Rank 5A Now

Week 8 Friday Night Recap

We recap the games from Week 8 around the state of New Mexico. There will be movement in the rankings with a pair of upset wins.

Top-25 Recap

No. 1 Rio Rancho 63, No. 4 Volcano Vista 14: Josh Foley and quarterback Nic Little led the charge for the Rams as they improve to a perfect (8-0, 2-0) record on the season. Foley found the end zone early including a 45-touchdown run in the first half to seal the win for the Rams. Volcano Vista has a pair of touchdown passes from Dillon Gassoway to David Cormier in a losing effort. Volcano Vista falls to (5-2, 0-1) on the season.

No. 7 Centennnial 35, No. 8 Mayfield 28: The Centennial Hawks, the youngest High School in Las Cruces has an impressive (5-0) record against Las Cruces Public Schools. The Hawks improve to (7-1) on the season with the win, Mayfield falls to (4-3) on the season. Hawks quarterback Dante Lopez was the playmaker on the evening that started with an 11-yard touchdown run. He later followed it up with a touchdown from 3-yards out. Mayfield's Torry Locklin had a top play on the night with a 99-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Swinson.

No. 11 Eldorado 42, No. 22 Sandia 7: The Eldorado Eagles got a much needed win as they improve to (4-3) on the season. With the loss Sandia drops to (3-4) on the year.

No. 13 La Cueva 55, Santa Fe 6: This one was all the Bears from the start as they move to (4-3) on the season. It was Josh Woisin who started the night with a touchdown and later followed it up with another TD. Santa Fe extends their losing streak to 21-games with the loss and a (0-7) record on the season.

No. 14 Roswell 40, No. 23 Alamogordo 26: Back and forth for most of the contest it was the Roswell Coyotes who would move on with the win and improving their record to (6-1). Bear Kyser took one in for the score to get the Coyotes on the board, followed by an 18-yard pass to Joaquin Nieto to help the Coyotes get the win. Alamogordo led early and received a big game from quarterback Kyle Hooper who ran for a TD from 11-yards out but the Tigers fall to (3-4) on the season with the loss heading into District play.

No. 16 Belen 22, No. 12 Los Lunas 21: In perhaps the photo finish of the night it was the Belen Eagles scoring on the final play and sealing the game with a 2-point conversion. Eagle running back Mateo Romero punched an early touchdown to help take a 14-0 lead before Los Lunas went for 21 unanswered points into the final play of the game. Los Lunas falls to (5-2) on the season with the loss.

No. 17 Moriarty 64, New Mexico Military Institute 35: The Moriarty Pintos only gave up 15-points all season but allowed NMMI to get 35 on the board. The Pintos however stay perfect moving to (7-0) on the season. Elijah Tapia scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get the win for the Pintos.

No. 21 Robertson 55, Santa Fe Indian 0: The Robertson Cardinals improved to (8-0) on homecoming night. The Cardinals scored at will to start the contest and never looked back.

No. 25 Hobbs 56, Gadsden 6: The Hobbs Eagles improved to (2-5) on the season with the win over Gadsden. Blake Moore found the end zone early on for the Eagles as they soared to an easy victory.

Outside the Top-25

Hatch Valley 54, Socorro 26: The three Bears we know, did what they know how to do - score. Shane Cooper hit Cade Hackey early for a 33-yard touchdown but it was Saul Trujillo who would steal the night with a few (4?) touchdowns of his own including a 70-yard kickoff return. The 27th ranked Bears improve to (6-1) on the season. Socorro drops it's second consecutive game falling to (6-2) on the year.

Dexter 49, Loving 0: The Dexter Demons ranked #32 in the Fab 50 rankings moved to (7-1) on the season with the win over Loving. Demons running back Nick Cobos was the talk of the game with touchdowns of (25, 45, 61 [catch] and 36 yards out).

Del Norte 34, Capital 7: The Knights ranked 39th in the state move into a comfortable slot as the best team in 2-5A with the win over 35th ranked Capital. Knights running back Avery See had the breakout performance we have been waiting for, opening the game with a 10-yard touchdown followed by a 40-yard touchdown.

Aztec 30, Bloomfield 25: Another close district game that came down to a final fourth quarter touchdown seen the 41st ranked Tigers beat Bloomfield (No. 45 NMPreps.com Fab 50). Quarterback Cody Smith found receiver Justin Black on a 97-yard touchdown pass to start the game for the Tigers.

Rapid Fire

Missed 2-PT: Newcomb who was making chatter in 3A, dropped a close one 38-36 to Crownpoint.

Playoffs, Playoffs, Playoffs?: West Mesa keeps the season alive and District Championship alive with a 17-7 win over Atrisco Heritage Academy.

Too Close for Comfort: Eunice sneaks by the Tularosa Wildcats with a 14-0 win. Most expected it to be a blowout.

Pretender/Contender: Raton fell to Santa Rosa, 42-21 in a seed implication game.

Still Perfect: Fort Sumner thumps Questa 50-0 and we are starting to to take them serious.

5 Studs On Friday

Nick Cobos - Dexter - Had four touchdowns including a 61-yard catch.

Saul Trujillo - Hatch Valley - 70-yard kickoff return on top of 4 touchdowns.

Avery See - Del Norte - Several touchdowns on the night including a 40-yard TD run.

Bear Kyser - Roswell - Helped guide the Coyotes to a win with a pair of touchdowns.

Dante Lopez - Centennial - In 6A you have to take notice of Lopez who was scoring early (left with an injury) but started the engine to this win.


Scoreboard


Aztec 30, Bloomfield 25 - F
Belen 22, Los Lunas 21 - F
Carrizozo 45, Mescalero 0 - F
Centennial 35, Mayfield 28 - F
Crownpoint 38, Newcomb 36 - F
Del Norte 34, Capital 7 - F
Dexter 49, Loving 0 - F
Eldorado 42, Sandia 7 - F
Eunice 14, Tularosa 0 - F
Farmington 63, Kirtland Central 32 - F
Fort Sumner 50, Questa 0 - F
Gateway 50, Tatum 0 - F
Hatch 54, Socorro 26 - F
Highland 48, Rio Grande 14 - F
Hobbs 56, Gadsden 6 - F
Jal 38 Hagerman 20 - F
La Cueva 55, Santa Fe 6 - F
Magdalena 58, Alamo Navajo 6 - F
Melrose 50, Logan 0 - F
Mesilla Valley 50, Cloudcroft 0 - F
Miyamura 54, Gallup 12
Moriarty 64, NMMI 35 - F
Rio Rancho 63, Volcano Vista 14 - F
Robertson 55, Santa Fe Indian 0 - F
Roswell 40, Alamogordo 26 - F
Santa Rosa 42, Raton 21 - F
Silver 35, Hot Springs 22 - F
Tucumcari 35, Clayton 13 - F
West Las Vegas 59, Bernalillo 7 - F
West Mesa 17, Atrisco Heritage Academy 7 - F

I know we like to give high school refs a hard time but their not doing it full time or getting payed very much, Im watching these overpaid officials in the Eagles/Redskins game miss obvious calls and make up holding calls on numerous plays , its ridiculous.

Thursday, October 20th
Atrisco Heritage 1-6 vs. Highland 1-5-1
Valley 1-6 vs. Rio Grande 0-7
Sandia 3-4 vs. La Cueva 4-3

Friday, October 21st
Animas 6-0 vs. Ft. Hancock 2-2
Aztec 4-3 vs. Farmington 2-4-1
Bloomfield 3-4 vs. Gallup 2-5
Capital 2-5 vs. Española 1-6
Chaparral 2-5 vs. Alamogordo 3-4
Cobre 3-4 vs. Hot Springs 4-4
Cuba 1-6 vs. Laguna 4-3
Dora 3-4 vs. Logan 3-4
Dulce 3-4 vs. Estancia 6-1
Eldorado 4-3 vs. Manzano 5-2
Gateway 7-0 vs. Carrizo 5-1
Goddard 4-3 vs. Lovington 1-6
Hatch 6-1 vs. Silver 3-5
Hobbs 2-5 vs. Onate 4-3
Hope 3-5 vs. Moriarty 7-0
Lake Arthur 4-2 vs. Vaughn 4-2
Lordsburg 4-2 vs. Hagerman 2-4
Magdalena 7-1 vs. Foothill 4-3
Mayfield 4-4 vs. Gadsden 2-6
Menial 2-4 vs. Alamo Navajo 1-5
Miyamura 6-1 vs. Kirtland 6-1
MVCS 4-2 vs. Mescalero 3-5
Navajo Prep 2-5 vs. Thoreau 1-7
Piedra Vista 5-2 vs. Cleveland 7-1
Portales 6-1 vs. Ruidoso 5-3
Roswell 6-1 vs. Artesia 6-1
San Jon 5-0 vs. Floyd 2-3
Santa Fe 0-7 vs. Clovis 4-3
SFIS 2-6 vs. Bernalillo
Springer 2-4 vs. Mountaineer 6-2
St. Pius X 7-1 vs. Los Lunas 5-2
Tatum 0-8 vs. Cloudcroft 4-3
Texico 1-5 vs. Raton 5-3
Thatch 1-6 vs. Zuni 5-3
Tucumcari 1-6 vs. Santa Rosa 2-6
Tularosa 1-7 vs. Dexter 7-1
Valencia 1-6-1 vs. Grants 4-3
Volcano Vista 5-2 vs. Cibola 3-5
West LV 6-1 vs. Taos 3-4
West Mesa 4-4 vs. Albuquerque 3-4
Wingate 3-4 vs. Shiprock 4-3
Capitan vs. Loving 1-6

Saturday, October 22nd
Del Norte 3-3-1 vs. Academy 2-6
Centennial 7-1 vs. Las Cruces 6-1
Robertson 7-0 vs. St. Mike’s 5-2

Top Plays/Top Performers From Week 8

So taking a quick look at the 5A field, it seems like you can field 11 of the 12 teams, no seeding here:

Dist 1 - Farmington
Dist 2 - Acad, Capitol, Los Alamos
Dist 3 - Chapa, ST, Alamo
Dist 4 - Roswell
Dist 5 - SPX, Los Lunas, Valencia

Thats eleven schools. Teams that could be the 12th are: Belen, Goddard, LOvington, and Aztec???

Belen has the better record with a win vs Valencia. Belen and Aztec tied, while Aztec has a draw with Farmington to their credit...or more to Farmingtons discredit. Goddard has two decent/good wins vs Bosque and Portales. Lovington just might place above Goddard which would destroy this whole thread and sort the topic out itself.

Joce scored her first td last night against Pojoaque. Is this the first TD for a female in NM HS history?

What did you learn from Week 8?

Oct 15

Monday:
Valencia (10-5, 2-2) at St. Pius (6-6-1, 3-1). Odd back-to-back games between these two teams this week, thanks to an earlier rainout. Both teams trail Los Lunas (4-0) in the district.

Tuesday:
Gadsden (14-1-2, 7-0-2) at Hobbs (13-2, 7-1). Gadsden hung on to beat Centennial at home Saturday, in overtime, and Hobbs won on the road over Las Cruces, setting up this matchup. All that is at stake here is a district title and a first-round bye. Gadsden won the first match, 2-1.

Valley (10-3-1, 5-1) at Albuquerque High (10-2-2, 5-1). Valley is perhaps the single biggest surprise of 6A. A win here and they are big favorites to win this district. They have already beaten AHS once.

Eldorado (7-6-1, 4-2) at Sandia (10-2-2, 4-2). Loser is out of the district race, because La Cueva is 6-0. Big seeding implications – Sandia had looked like a top-4 seed, but finishing third in district sends them to the bottom half of the draw, and Eldorado has the tie-breaker over them for second.

Santa Teresa (12-3-1, 2-0) at Chaparral (11-3-2, 2-0). Match for the lead in this district. Chaparral beat ST earlier this year, although that was in ST’s second game of the day on Sept. 17. These two will meet again at the end of the year – this small district is behind all the others in terms of playing district games.

Alamogordo (9-5-2, 0-2) at Deming (5-10-1, 0-2). This game matters because it is a must-win for Alamo. Deming has been good at home, and if they beat Alamo, they will be ahead of the Tigers in the district, which puts Alamo in some jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether, despite their record.

Capital (11-2, 2-1) at Academy (13-2-1, 3-0). Capital had a big road win over Los Alamos Saturday, so they remain alive in the district race. An Academy win virtually clinches the district.

St. Pius at Valencia. Part II.

Thursday:
Rio Rancho (9-8, 3-2) at Volcano Vista (10-3-1, 4-0). Rio Rancho was in big trouble a week ago – possibly facing missing out on state altogether. But then they beat Cibola and Cleveland, and if they win here they actually have a chance to win the district.

Cibola (8-6, 3-2) at Cleveland (12-4, 1-3). Hey, remember when Cleveland won the Academy tournament and started district play ranked No. 1 in the state? Now they are looking at fourth place in their district.

Los Lunas (8-7, 4-0) at St. Pius. Brutal week for St. Pius. By the time this game rolls around, the Sartans could be in a spot to take over the district with a win here. Or they could be looking at a road game in the first round of state. Because of an odd schedule plus bad luck with the weather, St. Pius not only has four tough district games left (counting the three this week) but they also still have to play Capital, Hope and Academy.

Friday:
Portales (12-1-1, 3-0-1) at Hope Christian (11-3-1, 4-0-1). Battle for the top seed in A-4A and a district title. These teams tied in their earlier meeting at Portales.

Saturday:
La Cueva (12-2, 6-0) at Sandia. Big rematch – La Cueva won the first one. The Bears have won eight in a row.

Los Alamos (11-5-1, 1-2) at Academy (13-2-1, 3-0). Los Alamos is definitely one of the top sides in 5A (wins over Valencia, St. Pius, Farmington (2), and a draw with Roswell), but now they have losses to Capital and Academy and could really use a win here to improve their seeding argument. Academy may have clinched the district before this game, so LA may have more to play for.

Alamogordo at Chaparral.

Volcano Vista at Cibola.

District 1-6A
Rio Rancho 8-0, 2-0
Cleveland 7-1, 1-1
Cibola 3-5, 1-1
Piedra Vista 5-2, 0-1
Volcano Vista 5-2, 0-1

District 2-6A
Clovis 4-2, 1-0
Manzano 4-2, 1-0
La Cueva 4-3, 1-1
Eldorado 4-3, 1-1
Sandia 3-4, 1-1
Santa Fe 0-7, 0-2

District 3-6A
Las Cruces 5-1, 2-0
Centennial 7-1, 4-0
Mayfield 4-4, 2-2
Onate 1-6, 1-2
Hobbs 2-5, 1-2
Carlsbad 2-6, 0-4
Gadsden 1-7, 0-4

District 4-6A
West Mesa 3-4, 2-0
Albuquerque 3-4, 1-1
Highland 1-5-1, 1-1
Atrisco 1-5, 1-1
Valley 1-6, 1-1
Rio Grande 0-7, 0-2

5A

District 1-5A
Miyamura 6-1, 2-0
Farmington 2-4-1, 2-0
Aztec 4-3, 2-0
Bloomfield 3-4, 0-2
Gallup 2-5, 0-2
Kirtland 4-3, 0-2

District 2-5A
Del Norte 3-3-1, 2-0
Espanola 1-6, 1-0
Los Alamos 4-4, 1-1
Capital 2-5, 0-1
Academy 2-6, 0-2

District 3-5A
Alamogordo 3-4
Chaparral 2-5
Santa Teresa 1-6
Deming 0-7

District 4-5A
Artesia 6-1
Roswell 6-1
Goddard 4-3
Lovington 1-6

District 5-5A
St. Pius X 7-1, 2-0
Belen 7-1, 2-0
Los Lunas 5-2, 0-1
Grants 4-3, 0-1
Valencia 1-6-1, 0-2

Class 4A

District 1-4A
Shiprock 4-3
Wingate 3-3
Navajo Prep 2-5
Thoreau 1-7

District 2-4A
West LV 6-1, 3-0
Robertson 7-0, 3-0
St. Mike's 5-2, 3-0
Pojoaque 4-4, 2-2
Taos 3-4, 1-2
Bernalillo 0-8, 0-4
SFIS 2-6, 0-4

District 3-4A
Hatch 6-1, 1-0
Cobre 3-4, 1-0
Silver 3-5, 1-1
Hot Springs 4-4, 1-1
Socorro 6-2, 0-2

District 4-4A
Moriarty 7-0, 1-0
Portales 6-1, 1-0
Ruiodoso 4-3, 1-0
Hope 3-4, 0-1
NMMI 2-6, 0-2

3A

District 1
Crownpoint 4-4, 1-0
Newcomb 5-3, 0-1
Tohatchi 1-6, 0-0
Zuni 4-3, 0-0

District 2
Estancia 5-1, 0-0
McCurdy 3-4, 2-0
Dulce 3-4, 1-0
Laguna 4-3, 0-1
Cuba 1-6, 0-2

District 3
Tucumcari 1-6, 1-0
Texico 1-5, 1-0
Santa Rosa 2-6, 1-1
Raton 5-3, 1-1
Clayton 0-8, 0-2

District 4
Dexter 7-1, 2-0
Capitan 6-1, 1-0
Eunice 5-3, 1-1
Loving 1-6, 0-1
Tularosa 1-7, 0-2

2A

District 1
Ft. Sumner 8-0, 1-0
Escalante 8-0, 1-0
Navajo Pine 1-4, 0-1
Questa 1-3, 0-1

District 2
Jal 3-5, 1-0
Hagerman 2-4, 0-1
Lordsburg 4-2, 0-0

Las Cruces vs Carlsbad
Manzano vs Clovis
Hope vs Ruidoso

TEXT SCORES/UPDATES (505) 414-4313

Friday, October 14th
Academy 2-5 vs. Los Alamos 3-4
Alamogordo 3-3 vs. Roswell 5-1
Alamo Navajo 1-4 vs. Magdalena 6-1
Atrisco 1-5 vs. West Mesa 2-4
Aztec 3-3 vs. Bloomfield 3-3
Bernalillo 0-7 vs. West LV 5-1
Carrizozo 4-1 vs. Mescalero 3-4
Clayton 0-6 vs. Tucumcari 0-6
Cloudcroft 4-2 vs. Mesilla Valley 3-2
Crownpoint 3-4 vs. Necomb 5-2
Cuba 1-5 vs. Dulce 2-4
Del Norte 2-3-1 vs. Capital 2-4
Eunice 4-3 vs. Tularosa 1-6
Floyd 2-2 vs. Lake Arthur 3-2
Gallup 2-4 vs. Miyamura 5-1
Gateway 6-0 vs. Tatum 0-7
Hagerman 2-3 vs. Jal 2-5
Highland 0-5-1 vs. Rio Grande 0-6
Hobbs 1-5 vs. Gadsden 1-6
Hondo 3-3 vs. Animas 5-0
Hot Springs 4-3 vs. Silver 2-5
Kirtland Central 4-2 vs. Farmington 1-4-1
La Cueva 3-3 vs. Santa FE 0-6
Los Lunas 5-1 vs. Belen 6-1
Loving 1-5 vs. Dexter6-1
Mayfield 4-3 vs. Centennial 6-1
Melrose 6-1 vs. Logan 3-3
Moriarty 6-0 vs. NMMI 2-5
Mountainair 5-2 vs. Dora 3-3
Navajo Pine 0-4 vs. Escalante 7-0
Questa 1-2 vs. Ft. Sumner 7-0
Raton 5-2 vs. Santa Rosa 1-6
Robertson 6-0 vs. SFIS 2-5
Sandia 3-3 vs. Eldorado 3-3
Socorro 6-1 vs. Hatch 5-1
St. Mike's 4-2 vs. Pojoaque 4-3
Volcano Vista 5-1 vs. Rio Rancho 7-0
Wingate 3-3 vs. Zuni 4-3

Saturday, October 15th
Estancia 5-1 vs. McCurdy 3-4
Hope 3-4 vs. Ruidoso 4-3
Clovis 4-2 vs. Manzano 4-2
Las Cruces 5-1 vs. Carlsbad 2-6

Thursday, October 13th
Cleveland 35, Cibola 14 - Final
St. Michael's 55, Pojoaque 12 - Final
St. Pius 48, Valencia 8 - Final
Valley 38, Albuquerque 33 - Final

Happy Birthday to my baby boy. He turns 18 today. Lets get a "W" from Volcano Vista!!

Login to view embedded media

Week 8 Roll Call

Week 8: Must See Games

Each week we get a week closer to the 2016 State Playoffs. Each week we see the teams fit the shoe of pretender - those who don't make - or contender. Maybe, just a team that is neither a pretender or contender and a team that makes the state playoffs.

More: Week 8 Fab 50 Rankings

Watch This: Ranking the Top Games

RIO RANCHO (7-0) vs VOLCANO VISTA (5-1)

Rankings: Rio Rancho (No. 1), Volcano Vista (No. 4)

Studs: Josh Foley, the running back for the Rio Rancho Rams is one of the best players in the state - shoot he could be argued as thee best player. Dillon Gassoway, maybe the surprise pick here for the Volcano Vista Hawks. We pick him because this summer we seen a star in the making and he has lived up to that prediction.

Why: What we know. Rio Rancho is legit (lit?). Volcano Vista is good this year but how good?

CENTENNIAL (6-1) vs MAYFIELD (3-3)

Rankings: Centennial (No. 7), Mayfield (No. 8)

Studs: The Centennial Hawks have some nice options on O and Jr Pena is one of the best wide receivers in the state. Stat line is impressive for the young man as he looks towards the Hawks climbing in the polls. Mayfield has a receiver in Gavin Swinson, a New Mexico State commit, to bring to the table. Unfortunately, no stat line.

Why: Others might know when the last time Mayfield was under .500 this deep into the season but like the next game, the winner moves up for a home game in the playoffs. Loser on the road.

CLOVIS (4-2) at MANZANO (4-2)

Rankings: Clovis (No. 9), Manzano (No. 10)

Studs: Micah Gray is the name to know for the Clovis Wildcats. The young man has 919 yards on the season with an eye popping 17-touchdowns. Manzano features plenty of names not mentioned a lot but take notice of Ryan Moore who does a little of everything including a 99-yard kick off return last week.

Why: Both ranked close to each other and answers the questions we are wondering. Who is playoff bound, with a good seed, and who will fall in the 9-11 seed section and on the road in the opening round. Winner also takes control of the district.

LOS LUNAS (5-1) at BELEN (6-1)

Rankings: Los Lunas (No. 12), Belen (No. 16)

Studs: Los Lunas features a running that has seen the hype and lived up to said hype. O'maury Samuels, the Michigan commit, has 882-rushing yards this season and 9-touchdowns. Zach Halterman, a new junior quarterback on the scene has played well this season and could be a name for the future.

Why: What more to get you out than a good old fashion rivalry game. This one could set up for either team winning the district.

ALAMOGORDO (3-3) vs ROSWELL (5-1)

Rankings: Roswell (No. 14), Alamogordo (No. 23)

Studs: What better name for a quarterback then Bear Kyser, a senior who has passed for 846-yards, rushed for 193-yards with a total of 9-touchdowns. Alamogordo has a stud quarterback in Kyle Hooper but also a running back by the name Dee Smith.

Why: Both teams have the opportunity to make the case for a bye in the opening round even without their finish in their districts. Alamogordo surely to get the auto in 3-5A, Roswell has a battle in 4-5A.

CIBOLA (3-4) vs CLEVELAND (6-1)

Rankings: Cleveland (No. 2), Cibola (No. 19)

Studs: Nathaniel Manzanares only a sophomore has 137-yards in 3 games this season. Cleveland has plenty of talent on the roster, Shawn Nieto has been consistently played well with 296-yards in three games from week 4-6.

Why: No real reason but Cibola is on a 3-game streak. Cleveland comes off their first loss in 16-games.

SANDIA (3-3) vs ELDORADO (3-3)

Rankings: Eldorado (No. 11), Sandia (No. 22)

Studs: Sandia has quarterback Jacob Archibeque who has passed for 623-yards on the season pending a pair of games. Eldorado has several talents but will like to see the match up of Matt Denis the Eldorado QB face Sandia's D.

Why: This game could be the make or break for either team. Sandia, likely out, might argue for IN if they can sneak some wins.

More To See
District Title Hopes: No. 30 West Mesa vs No. 35 Atrisco Heritage Academy. Both are 1-0, one gets a big to the state tournament.

Bubble in 5A: No. 28 Farmington vs No. 43 Kirtland Central. Neither has done anything to solidify a bid to the tournament. Winner could take a step closer.

Bubble in 4A: No. 44 Silver vs Hot Springs. Hot Springs surprised with a win over then undefeated Socorro. Their resume is not pretty. Silver needs a win to stay above water.

Uncertainty: No. 41 Aztec vs No. 45 Bloomfield. Bloomfield almost pulled an upset over Miyamura, they need an upset. Aztec at 3-3 could start to make a pivot to the top of the district.

Keep an Eye: No. 27 Hatch Valley vs Socorro. This match up would have had better headlines last week had Socorro won. With the loss we want to know if Socorro is a Top-8 team in 4A or hitting the road. At this point, even at 6-1, hitting the road.

Ethan Coombes, a Goddard RHP from the 2017 class makes commitment to Eastern New Mexico.


Statement on his commitment

"I'm looking forward to playing baseball for Coach Gomez because I like how he runs everything you have to have a 3.0 freshman must go to study hall. I like that he is concerned with education over everything. I look forward to playing with such a young team as well, and working on getting good chemistry with them since we all are young for the most part and through the years will have a good bond. I like the business program they offer and I'm looking forward to getting my bachelor's degree in that. it's a very nice campus and you don't have to drive to far to get to a bigger city."

Volcano Vista vs. Rio Rancho +400 (Upset is Volcano Vista +1,500)
Mayfield vs. Centennial +1,500 either way
Clovis vs. Manzano +600 (Upset is Manzano +1,250)
Los Lunas vs. Belen +500 (Upset is Belen +800)
Sandia vs. Eldorado +500 (Upset is Sandia +800)
Alamogordo vs. Roswell +400 (Upset is Alamogordo +600)
Atrisco Heritage vs. West Mesa +500 either way
Clayton vs. Tucumcari +500 either way
Hot Springs vs. Silver +500 either way
Raton vs. Santa Rosa +400 (Upset is Santa Rosa +800)
Socorro vs. Hatch +400 (Upset is Socorro +1,000)

District games mean shorter distances in most cases.
All trips are round trip and bus drivers be likin the district schedule.


10. Hope vs Ruidoso 368 miles
9. Mountainair vs Dora 412 miles
8. Carlsbad at Las Cruces 412 miles
7. Questa vs Ft. Sumner 414 miles
6. Hobbs at Gadsden 416 miles
5. Eunice vs Tularosa 428 miles
4. Navajo Pine vs Escalante 430 miles
3. Clovis vs Manzano 450 miles
2. Reserve at Vaughn 524 miles
1. THis week driving champion.... Hondo at Animas 571 miles

Week 8: What To Watch 4A and Down

This week we take a look at the games around the state in 4A/3A/2A and 8-man along with 6-man football.

FAB 50 RANKINGS - Top 3 Games

No. 17 Moriarty (6-0) vs NMMI (2-5), Friday, 7pm: The top ranked team in 4A will start district play this week, their first in 4A football. Moriarty features Elijah Tapia, Nick Padilla and Dylan Tapia. NMMI will look to their running back in Fausto Barazini to look for a possible upset. NMMI, which doesn't score a lot, could struggle as the Pintos D has only given up 15 points on the season.

Prediction: Moriarty 34, NMMI 12

No. 27 Estancia (6-1) vs McCurdy (3-4), Saturday, 1pm: This Saturday afternoon contest could end early with the best team in 3A football taking on a (3-4) McCurdy team that is coming off a 52-0 loss to another Fab 50 team - Escalante. The reason to watch? Estancia running back Ezekiel Tapia who averages 226.5 yards per game. If McCurdy gets on the board look for do-everything QB Andres Martinez.

Prediction: Estancia 56, McCurdy 6

No. 27 Hatch Valley (5-1) vs Socorro (6-1), Friday, 7pm: Socorro was the surprise team that went to 6-0 to start the season. Hatch Valley, the defending state champion, is coming off a big win over Pampa, Texas. Mike Armijo Jr., has quietly rushed to 141-yards per game as one of the top 4A running backs. With Hatch you have to pick your poision if you're Socorro as they feature QB Shane Cooper Carson, one of the best receivers in the state (personally was my favorite at the Elite Combine) in Cade Hackey, and Saul Trujillo who was in the running for Player of the Week - an award for the top player in the entire state for the previous week.

Prediction: Hatch Valley 42, Socorro 18

The Rest of the Way

No. 32 Dexter (6-1) squares off with Loving on their impressive season. (Dexter 40, Loving 10)

No. 34 St. Mike's (4-2) will take on Pojoaque Valley (4-3) as they look to maintain a possible home game at state. (St. Mikes 20, Pojoaque Valley 13)

No. 38 Escalante (7-0) should move to an easy win over Navajo Pine (1-5) this week. Currently ranked as the number one team in 2A. (Escalante 50, Navajo Pine 0)

No. 40 Ruidoso (4-3) has an interesting game on their hands as Hope Christian could be a team that is better than they have performed mid-season, my upset alert watch. (Ruidoso 21, Hope 20).

No. 44 Silver (2-5) is likely the best 2-win team you will find. Hot Springs (4-3) is a tough pick as they drop a game to NMMI yet beat Socorro - they love to keep it close, low scoring and could be the spoiler to many teams. (Silver 24, Hot Springs 12)

No. 46 West Las Vegas (5-1) will easily move on to 6-1 after this week with a date with Bernalillo (0-7) who is riding an 18-game losing streak. West Las Vegas 50-0.

No. 49 Gateway Christian (6-0) takes on Tatum this week as they look to catch more fire after a few windy weeks. Gateway 42-6.

Playoff Watch

St. Mikes vs Pojoaque Valley are looking to get a home game. This game could dictate that.

Escalante owns the 1-seed in 2A but Fort Sumner at (6-0) could start the argument. Neither could afford a loss.

Trio for Uno: Estancia, Dexter and Capitan are all looking for the 1-seed. Estancia has the H-2-H over Dexter but Capitan could jump into that argument. They have Dexter on the 28th but can't slip against Loving on the 21st.

Patiently Waiting: Eunice took a step into the middle tier, outside the trio with the loss to Dexter. However, they have a redemption game on November 4th against Capitan. Talk about a tough district.

Player Spotlight - Defense

Each week we try to highlight a position or unit that has played well.

Lucas Samora - MLB - 101 total tackles.

Brandon Buttery - ILB - 94-total tackles.

Gabriel Sanchez - CB - Socorro: 89-total tackles.

Henry Roybal - ILB - Pojoaque Valley: 84-total tackles.

Price Bowen - MLB - Capitan - 82-total tackles.

Joseph Martinez - LB - Escalante - 82-total tackles.

Connor Houdek - LB - Robertson - 75-total tackles.

Randy Maynes - MLB - Cobre - 67-total tackles.

Jacob Esquivel - LB - Lordsburg - 65-total tackles.

Steve Sandoval - MLB - West Las Vegas - 62-total tackles.

Week 8: Top-25 Preview

Today, we take a look at the games taking place around the state. Week 8 features a few Top-25 match ups including three games between Top-10 teams.

No. 1 Rio Rancho (7-0) vs No. 4 Volcano Vista (5-1), Friday, 7pm: The number one ranked Rams have had to prove their dominance each week this season and will have to continue that trend this week. The Rams have faced 4 Top-10 teams (Week 8 Fab 50 Rankings). Volcano Vista is in new territory being ranked 4th in the state and this is the chance to stay in the 4-8 range for the state tournament. Both teams can score, Volcano Vista averaging 43.7 ppg and Rio Rancho 43.4. Volcano Vista has yet to meet a defense like Rio Rancho's and the x-factor for the Hawks will be in the linebacker unit with studs Joren Dickey (OLB), Cielo Gonzales (OLB) and Jake Bulling (MLB) and the ability to stop Rio Rancho senior sensation Josh Foley. The Rio Rancho Rams have to limit a second quarter warm up by the Hawks who have been known to start slow in games.

Predictions: Rio Rancho 42, Volcano Vista 21

No. 2 Cleveland (6-1) at No. 19 Cibola (3-4), Thursday, 7pm (Community): This games importance has reached a new level as the week has progressed and Cibola's playoff hopes still, surprisingly alive. Cleveland still a very good football team has to re-group quickly after their first loss of the season with a Cibola team on a 3-game win streak. We've continued to mention this young man, who only gets better each week has us looking at the x-factor being Angelo Trujillo who has passed for 1,023-yards and rushed for 416-yards for a total of 9-touchdowns. For Cibola, we have mentioned this a few weeks ago but will be can the Cibola Cougars keep the scoring under 20 points for the opposition? They are 8-1 since 2015 when their opponent scores 20 or less points. We talk about offensive teams getting better but you have to consider the Cougars as one of the better defensive teams, the last time they have faced a top-5 team, Las Cruces in week two, they lost 21-0.

Prediction: Cleveland 28, Cibola 7

No. 3 Las Cruces (5-1) vs No. 20 Carlsbad (2-5), Saturday, 2pm: Much like the Cleveland-Cibola game the Las Cruces Bulldawgs face off with a hungry (maybe starving at this point) Carlsbad team that will look for any bright spot heading into the post season. Why starving? Well their playoff hopes have all but popped, however things could get interesting if they start pulling some upsets. Our difference maker in this contest is Jaykan Willis, a 5-11 running back, who continues to shine lately. The issue is a depleted offense with the loss to injury of quarterback Jonah Leyva. Las Cruces as we know brings maybe one of the best quarterbacks in Payton Ball, 1,342-passing yards, 368-rushing yards and a total of 21 touchdowns (11 passing). What you need to know is this - he can pass, he can run and he has that IT factor with a smooth feel for the game. Can Carlsbad slow him down?

Prediction: Las Cruces 40, Carlsbad 13

No. 7 Centennial (6-1) vs No. 8 Mayfield (4-2*), Friday, 7pm: This could very well be the best game across the state this week when the 7th ranked Centennial Hawks take on 8th ranked Mayfield Trojans. Difference maker for the Hawks comes in the form of the match up we jumped early on last week - Who is the best receiver in Las Cruces? The Hawks have Jr Pena and he becomes the difference maker for the Hawks, a big time receiver has the limelight to display and make his case. The Mayfield Trojans bring Gavin Swinson who has 545-yards, 7-touchdowns on the year. Both defensive units compare well and will have to make sure that they limit any chance of running backs getting out especially the little mentioned Centennial RB Joaquin Guiterrez who could be the x-factor.

Prediction: Centennial 28, Mayfield 20

No. 9 Clovis (4-2) at No. 10 Manzano (4-2), Friday, 7pm: Maybe the only game this week that could end of being a Championship, a District Championship. If the winner runs the table after the game they could end up locking up a locking up a Top-4 seed for the State Playoffs. We understand that Clovis has running back Micah Gray but look for Fernando Acosta who is leading the charge and could start being in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. Manzano brings one of the teams with what could be considered a depth in ATH's with Ryan Moore, Jordan Byrd and the young RB in Xaiver Ivey-Saud. What is the X-factor? Making the Clovis QB beat you and for Clovis not allowing big plays from one of the better special teams.

Prediction: Clovis 24, Manzano 21

No. 11 Eldorado (3-3) vs No. 22 Sandia (4-2*), Friday, 7pm: The importance of this game became more meaning with Sandia's official record now moving to 4-2 pending a possible appeal. We will focus on the thing at hand and things we know going into the game: One, Sandia continues to look for answers on a season with many setbacks and heartbreak. Two, which running back is the x-factor for Eldorado - Elijah Gudelj-Cox, Richard Gallegos or Elias Baker? Last but not least two quarterbacks with nothing to lose and could be the headline Mat Denis vs Jacob Archibeque. Who makes the big play or plays late into the game?

Prediction: Eldorado 35, Sandia 28

No. 12 Los Lunas (5-1) at Belen (6-1), Friday, 7pm: Not only is this a pivotal district game or a contest with playoff seed implications but one that dives deeper into the history. The rivalry between two towns in one county for the battle of the Chile Roaster! Los Lunas brings their high powered offense that is averaging 46 points per game but also returning off a bye week that followed their first loss of the season. The Tigers struggled some on offense, scoring well under their average at 21. The difference for the Tigers will be sophomore quarterback Nick Gaerlan returning to the youngin' we were quick to mention after four impressive starts. The Belen Eagles difference will be living up to their offense as well, they have an average of 39 but only put up 7-points in their lone loss this season. Can Los Lunas escape the defense that seems to be stellar from Belen? Can Belen shutdown Los Lunas RB O'maury Samuels but also score against a solid LB unit with Diego Sanchez and Trevor Brohard?

Prediction: Los Lunas 33, Belen 18

No. 13 La Cueva (3-3) at Santa Fe (0-6), Friday, 7pm: The stat game for the La Cueva Bears. Many of the starters are likely to be out of the game by halftime. Santa Fe, currently riding their 20-game losing streak. For La Cueva you could see the connection of Chris Campbell, QB, to Kevin Fanelli, WR, for most of the evening. The duo has been impressive this season leading to big plays on the 3-3 season (no official stats provided). Santa Fe fights to stay alive but anything could happen under the lights, right? Bailey Lozada-Cabbage has plenty of reason to think upset, if there is a chance, with 314-yards receiving (4 games reported) and a total of 5 touchdowns.

Prediction: La Cueva 49, Santa Fe 6

No. 14 Roswell (5-1) vs No. 23 Alamogordo (4-3), Friday, 7pm: Right now we know the Artesia Bulldogs are the best team. Los Lunas is slated for the 2-seed, if the season ended today. What we are looking at is who falls in line next? This game has the answer after week 8 (who knows what the rest of the season holds) with the 3-seed up for grabs. Roswell the favorite in the game coming off a 38-28 road win at Farmington. Alamogordo is coming off an upset, falling to Roswell's rival Goddard High School last week. Both teams offensively can score, both have 232 total points (38.7 average) on the season. Roswell's defense could be the difference maker with a rising sophomore stud in Cade Manzanares who has 30 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and 3 passes deflected. He could create problems for Alamogordo's star quarterback Kyle Hooper or running back Dee Smith. Alamogordo has the talent and Roswell will have to worry about both the receivers (Ramirez and Bateman) but also Hooper and Smith, can they handle that much depth? The Los Lunas game in which the Coyotes allowed 49-points could make us keep a close eye on this contest.

Prediction: Alamogordo 34, Roswell 31 (My Upset Pick)

No. 15 St. Pius X (6-1) vs Valencia (1-5), Thursday, 1pm: A district 5-5A match up between two programs on different paths this season. Valencia, still in the building of their program under their second year head coach. St. Pius X enters the game on a quest to take steps towards a district title and move up the seed ladder. Drew Ortiz, is one of the best players in the classification, a quarterback with all of the tools (unfortunately no official stats) that could have this team playing late into November as the sleeper pick of the bunch. Valencia could struggle tonight in containing Ortiz and that alone is enough of a difference maker for the game.

Prediction: St. Pius X 49, Valencia 12

Rapid Fire: 16-25

No. 17 Moriarty vs NMMI: The Pintos are undefeated, undefeated for a reason and you can expect them moving to week 9 at 7-0. The defense will be a little to much for NMMI, the Pintos have only allowed 15-points.

No. 18 Goddard vs Lovington: The Rockets are over .500 at (4-3) this season and you have to like the direction they have been flying lately.Both defense and offense are in the plus factor for Goddard, look for two players who are starting to gain steam as post season awards start to get a debate going. Cameron Stevenson and Devon Quiroz.

No. 21 Robertson vs Santa Fe Indian: The Cardinals are 7-0 and maybe the least talked about undefeated team in New Mexico. They shouldn't be. They played for the title last season and could be a favorite again this season, shoot they are a favorite. Expect them to move along easily in this one. Either side of the ball they are better.

No. 25 Hobbs vs Gadsden: The game that the Eagles need. At (1-5) on the season, behind a difficult schedule they could be all day long in the end zone. They have shown signs of greatness but have been able to seal the deal. You have to be excited for the what the future brings when they bring back the quarterback. People forget how important the QB position is and they had a new one this season, he's only getting better and he returns in 2017.

Outside the Top-25 Intriguing Games

No. 26 Farmington vs No. 43 Kirtland Central: The Scorpions are the favorite in this district but Kirtland Central continues to show signs of upset fever. Not to sure if they can pull it off but they have a player in Zach VanDuren, rushing for 339-yards, receiving for 316 for a total of 9 touchdowns has to make you think about top ATH's this season - new name.

No. 30 West Mesa vs No. 36 Atrisco Heritage Academy: Well, like the Farmigton-KC game this district is normally little mentioned. They are both in the hunt for the DC and automatic bid for the state tournament. West Mesa has some players you like but Atrisco coming off their win to Valley showed some offense - for the first time this season.

No. 35 Capital vs No. 39 Del Norte: Another game, another game with district title hopes. The winner likely takes the district and goes dancing. Capital ranked higher but Del Norte the favorite. Two good running backs to watch in this one.

Players to Watch This Week

Player Who Could Shine: Nic Little, Rio Rancho. We know Foley but Little is a stud. His numbers were released yesterday.
Who Could Be Player of the Week: Gavin Hardison, Hobbs. They take on Gadsden.
Another QB To Talk About: Andru Sanchez, Cobre. We haven't talked about Cobre much, we haven't talked about Sanchez. Start taking notice he has 1,136 yards.

What Happened On Thursday

Cleveland 35, Cibola 14 - Final
St. Michael's 55, Pojoaque 12 - Final
St. Pius 48, Valencia 8 - Final
Valley 38, Albuquerque 33 - Final

Nikko Papadopoulos scored three touchdowns.
Drew Ortiz threw for four touchdowns in the win, he had 400-yards total offense.

I wanna know rivalries thru out new mexico.

Week 8: Questions Heading Into Week 8

1. How well will the Volcano Vista defensive line jell?

The Hawks have been the talk recently and will have their chance to either make a few more buy into the fact that they are the real deal this season. One thing we know is that they struggle some against top offensive teams. Eldorado poured 45-points on them, I will note that was week 2 of the season. Next, we have to point out they are (1-1) against Top-25 teams, the rest of their schedule features 4 non-Top-25 teams (4-0). Now the important part is how does this defensive line fare against the best running back in the state?

2. Will the Eagles (Belen) offense show well in their second attempt?

The Eagles have played well this season with their offense scoring 249 points against non Top-25 teams this season an average of 49.8 points per game. Now we go to their one game against a Top-25 team in the Roswell Coyotes. They managed 7 points, well under their average.

3. Are the Coyotes (Roswell) a legit 5A title contender?

They are (6-1) on the season and (2-1) against Top-25 competition. They stumbled in their first chance for people to take them serious as a contender, a 49-14 loss to 5A's number two team - Los Lunas. Roswell takes on Alamogordo this week in a game for redemption (Alamogordo) or placement (Roswell). Do we place the Coyotes among those to buy as a legit title contender? This one will allow us to answer that question for the most part.

4. Playing all four quarters, playing all four quarters well. Can the Monarchs?

We seen the Manzano Monarchs, ranked 10th in the Fab 50, take an early lead against Centennial (No. 7 Week 8) only to see them drop the game 28-21. And for a brief second we were in awe as the Manzano Monarchs went up 7-6, then were tied 20-20 in the second quarter to the best team in the state - Rio Rancho. We know the second half wasn't as friendly, that is why we asked can they manage to play well against Clovis for 4-quarters. Clovis is playing better, plays solid defense and could create issues. Or Manzano's offense could open up and blow this one open.