yards Per Pass Completion (19.7) #2 in the Nation

#1 in the LSC in Time of Possession (34:30) #7 in the Nation

#1 in the LSC in 4th Down Coversions (60.7%) #10 in the Nation


Kamal Cass (Clovis) led the LSC in Rushing 200-1125 5.6 13 TD’s

Wyatt Strand (Logan) led the LSC in Pass Efficiency (182.4) & was 9th in the LSC in Rushing 133-623 5.1 10 TD’s

Defense


#2 in the LSC in Total Defense (337.0)

#2 in the LSC in Rushing Defense (96.4) 19th in the Nation

#1 in the LSC in Opponents First Downs (17.0)

#3 in the LSC in Opponent 3rd Down Conversion (34.3)

#3 in the LSC in Opponent 4th Down Conversion (41.7)

Friday Rapid Fire

Each night we will give you are what to watch, under-the-radar game and players to watch in our NMPreps.com Rapid Fire for Daily games.

Games to watch: Grants (2-1) vs Santa Fe (3-0). Valley (1-1) at Centennial (2-1). In Grants vs Santa Fe you have two teams that have the potential to be among the best in their classification. Both highly likely as playoff teams that win a game or two. Valley stumbled out the gate, Centennial top coached program. Actually this will be a coaching match up to watch.

Playoff Implications: Carlsbad (1-0) vs Cleveland (2-0). Alamogordo (3-2) vs St. Pius X (1-0). Onate (2-1) vs volcano Vista (0-1). North vs South in this section and could play into factor in March when the brackets are discussed.

Under-the-Radar Games: Las Cruces (2-0) vs Highland (1-1). This one has some potential to be a game to watch. They have good bigs, young guard play.

Unknown Game: Del Norte (2-1) vs Bernalillo (1-1). Both teams are in the sort of unknown section at this point but could be the under the radar dark horses in their classifications.

Upset Watch: Rio Grande (1-0) vs Hope (1-0). Rio Grande is ranked 23rd this week and Hope ranked 5th. Please know that I am not saying upset but this one could be close and that is a shocker.

Coaching Match-Up to Watch: Joe Coleman (Valley) vs Steve Heredia (Centennial). Two programs that are direct reflections of their head coaches. Coleman, has built a championship program around solid point guards through the years. Heredia, the defensive team that plays with some of the best energy.

Starting Five Tonight: Tennessee Owens (Centennial), Anthony Chavez (Valley), Desmond Carpenter (Cibola), Markus Collins (Las Cruces), Damian Guck (Cobre)



Wednesday Rapid Fire

Each night we will give you are what to watch, under-the-radar game and players to watch in our NMPreps.com Rapid Fire for Daily games.

Game to watch: No. 14 Atrisco Heritage Academy (1-0) vs No. 11 Eldorado (0-0). Our team with the quickest rise this season is Atrisco Heritage Academy. They went from unranked to ranked after a big win over Volcano Vista. Can they take another team out?

Under-the-Radar Games: No. 20 Manzano (1-0) vs No. 23 Rio Grande (0-0). We have three games tonight. So we will write a bit on the three games. Manzano could be the team that will be better in 2017 than November/December of 2016. Rio Grande has a new head coach but the talent is there to be a very good team.

Unknown Game: No. 18 Sandia (0-1) vs Gallup (0-1). Previously we let Sandia slide with a loss to the number ranked team in week 3 in Rio Rancho. Not to sure how we still feel after Albuquerque High thumped Rio Rancho on Tuesday night. Gallup made a splash of a hire this off-season bringing in James Voight and the Bengals could be the most dangerous of the underrated teams this season.

Starting Five Tonight: Eric Sonnenberg, Jr, 6'7'' (Manzano), Enrique Bibian, Jr, 5'10'' (Atrisco Heritage), Kameron Valencia, So, 6'2'' (Eldorado), Bobby Tapia, Sr, 5'11'' (Sandia)

Preseason Rankings: 4A Basketball
By: Chantz Atcitty of NMPreps.com


Overview

Hope Christian starts us off in our preseason hoops for 4A girls basketball. Coming off a state championship run, they’re returning their core 4 starting captains: Hannah Valencia, Christine Heisey, Charity Murphy, and Alivia Lewis. Alivia Lewis stars in their frontcourt and provides a quality mismatch for teams in the low-post. They’re bringing back a 6-senior roster and have one of the stronger schedules in 4A including moving to a new district with Portales, Ruidoso, and recently moved Moriarty.

At the second spot at high scoring Shiprock squad is looking to rid of their 2nd place finishes and finally capture a title that’s eluded them for the past few seasons. Although they graduate a number of contributing seniors, they’re returning one of the area’s best all-around player in recent Fort Lewis College commit, Tanisha Begay. They’ll have one of the easier districts with Kirtland Central and Bloomfield moving up a class, but have a chance to pick up some out-of-class wins against state title contenders with their upcoming schedule.

Portales comes in at the number three spot after coming off a 24-4 season and semifinal appearance. They do graduate standout Kambrey Blakey and Sheraya Cox, but return Zamorye Cox and Lindsay Blakey along with five returning varsity players. They’ve been clear favorites in their district for a number of years but with Hope Christian joining their district, it’ll be an interesting race this season. Moriarty drops down a class and come off a 21-8 season and district championship. They too join the new District 4-4A and look to contend with help from Alyssa Adams and Emily Gonzales. West Las Vegas wraps up the Top-5 in 4A girls hoops. Although they graduate a number of key seniors, they will return senior guard Jenika Padilla and Jenna Bustos.

Santa Fe Indian had somewhat of a roller coaster season in regards to some of their wins and losses but found themselves in the state semifinals. They’ll look to return to form without Milan Schimmel (transferred out of state). Ruidoso finally looks to make some noise this season, returning a number of key contributors including Lia Mosher in the frontcourt. Taos will have to look to replace the talents of Midnite Lujan in the frontcourt, but do return a great duo in Aaliyah Quintana and Elena Espinoza. Hatch Valley is seeking another district title, and will be led by senior Taylor Mitchell. Rounding out our Top-10 is Navajo Prep which looks to make an impact heading into their first year in Class 4A. Prep did graduate district standout, Jasmine Coleman, but with only graduating two seniors, they’re returning plenty of experienced youth.

NMPreps.com Pre-Season 4A Rankings
1. Hope Christian
2. Shiprock
3. Portales
4. Moriarty
5. West Las Vegas
6. Santa Fe Indian
7. Ruidoso
8. Taos
9. Hatch Valley
10. Navajo Prep

Please post all updates and scores here for this week.

MONDAY, November 28th
Carlsbad def. Lovington at Carlsbad, 39-17
Aztec def. Capital at Aztec, 55-22
Clayton def. Raton at Raton, 52-39
Dulce def. Coronado at Coronado, 43-39

TUESDAY, November 29th
Carlsbad def. Goddard, 52-33
Mayfield def. EP Franklin (TX), 58-39
Volcano Vista def. Los Alamos, 45-30
Hobbs def. Roswell, 63-53
La Cueva def. Rio Grande, 63-30
West Mesa def. Rio Rancho, 61-51.
Centennial def. Deming, 69-24
Alamogordo def. Gadsden, 47-25
Artesia def. Santa Teresa, 55-27
Bloomfield def. Shiprock, 63-43
Belen def. Del Norte, 60-54
Espanola Valley def. Taos, 53-28
St. Pius X def. Sandia Prep, 55-44
Hope Christian def. Cibola, 61-50
West Las Vegas def. Santa Fe Indian, 62-53
St. Michael's def. ALBQ Academy, 28-26
Moriarty def. Manzano, 55-33
Navajo Prep def. Monument Valley (UT), 77-21
Thoreau def. Navajo Pine, 37-32
Wingate def. Cuba, 74-59
Texico def. Farwell (TX), 53-52
Newcomb def. Northwest, 43-29
Monte Del Sol def. ATC, 32-25
Alamo Navajo def. Evangel Christian Academy, 57-21
Pecos def. East Mountain, 42-35 OT
Laguna-Acoma def. Rehoboth Christian, 58-35
Escalante def. Santa Fe Prep, 83-0
Magdalena def. Hot Springs, 56-16
McCurdy def. N.A.C.A., 70-31
Melrose def. Dexter, 65-33
Tohajiilee def. Mountainair, 55-17
Hondo Valley def. Carrizozo, 56-33
Des Moines def. Channing (TX), 49-10
Roy/Mosquero def. Grady, 47-34
Kingdom Prep Academy (TX) def. Clovis Christian, 58-36

WEDNESDAY, November 30th
Los Lunas def. Valley, 54-26
St. Pius X def. Albuquerque, 44-29
Pojoaque Valley def. Bernalillo, 45-32

THURSDAY, December 1st
Capital's Al Armendariz Tournament
Capital def. Chaparral, 50-27
Mesa Vista def. Deming, 50-48
Aztec def. Santa Fe, 64-46
Espanola Valley def. Goddard, 56-49

Gallup's John Lomasney's Invite
Carlsbad def. Grants, 60-27
Cleveland def. Winslow (AZ), 51-40
Tohatchi def. Miyamura, 62-47
Gallup def. Window Rock, 81-80

SFIS Lady Braves Classic
Navajo Prep def. Taos, 53-50
Robertson def. Newcomb, 64-19
Espanola JV def. SF High JV, 51-47
SFIS def. Zuni, 83-40

Shiprock's Jerry Richardson Memorial Invite
Shiprock def. Red Mesa (AZ), 66-12
Piedra Vista def. Farmington, 37-36
Red Valley/Cove (AZ) def. Northwest, 44-36

Santa Rosa Lady Lion Classic
Santa Rosa def. ATC 63-16
Mora def. Estancia, 28-21
Tularosa def. Tucumcari, 47-44
Ft. Sumner/House def. Dulce, 53-24

Melrose's American Heritage Tourney
Friona (TX) def. Dexter, 67-60
Elida def. Cloudcroft, 54-7
Escalante def. Floyd, 69-20
Melrose def. Mountainair, 65-22

Magdalena Steer Stampede
Hatch Valley def. Alamo Navajo, 50-8
Ramah def. Animas, 50-42
Pine Hill def. Reserve, 63-24
Magdalena vs. Carrizozo, 55-18

Dora's JP Stone Memorial Tournament
Tatum def. Jal, 66-31
Hagerman def. Grady, 36-31
Dora def. Quemado 74-34

Lordsburg's Lady Maverick Fiesta Tournament
Cobre def. Academia Juarez, 53-44
Cliff def. El Paso Ysleta, 47-32
Lordsburg vs. Deming JV, 52-16

Menaul's Tournament
Coronado def. NACA, 27-19
Logan def. Evangel Christian Academy, 52-5
Bosque vs. Magdalena JV, 45-28

Trinidad State Junior College Tournament (CO)
Hoehne (CO) def. Raton, 53-41
Custer County (CO) def. Springer, 44-21

Kirtland Central def. Tuba City, 67-47, Lake Powell Holiday Classic (Page, AZ)

Eldorado def. Rio Rancho, 63-46
La Cueva def. Atrisco Heritage, 73-38
Rio Grande def. Manzano, 56-44
Academy def. Sandia Prep, 58-49
Lovington def. Andrews (TX), 51-30
Bloomfield def. Los Lunas, 47-45
Los Alamos def. Belen, 35-25
Hope Christian def. West Mesa, 62-57
Moriarty def. East Mountain, 63-35
Laguna-Acoma def. Wingate, 67-63
McCurdy def. Tierra Encantada, 43-36
Gateway Christian def. NMMI, 43-42
Hondo Valley def. Mesilla Valley Christian, 52-25
Tse' Yi' Gai def. To'hajiilee, 52-32
Keyes (OK) def. Des Moines, 61-28

Desert Academy's High Desert Classic @ GCCC [CANCELLED]
Teams Affected: Desert Academy, NMSD, Vaughn, Walatowa Charter, and Monte Del Sol

FRIDAY, December 2nd
Clovis Invite
Roswell def. St. Michael's, 45-29
Clovis def. Clayton, 74-20

Capital's Armendariz Tournament
Chaparral def. Deming, 54-45
Goddard def. Santa Fe, 69-47
Espanola Valley def. Aztec, 50-36
Capital def. Mesa Vista, 46-19

Gallup's John Lomasney Tournament
Winslow (AZ) def. Grants, 50-38
Window Rock (AZ) def. Miyamura, 48-44
Carlsbad vs. Cleveland, 33-17
Tohatchi def. Gallup, 84-75

SFIS Lady Braves Classic
Newcomb def. Santa Fe High JV, 53-29
Taos def. Zuni, 70-30
Robertson def. Espanola Valley JV, 53-17
Navajo Prep def. Santa Fe Indian, 50-40

Shiprock's Jerry Richardson Memorial Tournament
Piedra Vista def. Red Mesa (AZ), 63-28
Shiprock def. Bloomfield, 49-42
Farmington def. Red Valley/Cove (AZ), 64-38
Northwest def. Whitehorse (UT), 48-32

Santa Rosa's Lady Lion Classic
Tucumcari def. Dulce, 59-38
Estancia def. ATC, 37-17
Fort Sumner/House def. Tularosa, 55-45
Santa Rosa def. Mora, 51-46

Melrose's American Heritage Tournament
Dexter def. Cloudcroft, 53-22
Elida def. Friona (TX), 46-39
Escalante def. Melrose, 50-43

Magdalena Stampede
Alamo Navajo def. Animas, 54-40
Hatch Valley def. Ramah, 51-42
Magdalena def. Pine Hill, 60-41

Dora's JP Stone Invitational
Grady def. Quemado, 54-26
Dora def. Hagerman, 52-23
Tatum def. Morton (TX), 59-54

Menaul Tournament
Coronado def. Bosque. 32-24
Logan def. N.A.C.A., 59-19
Evangel Christian Academy vs. Magdalena JV [PENDING]

Lordsburg's Lady Mavericks' Fiesta
Lordsburg vs. Cobre, 62-59

Trinidad State Junior College Tournament (Colorado)
Raton def. Primero (CO), 46-33
John Mall (CO) def. Springer, 41-38

Channing (TX) Tournament
Roy/Mosquero def. Adrian (TX), 55-29

Page's Lake Powell Holiday Classic (AZ)
Arbor View (Las Vegas, NV) def. Kirtland Central, 77-66

Mayfield def. Cibola, 37-30
Volcano Vista def. Onate, 47-41
Las Cruces def. Highland, 55-43
West Mesa def. Los Lunas, 55-44
Centennial def. Valley, 59-41
Del Norte def. Bernalillo, 57-15
St. Pius X def. Alamogordo, 43-22
Portales def. Texico, 51-47
Sandia Prep def. Pojoaque Valley, 59-45
Mescalero Apache def. Gateway Christian, 52-12
McCurdy def. Jemez Valley, 36-32
Clovis Christian def. Kingdom Prep Academy, 57-54
Denver City (TX) def. Lovington, 51-27

SATURDAY, December 3rd
Clovis Invite
Clovis def. St. Michael’s, 44-28
Roswell def. Clayton, 62-14

Capital's Al Armendariz Tournament
Championship: Espanola Valley def. Capital, 58-27
3rd Place: Mesa Vista def. Aztec, 44-40
Consolation: Goddard def. Chaparral, 44-35
7th Place: Santa Fe vs. Deming, 64-30

Gallup's John Lomasney Invitational
Championship: Carlsbad def. Tohatchi, 66-35
3rd Place: Cleveland def. Gallup, 54-50
Consolation: Winslow (AZ) def. Window Rock (AZ), 53-48
7th Place: Grants def. Miyamura, 35-33

Santa Fe Indian Lady Braves Classic
Championship: Robertson def. Navajo Prep, 65-31
3rd Place: Santa Fe Indian def. Espanola JV, [PENDING]
Consolation: Taos def. Newcomb, 70-47
7th Place: SFIS JV def. Zuni, [PENDING]


Shiprock's Jerry Richardson Memorial Invite
Piedra Vista def. Shiprock, 37-36
Bloomfield def. Farmington, 45-32
Red Mesa (AZ) def. Northwest, 49-31

Santa Rosa’s Lady Lion Classic
Championship: Fort Sumner/House def. Santa Rosa, 50-40
3rd Place: Tularosa def. Mora, 55-42
Consolation: Tucumcari def. Estancia, 51-18
7th Place: Dulce def. ATC, 49-22

Melrose’s American Hertiage Tournament
Championship: Elida def. Escalante, 49-33
3rd Place: Melrose def. Friona (TX), 60-54
Consolation: Dexter def. Floyd, 60-25
7th Place: Cloudcroft def. Mountainair, 36-27

Magdalena Stampede
Championship: Hatch Valley def. Magdalena, 56-47
3rd Place: Pine Hill vs. Ramah, [PENDING]
Consolation: Alamo Navajo vs. Carrizozo, [PENDING]
7th Place: Animas def. Reserve, 36-13

Dora’s JP Stone Invitational
Championship: Tatum def. Dora, 56-42
3rd Place: Morton (TX) def. Hagerman, 50-35
Consolation: Grady vs. Portales JV, [PENDING]
7th Place: Jal def. Quemado, 58-39

Menaul's Round-Robin Tournament
Logan def. Coronado, 55-36
Bosque def. Evangel Christian Academy, 54-16
N.A.C.A. def. Menaul, 50-20

Lordsburg’s Lady Maverick Fiesta
Championship: Lordsburg vs. Colegio Bachilleres or Silver JV, [PENDING]
3rd Place: Cobre def. Cliff, 42-31

Trinidad State Junior College Tournament (Colorado)
Primero (CO) def. Springer, 51-49
John Mall (CO) def. Raton, 52-43

Page’s Lake Powell Holiday Classic (Arizona)
3rd Place: Kirtland Central def. Sunrise Mountain, 68-26

Cibola def. Centennial, 52-38
Highland def. Onate, 57-48
Las Cruces def. Volcano Vista, 49-40
Mayfield def. Valley, 44-16
Sandia def. Rio Grande, 70-42
Del Norte def. Atrisco Heritage, 52-47
ALBQ Academy def. Belen, 37-31
Valencia def. Los Alamos, 32-24
Hope Christian def. La Cueva, 50-40
Socorro def. East Mountain, 52-36
Penasco def. Cimarron, 58-42
Gateway Christian def. Mescalero Apache, 45-29

Last one

What happened in Week 3?

Does anyone have any info on how the LL tigers tourney went today.

Who had the best Week in Week 3?

St. Pius X 34, Artesia 24.

The St. Pius X Sartans finished the 2016 season as the 5A state championship posting a 12-1 record. St. Pius quarterback scored on runs of 24 and 33 along with a 45-yard and 10 yard passing touchdown on the day. The Sartans win their first title since the 1999 season and will be the final game for head coach San Jon Mendoza who has been the head coach since 1996.

Sartans Season At-A-Glance
8/27 - Highland (w 48-8)
9/2 - West Mesa (W 41-7)
9/9 - Hope Christian (W 44-0)
9/16 - Alamogordo (L 41-33)
9/24 - Lovington (W 51-0)
9/30 - Miyamura (W 69-38)
10/7 - Grants (W 61-6)
10/13 - Valencia (W 48-8)
10/21 - Los Lunas (W 44-7)
10.27 - Belen (W 35-23)
11/18 - Farmington (W 41-32) - Quarterfinal
11/25 - Roswell (W 42-7) - Semi-Final
12/3 - Artesia (W 34-24) - State Championship

Post all updates here

San Juan Mendoza Coaching His Last Game

It's being reported that head coach San Juan Mendoza will be stepping down after the state championship games this Saturday. He took the Sartans to three state championships winning it all in 1999. St. Pius (11-1) will play the Artesia Bulldogs on Saturday for the 5A title.

More
5A State Championship Preview

Capitan Wins the 3A State Championship

The Capitan Tigers finish the season 12-1 and win the 3A state championship and first title for head coach James Weems. The Tigers beat the Eunice Cardinals 27-26 as they scored in the final minutes of the game to seal the win for the Tigers.

Tiger Scores
Stephen Ellison scores from 64-yards out (7-0 Capitan).
Price Bowen scored from 24 yard TD run (21-6 Capitan)
Price Bowen from 5 yards scores a TD. (27-26 Capitan)

Season at-a-glance
8/26 - Hagerman (W 41-0)
9.2 - NMMI (W 35-21)
9/9 - Jal (W 55-0)
9/16 - Estancia (L 20-14)
9/23 - Clayton (W 50-0)
9/30 - Texico (W 60-6)
10/7 - Tularosa (W 60-7)
10/28 - Dexter (W 27-13)
11/4 - Eunice (W 21-12)
11/19 - Raton (W 36-0) - Quarterfinal
11/25 - Dexter (14-7) OT - Semi-Final
12/3 - Eunice (27-26) - State Championship

Class 6A Football State Championship Preview

Teams: No. 1 Rio Rancho Rams (12-0) vs No. 3 Las Cruces (11-1)

When: 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Rio Rancho, NM

Coaches: Rio Rancho's David Howes (2nd appearance - 2014) and Las Cruces' Mark Loprez (1st appearance)

Last Championship: Rio Rancho (2014), Las Cruces (2013)

No. 1 Rio Rancho Leaders: Passing - Nic Little (1,767-yards/22 TDs). Rushing - Josh Foley (1,884-yards/31 TDs). Receiving - Derek Reyes (685-yards/7 TDs). Defense - Cailon Bailon (92 tackles/8 sacks)

About the Rams: The Rio Rancho Rams enter the championship game winning District 1-6A after posting a perfect record of 12-0. In the playoffs the Rams took out Onate in the quarterfinal game (48-0) and followed that up with a 35-7 win in the semi-final over Manzano High School. When looking at depth, overall talent and great coaching the Rams have become one of the best programs in the state of New Mexico for football. The Rams enter their second state championship in the last three years and continue to develop a top program. It goes without question that the Rams feature one of the best players in the state with running back Josh Foley who has 31 rushing touchdowns (38 total touchdowns/2 defense) and 1,884-rushing yards. The unsung hero on this team is also the overshadowed quarterback Nic Little who could find himself on the ballot for Quarterback of the Year. Fuel to this fire is a defensive unit with six must mention prospects in Cailon Bailon, Vinny Pameri, Ashton Klovenas, Elijah Goodwin along with Kevin McCracken and Zach Dodd.

No. 3 Las Cruces Leaders: Passing - Payton Ball (2,299-yards/23 TDs). Rushing - Payton Ball (996-yards/18 TDs). Receiving - Ivan Molina (1,176-yards/8 TDs). Defense - N/A.

About the Bulldawgs: The Las Cruces Bulldawgs enter the final game of the season after a 11-1 season and winning District 3-6A. The Bulldawgs upset the 2-seed Cleveland Storm in the semi-finals 45-7 along with beating Clovis (35-14) in the quarterfinal. When you consider one of the best programs in terms of longevity in New Mexico High School football the Bulldawgs rank at the top of the list in the biggest classification the state awards. The Bulldawgs have played and won 6-state title since the 1999 football season, the most by a program in the biggest enrollment classification. This season they continue to be at the top and plenty of the success goes to 1st-year head coach Mark Lopez who has the Bulldawgs playing better each week. The Bulldawgs also feature one of the best players in the state in Payton Ball who leads the team in both passing and rushing yards along with having a total of 41 touchdowns. This team also features skill players in wide receivers Brandon Baeza and Ivan Molina who continue to be two of the states top receivers - Molina has an impressive 1,176-yards on the season.

Prediction: Rio Rancho 44, Las Cruces 41

Line: Rio Rancho -3

Over/Under: 88 points

So far these are the teams that have committed:

El Paso Del Valle Hs, TX
El Paso El Dorado Hs, TX
El Paso Montwood Hs, TX
Rio Rancho, NM
Santa Fe, NM

No. 1 Rio Rancho 39, No. 3 Las Cruces 17

The 3-seed Las Cruces Bulldawgs jumped out to an early 14-6 lead in the opening quarter after a pair of touchdowns and a blocked PAT by the Bulldawgs. Las Cruces and Mr. Football candidate Payton Ball scored the first touchdown of the day and also connected with receiver Ivan Molina from 20-yards out.

Zeneth Klovenas of the Rams scored two first half touchdowns that helped the Rams even the score at 14 in the second quarter. After a Las Cruces touchdown, Josh Foley caught a 64-yard pass to put the Rams up 21-17 heading into the half.

Rio Rancho's Josh Foley opened the second half with a touchdown for the Rams as they extended their lead to 27-17 in the third quarter. Late into the third quarter Rams quarterback Nic Little punched it in from 5-yards out to take a 33-17 lead. Rams running back Josh Foley broke for a 85-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that would seal the deal.

The Rio Rancho Rams finished the season (13-0) and win their second state championship in three years.

Scoring Drive
4th Q: Josh Foley scores on a 85-yard TD. (Rio Rancho 39, Las Cruces 17)
3rd Q: Nic Little scores from 5-yards out. (Rio Rancho 33, Las Cruces 17)
3rd Q: Josh Foley scored from 4-yards out. (Rio Rancho 27, Las Cruces 17)
2nd Q: Zeneth Klovenas scores his second TD. (Rio Rancho 21, Las Cruces 17).
2nd Q: Gabe Quezeda scores on a 30-yard Field Goal. (Las Cruces 17, Rio Rancho 14)
2nd Q: Nic Little to Josh Foley on a 64-yard TD pass. (Las Cruces 14, Rio Rancho 14)
2nd Q: Payton Ball to Ivan Molina on a 20-yard TD. (Las Cruces 14, Rio Rancho 7)
2nd Q: Zeneth Klovenas scores from 3-yards out. (Las Cruces 7, Rio Rancho 6): Blocked PAT by Brandon Baeza of LCHS.
1st Q: Payton Ball scores from 1-yard out (Las Cruces 7, Rio Rancho 0)

Rio Rancho Rams Season-at-a-glance.
8/26 - Mayfield (W 34-7)
9/2 - El Paso - Americas, Texas (W 31-7)
9/9 - Clovis (W 46-7)
9/16 - Onate (W 38-10)
9/23 - Manzano (W 64-27)
9/30 - Sandia (W 49-0)
10/7 - Cleveland (W 42-28)
10/14 - Volcano Vista (W 63-14)
10/29 - Cibola (W 42-3)
11/4 - Piedra Vista (W 48-0)
11/18 - Onate (W 48-0) - Quarterfinals
11/26 - Manzano (W 35-7) - Semi-Finals
12/3 - Las Cruces

Class 5A Football State Championship Preview

Teams: No. 1 Artesia Bulldogs (10-2) at No. 2 St. Pius X Sartans (11-1)

When: 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Albuquerque, NM (Nusenda Community Stadium)

Coaches: Artesia's Rex Henderson (1st appearance) and St. Pius' San Juan Mendoza (3rd appearance - 2001 & 1999)

Last Championship: Artesia (2015), St. Pius X (1999)

No. 1 Artesia Leaders: No stats available from the program.

About the Bulldogs: The 1-seed in the playoffs is also the back-to-back state champion Artesia Bulldogs. They reach the final game again after a 56-29 quarterfinal win over Alamogordo followed up with a 35-7 win over Los Lunas in the semi-final game. The Bulldogs are the 4-5A district champions and have a 10-2 record entering the final game. Again we don't have numbers to highlight prospects on the Bulldogs so we will go with who we know. Taylor Null is the junior quarterback who has multiple games with 5-touchdowns. Cody Scott and Jharryss Granger are the names to know on defense, both combine for over 10-sacks on the season. Include a next level OL in Marcus Bramwell and you have a team that could be on their way to a 30th title.

No. 2 St. Pius Leaders: No stats available from program.

About the Sartans: The St. Pius Sartans enter their first state championship game since the 2001 season. The Sartans reach the final game after defeating the Roswell Coyotes in the semi-finals by a score of 42-7, after a 41-32 win over 10-seed Farmington in the quarterfinals. District 5-5A champions the Sartans are 11-1 on the season and riding an 8-game winning streak into the game. Unfortunately, the Sartans don't publish stats on their players, so we will go with what we know. Drew Ortiz is the quarterback and the man that can do it all offensively. His lead receiver is Mel DeHerrera and on the defense you need to watch for a LB duo in Adrian Leon and Austin Shull.

Prediction: Artesia 42, St. Pius X 40

Line: Artesia -5

Over/Under: 77 points

6A: Rio Rancho 39, Las Cruces 17 - Final
5A: St. Pius X 34, Artesia 24 - Final
4A: Portales 43, Robertson 14 - Final
3A: Capitan 27, Eunice 26 - Final

The final week of Pick 'Em is here!

No. 3 Las Cruces at No. 1 Rio Rancho, +5,000 (Upset is Las Cruces +15,000)
No. 2 St. Pius X vs No. 1 Artesia +10,000 (Upset is St. Pius X +20,000)
No. 2 Portales vs No. 1 Robertson, +20,000 (Upset is Portales +25,000)
No. 4 Eunice at No. 2 Capitan, +25,000 (Upset is Eunice +40,000)

Class 4A Football State Championship Preview

Teams: No. 1 Robertson (12-0) at No. 2 Portales (11-1)

When: 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Portales, New Mexico (Greyhound Stadium)

Coaches: Robertson's Leroy Gonzalez (1 State Championship - 2013) and Portales' Jaime Ramirez (1st appearance)

Last title: Robertson (2013), Portales (2008)

No. 1 Robertson Leaders: Passing - Arjay Ortiz, Jr (1,140-yards/18 TD's). Rushing - Joseph Paul Griego, Sr (1,162-yards/19 TDs). Receiving - Marc Grando, Sr (337-yards/6 TDs). Tackles - Connor Houdek, Sr (141-Total tackles)

About the Cardinals: The Robertson Cardinals enter the state championship for the second consecutive season and third appearance in the last four post seasons, winning it all in 2013. The Cardinals got here by beating Ruidoso in the quarterfinals (34-22) and Hatch Valley in the semi-finals (38-20). Robertson is averaging 41 points per game and giving up only 14 points per game as one of the top defensive teams in the state. Outside of the prospects mentioned in the stat leaders you have one of the best cornerbacks in the state in Matthew Baca (Sr) along with Juan Marcos Dominguez and Darian Duran who add to this outstanding defensive unit.

No. 2 Portales Leaders: Passing - Junior Ramirez, Sr (1,340-yards/18 TDs). Rushing - Darian Ontiveros, Sr (1,451-yards/23 TDs). Tyrese Dawson, Jr (539-yards/9 TDs). Tackles - Jeremie Karngbaye, Sr (80-total tackles).

About the Rams: The Portales Rams enter the game after a quarterfinal win over Silver (47-6) and following it up with a semi-final win over St. Michael's (38-0). The Rams are currently riding a 8-game winning streak and winners of 22 of their last 24 games (went 11-1 in 2015 with lone loss to Robertson). Portales is averaging 38 points per game and allowing only 11 points per game on the season. In the playoffs they have only allowed 6-points in two games, outscoring their opponents 85-6. The Rams are surrounded with talent but the prospect who has outstanding numbers is that of senior quarterback Junior Ramirez who leads the team in passing yards, mentioned above, but is second in rushing yards with 1,203-yards and 16 touchdowns. Next level prospect is Jeremie Karngbaye who has 10 sacks to go along with his 80 total tackles.

Prediction: Robertson 23, Portales 21

Line: Robertson -3

Over/Under: 35 points

Class 3A Football State Championship Preview

Teams: No. 4 Eunice (8-4) at No. 2 Capitan (11-1)

When: 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Capitan High School

Coaches: Eunice's Ken Stevens (2nd appearance - 2015) and Capitan's James Weems (1st appearance)

Last title: Eunice (2000), Capitan (1982)

No. 4 Eunice Leaders: Passing - Mason Caperton (1,085-yards/14 TDs). Rushing - Juan Sosa (1,028-yards/6 TDs). Receiving - Chester Miller (712-yards/9 TDs). Tackles - Brandon Buttery (149 tackles)

About the Cardinals: The Eunice Cardinals are deemed the 2016 Cinderella darlings as they did the unthinkable by beating the two-time defending champions in the 1-seed Estancia Bears, 38-13 last week. The Cardinals return to the title game in consecutive years having lost in the 2015 state title game, 50-14. What we like about the Cardinals is the attack from several weapons. On offense we mentioned the leaders but you also have to like players like junior running back Tori York (333-yards/6 touchdowns) and sophomore receiver Evan Mccalip who has 417-receiving yards. You see the outstanding number by tackles leader Brandon Buttery but also Cameron Santa Cruz, a sophomore, has an impressive 96-total tackles.

No. 2 Capitan Leaders: Passing - Price Bowen (1,462 yards/18 touchdowns). Rushing - Stephen Ellison (1,233 yards/12 touchdowns). Receiving - Jacob Smith (598-yards/5 touchdowns). Tackles - Price Bowen (127 total tackles).

About the Tigers: The Capitan Tigers return to the title game for the first time since the 2013 season, a loss to Hagerman for the 1A title, 35-6. The Capitan Tigers enter the title game after an 11-1 season and a semi-final win over Dexter in an overtime 14-7 classic finish. The Capitan Tigers are a team that was destined to be the talk of the state in 2017 but a season early has many taking the Tigers as the favorite in this match up. Plenty goes to the do-everything player in Price Bowen who leads the team on offense as the quarterback who has 1,462 passing yards along with 1,016 rushing yards but also leads the team in tackles with 127.

Prediction: Capitan 14, Eunice 13

Line: Capitan -1.5

Over/Under: 20 points

I Voted (Don't Point it out when I'm Wrong...or Do)

Eunice (4-seed). The Cardinals have a 8-4 record on the season and the team we can see continuing this hot post season play. They have faced the 2-seed Capitan Tigers in this season a 21-12 loss on November 4th, one month from the re-match. However, when you are hot you are hot. In the semi-final game the Cardinals did one big thing - scored 38 points - ten points above their average plus they held an Estancia team to 13 points. The Cardinals did what we would't/couldn't predict on our best day and maybe we are reaching on selling the house with this pick but if we had to vote (and you can with our poll) we take the Cardinals here.

Ranking the Others

Portales vs Robertson: Most evenly matched game this weekend. Coin flip but like Robertson.

Las Cruces vs Rio Rancho: I wouldn't but the way Las Cruces is playing I wouldn't blame you.

St. Pius X vs Artesia: Sounds sort of a contradiction here as I have been high on St. Pius X this season. Artesia is Artesia though and wouldn't bet against them.

Eunice vs Capitan

Capitan

I normally ride with the team that is playing hot. I just can't see a situation that Price Bowen doesn't excel. The young Eunice Cardinals are favorites...for next season.

Portales vs Robertson

Robertson

Well, the coin is out. I couldn't decide. Both have great defenses, both are playing well, really well. It will be tough on the road but the Cardinals are my pick (I mean coin flip)

Artesia vs St. Pius X

St. Pius X

Okay, you can dog pile me all you want. I know the tradition that the Bulldogs have and when I travel to Artesia next week you can let me hear it if I'm wrong. All good things come to an end...right? Is it an end to the Bulldogs three peat hopes or the end of the Mendoza era at SPX with a title?

Rio Rancho vs Las Cruces

Rio Rancho

I will be honest and say my initial thought was that I was going to pick Las Cruces. Why the change of heart? No clear Einstein reason but how could the Rams continue to be knocked or picked against each week when they continue to answer that with a W. This one I will say features some of the most exciting talent.

Week 15 Rapid Fire: What to Watch

Each week we try to predict each game and classification. We continue that with an early version of our Rapid Fire.

Coaching Match up to Watch in Finals: Leroy Gonzalez, Robertson vs Jaime Ramirez, Portales. Why would you watch this game and why do we consider it the coaching match up to watch in week 15 - State Championships? If you love defense, this is the match up to watch. Robertson has given up 172 points on the season through 12 games for an average of 14.3. Jamie Ramirez enters his first state title game as a head coach has the Portales Rams with a defense that has given up 140 points in 12 games for an average of 11.6 per game.

X Factor to Watch: Ryan Beltran, Las Cruces. If we had a section for best unknown-known players this weekend it would go to our x-factor in Beltran. The running back rushed for a season high 151-yards last weekend and has a season total of 967-yards on the season. We know the other studs on the Bulldawgs but Beltran is the player as an x-factor.

Hype game to watch: Las Cruces (11-1) vs Rio Rancho (12-0). We had to state the obvious here with the 6A State Championship. The two teams are the best in the state, ranked 1 and 2 in the NMPreps.com Fab 50 Rankings regardless of classification. Stars, studs and next level prospects surround the game. Josh Foley for Rio Rancho and Payton Ball of Las Cruces are two prospects that could (likelihood is high) to be candidates for NMPreps.com Mr. Football player of the year.

Underrated game to watch: Artesia (10-2) vs St. Pius X (11-1). I feel that we could have entered another game into this section but for some reason - tradition, talent - the Sartans of St. Pius X are a big underdog. The Bulldogs of Artesia are going for another state title - 30? They are also in the hunt for a three peat. St. Pius X however is the best candidate to end the title hunt this season with some of the best, under-the-radar, talent across the state. Drew Ortiz is a stud and a must see prospect.

Close call: Eunice (8-4) vs Capitan (11-1). This one will be close. This one will be underrated, under-the-radar, and the game that could end on the final play of the season. Price Bowen, Capitan is one to watch and one that you should watch. The junior does it all for the Tigers on both ends of the ball. The Cinderella of the playoffs this season is Eunice, the 4-seed who took out the Estancia Bears have a young roster to watch and are playing hot right now. This team is so young that it could very much win on the fact they don't know any better but to upset. They are led by a freshman quarterback and sophomore running back - scary good for years to come.