Week 7 Thursday Night Picks and Predictions

NMPreps weekly guide to New Mexico high school football. Today, we breakdown Thursday night of week seven. #nmpreps

No. 14 Alamogordo (3-2) vs No. 17 Carlsbad (1-4)

Time: 7:00 p.m. | Location: Alamogordo, NM
Grine's Pick: Alamogordo | NMP Line: Alamogordo, -3.5 | NMP Prediction: Alamogordo 20, Carlsbad 14

Preview: The Carlsbad Cavemen took the meeting in 2022 (47-37) at home. Carlsbad is in a different spot this season and after dropping three in a row are searching for a win to keep their season alive. Plenty to like about the Cavemen and running back Ulysess Mendoza will add to his totals (456 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns). Alamogordo returns after a bye week, like Carlsbad, and sitting at 3-2 entering this district opener. The Tigers have a rushing attack of their own in Aveion Valdez (2024) and Anthony Audette (2024). The pair have rushed for a combined 761 yards for the season with Audette leading the way with 460 and 5 rushing touchdowns. The clock will be moving in this run heavy game and a possible playoff bid alive for the winner.

Albuquerque Academy (4-2) at St. Pius X (2-3)

Time: 7:00 p.m. | Location: Albuquerque, NM (Stadium Here)
Grine's Pick: Albuquerque Academy | NMP Line: ABQ Academy, -5.5 | NMP Prediction: ABQ Academy 24, St. Pius X 17

Preview: The Albuquerque Academy Chargers defense is coming alive only allowing 20 points total in wins over Capital (20-14) and Los Alamos (14-6). The Los Alamos win was a major upset and putting them back in playoff plus one conversation. Brody Whitaker (2024) and Zachary Waghorn (2026) have created a fearsome defensive stance for the Chargers, each player with over 60 total tackles and 4 sacks a piece on the season. St. Pius X coming off a bye week and looking to rebound against their private school rival. The Sartans have a rising senior stud in Leon Sutulov who currently leads the way with 10-sacks on the season along with 34 total tackles through five games.

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Post your picks below? Any takers on the lines?

Pick your semifinal teams in each classification

505-414-4313 grinejosh@yahoo.com

Favorite sports TV/Radio personality that you enjoyed listening to or watching. This could be current or past.

Week 7 New Mexico High School Rankings

ALL TEAM RANKINGS (#1-#92)


6A FOOTBALL (SEPT 25TH)

1. Cleveland 3-3
2. Centennial 3-2
3. La Cueva 3-3
4. Volcano Vista 5-1
5. Sandia 4-1
6. Los Lunas 4-2
7. West Mesa 4-1
8. Rio Rancho 4-2
9. Farmington 4-2
10. Atrisco Heritage 4-2
11. Eldorado 3-3
12. Alamogordo 3-2
13. Las Cruces 1-4
14. Clovis 1-5
15. Carlsbad 1-4
16. Hobbs 2-3
17. Albuquerque 1-4
18. Cibola 0-5
19. Organ Mountain 0-6
20. Capital 1-5
21. Santa Fe 1-4
22. Rio Grande 0-5

5A FOOTBALL (SEPT 25TH)

1. Artesia 6-0
2. Roswell 6-0
3. Mayfield 3-2
4. Piedra Vista 2-4
5. Goddard 4-2
6. Valley 3-2
7. Gadsden 4-2
8. Deming 3-3
9. Los Alamos 5-1
10. Manzano 1-4
11. Highland 2-3
12. Miyamura 2-4
13. Belen 0-6
14. Santa Teresa 0-5
15. Del Norte 1-5
16. Chaparral 0-5

4A FOOTBALL (SEPT. 25TH)

1. Bloomfield 5-0
2. Portales 6-0
3. Lovington 3-3
4. Bernalillo 6-0
5. Silver 5-1
6. Abq Academy 4-2
7. Aztec 3-3
8. Valencia 3-2
9. St. Pius X 2-3
10. Taos 2-3
11. Moriarty 4-2
12. Grants 3-3
13. Kirtland Central 2-3
14. Pojoaque Valley 3-2
15. Espanola Valley 3-3
16. Gallup 0-4
17. Shiprock 0-6

3A FOOTBALL (SEPT 25TH)

1. St. Michael's 4-1
2. Robertson 4-1
3. Dexter 5-1
4. Socorro 5-1
5. Raton 3-3
6. West Las Vegas 4-2
7. Cobre 3-2
8. NMMI 4-2
9. Ruidoso 1-5
10. Hope Christian 2-4
11. Hatch Valley 4-2
12. Hot Springs 1-4
13. Thoreau 2-3
14. Crownpoint 5-1
15. Cuba 6-0
16. Navajo Prep 2-4
17. Tohatchi 2-4
18. Newcomb 2-3
19. Wingate 2-3
20. Tucumcari 2-3
21. Santa Fe Indian 1-5
22. Zuni 2-3

2A FOOTBALL (SEPT 25TH)

1. Eunice 4-2
2. Texico 4-1
3. Santa Rosa 5-1
4. Jal 5-1
5. Tularosa 3-2
6. Loving 5-0
7. Estancia 2-4
8. Escalante 2-4
9. McCurdy 4-1
10. Mescalero Apache 2-3
11. Hagerman 1-5
12. Capitan 1-4
13. Laguna-Acoma 0-5
14. Cloudcroft 0-4
15. Hozho Academy 1-4

Top games to watch this weekend?

Post here.

Our rankings will update tonight

Just a reminder about the quickly approaching NMMI Prospect Showcase scheduled for Saturday, October 7th, 2023.
In addition to the NMMI coaching staff, multiple regional college programs have indicated that they will be attending the event.

Information can be found at the following links:

https://www.nmmibaseball.com/prospect-showcase.cfm

https://www.nmmibaseball.com/23_Prospect_Camp_Flyer_smaller_file_2.pdf

HS Prospect Showcase (October 7th, 2023)

Registration Link: https://www.nmmibaseball.com/prospect-showcase.cfm

Cost: $60 for hitter or pitcher only, $100 for both

Scouts: All area 4-year colleges are being invited, we anticipate up to 11 colleges attending

--Multiple 4-Year programs in NM/West TX have already confirmed their attendance.

Who: 2024-2027 HS Graduates

Schedule: available at www.nmmibaseball.com/prospect-showcase.cfm

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Caleb Lewis, a junior at Las Cruces High School, has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 New Mexico Activities Association Spirit of Sport Award. The NMAA Spirit of Sport Award was created by the Association to recognize those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the spirit of sport that represent the core mission of education-based athletics.



Two years ago, Caleb fell into the water while riding a wakeboard at the lake. He appeared ok at the time, but it wasn’t until the next day when Caleb’s fall became near fatal. It turns out that the force of hitting his head on the water caused internal bleeding that he was unaware of at the time. “We get to the ER and they’re saying, ‘You’re in really big trouble’,” said Caleb. “For a while we didn’t know if I was going to be all right.”



Officially he suffered what’s called an epidural hematoma, which means he had bleeding between the skull and the brain. A craniotomy was required, and a titanium plate was placed in his skull. In his hospital bed, Caleb was now being told about how his vision, speech and mobility could be affected. “They told us post-surgery, 6-to-9 months before his speech will regulate and it could be 6-to-9 months before his gait regulates and he can walk regularly,” his mother Christy said.



“They told me the worst,” said Caleb. “They told me I would have seizures, that I would possibly have a lot of learning issues and that there was no shot at ever playing football.”



“That just wasn’t going to be acceptable for Caleb,” Christy said.



Giving up an active lifestyle was not an option for Caleb. After extensive rehab and testing, Caleb was finally cleared to participate in athletics. Caleb convinced his mom that his passion and focus was to play football again. “I just fell in love with the process and the way everything worked here with Las Cruces football and I wasn’t going to let that go,” said Caleb.



“When they told him there was a possibility he wasn’t going to play, he wasn’t going to have it,” said Christy.



“It was the mom that told us, ‘Coach, it’s going to hurt him more mentally if he can’t play more than anything that will hurt him if he came back and played’,” said Las Cruces head coach Mark Lopez. “That opened my eyes that we’ve got to find a way to do this, and we have to find the best way. We have to get him in the best scenario we can, from a contact perspective, to a helmet perspective, and from that point on, all the focus was on how can we get this kid back and how can we help him be a part of this.”



Through hard work, will, and relentless perseverance, Caleb is the Bulldawgs’ starting defensive end, playing without hesitation. “We have a ‘Be Strong’ mentality here. It’s our core values and what we do here,” Lopez explained. “The R stands for Relentless Perseverance. To me, that’s what Caleb is. He is just relentless in what he does.”



“You can be in such a low place, but if you just work every day, you can get back to wherever you would like to be,” said Caleb.





A video and story recognizing this amazing student-athlete can be accessed from the NMAA website at the below link:



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The 2023 New Mexico Activities Association Spirit of Sport Award was presented to Caleb and his family at the NMAA/NMADA Fall Leadership Conference on Monday. Caleb was given a special plaque to commemorate his selection. He will now be nominated for the National High School Spirit of Sport Award that is given out by the NFHS each year.



For additional information pertaining to this release, please contact J.P. Murrieta, NMAA Sports Information Director at (505) 379-4305 orjp@nmact.org.

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@Myiden8t clip

*****WEEK SIX SCOREBOARD (SEPTEMBER 21ST-23RD)*****

Thursday, September 21st
Goddard 35, Gadsden 7 - F
La Cueva 38, Albuquerque 0 - F
Roy/Mosquero 51, Floyd 0 - F
Tucumcari 50, Hozho Academy 0 - F

Friday, September 22nd
Alamo Navajo (0-4) at Lordsburg (1-3), 6pm
Albuquerque Academy (3-2) at Los Alamos (5-0)
Atrisco Heritage (3-2) at Capital (1-4)
Bernalillo (5-0) at Taos (2-2)
Bloomfield (4-0) at Valencia (3-1)
Centennial (2-2) at Organ Mountain (0-5)
Chesterton Academy (1-2) at Hondo Valley (0-3)
Cibola (0-4) at Piedra Vista (1-4)
Clayton (3-2) at Fort Sumner/House (3-0)
Clovis (1-4) at Roswell (5-0)
Del Norte (0-5) at Rio Grande (0-4)
Dora (3-2) at Gateway Christian (4-0)
Dulce (3-1) at Logan (3-2)
Estancia (2-3) at Hatch Valley (2-3)
Farmington (4-1) at Rio Rancho (3-2)
Frenship TX (4-0) at Cleveland (3-2), 6pm
Grants (2-3) at Kirtland Central (2-2)
Jal (4-1) at Capitan (1-3), 6pm
Laguna Acoma (1-3) at Cuba (5-0)
Loving (4-0) at NMMI (4-1)
Lovington (3-2) at Artesia (5-0)
Manzano (1-3) at Sandia (3-1)
Mayfield (2-2) at Belen (0-4)
McCurdy (3-1) at Navajo Prep (2-3)
Melrose (4-1) at Tatum (4-1)
Miyamura (1-4) at Moriarty (4-1)
Mountainair (2-2) at Elida (1-3)
Navajo Pine (1-2) at Magdalena (1-4), 5pm
Pine Hill (1-4) at Menaul (2-2)
Portales (5-0) at Eunice (4-1)
Raton (3-2) at Socorro (4-1)
Robertson (3-1) at Dexter (5-0)
Ruidoso (1-4) at Tularosa (2-2)
Santa Fe Indian (1-4) at Espanola Valley (2-3)
Santa Rosa (4-1) at Hagerman (1-4)
Santa Teresa (0-4) at Mountain View TX (3-1)
Shiprock (0-5) at Newcomb (0-4)
Silver (4-1) at Deming (2-2)
Tohatchi (3-2) at Crownpoint (4-1)
Valley (3-1) at Los Lunas (3-2)

Saturday, September 23rd
Aztec (3-2) at St. Michael's (3-1), 1pm
Hope Christian (2-3) at Highland (1-3), 11am
Legacy Academy (3-1) at Mesilla Valley (3-1), 1pm
Mescalero Apache (2-2) at Escalante (1-4), 1pm
Pojoaque Valley (2-2) at Cloudcroft (0-3), 2pm
Ramah (1-1) at Jemez Valley (0-2), 2pm
Volcano Vista (4-1) at Eldorado (3-2), 11am
West Las Vegas (3-2) at Thoreau (2-2), 2pm

What games are you at this weekend?

Week 6 Friday Night Picks & Predictions

***Week 6 Pick 'Em Challenge***

What: Post the game winners, we track the points. Champion at the end of the season!

Bernalillo (5-0) at Taos (2-2), +600 (Taos is the upset +625)
Farmington (4-1) at Rio Rancho (3-2), +650 either way
Loving (4-0) at NMMI (4-1), +600 (Loving is the upset +675)
Raton (3-2) at Socorro (4-1), +600 (Raton is the Upset +675)
Robertson (3-1) at Dexter (5-0), +650 either way
Silver (4-1) at Deming (2-2), +600 (Silver is the upset +675)

How to Post
Bernalillo
Farmington
Loving
Raton
Robertson
Silver

Week 6: Friday Night Lights New Mexico H.S. Edition

Last week creating a buzz at the top of the NMPreps Top-25 Team Rankings. This week we could see teams take their place at the table of the state tournament playoffs. #nmpreps #rivals

How important is the Rio Rancho-Farmington game?

The Rio Rancho Rams are coming off a massive upset loss last week to Hobbs, in Rio Rancho (24-21). The Rams face another middle-lower tier team in Farmington who could come into the City of Vision and pull off an upset. The Rams run-the-clock-slow-paced style could find problems against a Farmington team that has the ability to score points, currently averaging 40 points per game. That could provide issues for the Rams who don't score in bunches and need to shore up their offense. Farmington is playing for home playoff game, Rio Rancho trying to avoid falling any further.

Robertson and Dexter the game of the night

The words and line overused by Willie Nelson will once again be used again, "On the road, again". The Cardinals make another trip south, this time to Dexter High School. Both teams ranked in the top three in the rankings. The Dexter Demons (5-0) are off to a hot start and feature a freshman making waves; Quarterback CJ Granados (2027) has 356 passing yards and 206 rushing yards with 4 touchdowns in two games. Granados passed for 164 yards against West Las Vegas early this season in win. Robertson is a 3A power and will provide a punch but this one will place a team in the top tier and leave the other in middle-top tier.

The new top dog in New Mexico High School football

The Artesia Bulldogs moved up as the number one overall New Mexico high school football team this week after defeating the Cleveland Storm last week. Enter this week is another high scoring offense in the Lovington Wildcats. The Wildcats are on a three game winning streak after defeating Santa Teresa, Hobbs, and Denver City, Texas. Can they sustain the scoring against Artesia. That is a big question that will need to be answered tonight. The defense will also need to stop New Mexico Mr. football candidate Nye Estrada who passed for 367 yards and 2 touchdowns last week.

RAPID FIRE

Sneaky Good Game: Loving (4-0) at NMMI (4-1). Despite the Broncos being a 10-point favorite the Loving Falcons are off to one of their better starts. We mentioned his name this summer as a QB to watch and Loving's Kaleb Rodriguez can now answer the big stage.

Regional Bragging Rights: Tularosa (2A) is favored to beat Ruidoso (3A), in Ruidoso tonight. The Wildcats at 2-2 are off to a sound start this season.

Another 3A Clash: Raton (3-2) continues to be talked down on by critics. Tonight they travel south to Socorro (4-1) to take on the Warriors. How good are the Raton Tigers? How good are the Socorro Warriors? Playoff spots up for grabs.

STUDENT COUNCIL in WEEK 6

My players to watch tonight that could have a big night.

Class President: Nye Estrada, Artesia. The quarterback has played well and not mentioned often through five weeks. Tonight he could claim the top spot as the favorite to win the Mr. Football award.

Vice President: Trel Greigo, Farmington. The quarterback has solid size and a nice arm. He has 1,555-yards passing and 20 TD passes on the season. Tonight he could join the conversation.

Free Parking Pass: Joshua Calhoon, Estancia. The senior leads the state in rushing yards with 1,086 yards. The Bears RB will guide the team against Hatch Valley tonight.

Hall Monitor: Nicolas Chavez, Santa Rosa. Chavez does it all for the Lions. Tonight the Lions face Hagerman and Chavez could improve his 77-total tackles numbers by 10+.

Free Lunch Ticket: Ricky Armendariz, Artesia. The protectors are now (finally) getting some love. Armendariz had a stellar game last week against Cleveland and could be on the watch list for OL of the Year.

STREAKS

One will end tonight: Del Norte (0-5) and Rio Grande (0-4) do battle in the "winless bowl". Del Norte's currenlty losing streak sits at 21-games. Their last win came during the 2021 season against no other than Rio Grande. Rio Grande currently has a 6-game losing streak.

Lobos Long for Win: The Chaparral Lobos (0-5) currently riding the longest losing streak in New Mexico high school football. The Lobos have lost 37-straight games dating back to October 12th, 2018 against El Paso-Cathedral, Texas (32-14).

6A FOOTBALL


*Click the image to enlarge

Bubble: (13) Atrisco Heritage, (14) Eldorado

5A FOOTBALL


*Click the image to enlarge

Bubble: Belen (4th)

4A FOOTBALL




Bubble: Grants (4th)

3A FOOTBALL



Bubble: Ruidoso (4th), Thoreau (2nd)

Poll: Most Likely to Upset in Week 6

Week 6 Thursday Night Preview

NMPreps guide to New Mexico high school football. #nmpreps

#3 La Cueva Bears (2-3) vs #22 Albuquerque Bulldogs (1-3)

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Albuquerque, NM (Wilson Stadium)

Preview: After cruising to a 34-17 win over Organ Mountain (Las Cruces) in week one, the Bulldogs will look to snap a three-game losing streak on Thursday night at Wilson Stadium. The three losses coming at the the hands of teams ranked in or around the top-10 in Sandia, West Mesa, and Farmington. The Bulldogs offense has shown good things behind senior quarterback Frank Hren who also leads the team in running yards.

The Bulldogs must find a way to protect Hren and contain the La Cueva Bears quarterback Cameron Dyer (2025). Hren must find a way to avoid juniors Mason Posa and Nick Mertz; Posa currently racking up top Division-I offers (latest offer from TCU and Texas Tech).

The Bears should roll and favored early in Thursday's NMPreps picks and predictions.

Goddard Rockets (3-2) at Gadsden Panthers (4-1)

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Anthony, NM

Preview: Gadsden hopes to offer some resistance and author an upset at home in one of the bigger games in Anthony, New Mexico. Both teams sit just outside the Top-25 rankings for week six and will shape the 5A state playoffs. Gadsden shares the wealth in the backfield with a three member tandem of QB Adrian Munoz (2025) and RB's Alfredo Andrade (2025), and Ryan Hernandez (2024). Andrade currently leads the team in rushing yards with 436 yards and 3 touchdowns through five games.

Goddard is coming off a 21-7 home loss to Piedra Vista last week, struggling on offense. The Rockets scored well below their 38 ppg heading into that week five loss. Both losses coming at the hands of two teams that each have a 1-4 record. Despite those facts the Rockets travel to Gadsden as favorites to pull of a road victory. NMPreps picks and predictions.

Thursday, September 21st
Albuquerque (1-3) at La Cueva (2-3)
Floyd (2-1) at Roy/Mosquero (5-0)
Goddard (3-2) at Gadsden (4-1)
Hozho Academy (1-3) at Tucumcari (1-3)

Friday, September 22nd
Alamo Navajo (0-4) at Lordsburg (1-3), 6pm
Albuquerque Academy (3-2) at Los Alamos (5-0)
Atrisco Heritage (3-2) at Capital (1-4)
Bernalillo (5-0) at Taos (2-2)
Bloomfield (4-0) at Valencia (3-1)
Centennial (2-2) at Organ Mountain (0-5)
Chesterton Academy (1-2) at Hondo Valley (0-3)
Cibola (0-4) at Piedra Vista (1-4)
Clayton (3-2) at Fort Sumner/House (3-0)
Clovis (1-4) at Roswell (5-0)
Del Norte (0-5) at Rio Grande (0-4)
Dora (3-2) at Gateway Christian (4-0)
Dulce (3-1) at Logan (3-2)
Estancia (2-3) at Hatch Valley (2-3)
Farmington (4-1) at Rio Rancho (3-2)
Frenship TX (4-0) at Cleveland (3-2), 6pm
Grants (2-3) at Kirtland Central (2-2)
Jal (4-1) at Capitan (1-3), 6pm
Laguna Acoma (1-3) at Cuba (5-0)
Loving (4-0) at NMMI (4-1)
Lovington (3-2) at Artesia (5-0)
Manzano (1-3) at Sandia (3-1)
Mayfield (2-2) at Belen (0-4)
McCurdy (3-1) at Navajo Prep (2-3)
Melrose (4-1) at Tatum (4-1)
Miyamura (1-4) at Moriarty (4-1)
Mountainair (2-2) at Elida (1-3)
Navajo Pine (1-2) at Magdalena (1-4), 5pm
Pine Hill (1-4) at Menaul (2-2)
Portales (5-0) at Eunice (4-1)
Raton (3-2) at Socorro (4-1)
Robertson (3-1) at Dexter (5-0)
Ruidoso (1-4) at Tularosa (2-2)
Santa Fe Indian (1-4) at Espanola Valley (2-3)
Santa Rosa (4-1) at Hagerman (1-4)
Santa Teresa (0-4) at Mountain View TX (3-1)
Shiprock (0-5) at Newcomb (0-4)
Silver (4-1) at Deming (2-2)
Tohatchi (3-2) at Crownpoint (4-1)
Valley (3-1) at Los Lunas (3-2)

Saturday, September 23rd
Aztec (3-2) at St. Michael's (3-1), 1pm
Hope Christian (2-3) at Highland (1-3), 11am
Legacy Academy (3-1) at Mesilla Valley (3-1), 1pm
Mescalero Apache (2-2) at Escalante (1-4), 1pm
Pojoaque Valley (2-2) at Cloudcroft (0-3), 2pm
Ramah (1-1) at Jemez Valley (0-2), 2pm
Volcano Vista (4-1) at Eldorado (3-2), 11am
West Las Vegas (3-2) at Thoreau (2-2), 2pm

Week 6 Thursday Picks & Predictions

NMPreps weekly staff picks, lines, and predictions for the games taking place this week. This is week six of the New Mexico high school football season. #nmpreps #rivals


Grine's Record: 175-32
Week 5: 30-8
Week 4: 40-5
Week 3: 32-9
Week 2: 40-6
Week 1: 33-4

What are you watching this week? Any picks?

Most underrated TV show or series.

Not looking at best TV show or series but a show that you feel should be given more credit.

Post here

Week 6 Ranking Every Game to Watch: 6A - 2A

1. Robertson (3-1) at Dexter (5-0)
2. Silver (4-1) at Deming (2-2)
3. Goddard (3-2) at Gadsden (4-1)-Thurs.
4. Farmington (4-1) at Rio Rancho (3-2)
5. Portales (5-0) at Eunice (4-1)
6. Bloomfield (4-0) at Valencia (3-1)
7. Raton (3-2) at Socorro (4-1)
8. Volcano Vista (4-1) at Eldorado (3-2), 11am
9. Loving (4-0) at NMMI (4-1)
10. Lovington (3-2) at Artesia (5-0)
11. Frenship TX (4-0) at Cleveland (3-2), 6pm
12. Aztec (3-2) at St. Michael's (3-1), 1pm-SAT
13. Albuquerque Academy (3-2) at Los Alamos (5-0)
14. Bernalillo (5-0) at Taos (2-2)
15. Manzano (1-3) at Sandia (3-1)
16. Miyamura (1-4) at Moriarty (4-1)
17. Estancia (2-3) at Hatch Valley (2-3)
18. Grants (2-3) at Kirtland Central (2-2)
19. Valley (3-1) at Los Lunas (3-2)
20. Hope Christian (2-3) at Highland (1-3), 11am-SAT
21. Atrisco Heritage (3-2) at Capital (1-4)
22. Clovis (1-4) at Roswell (5-0)
23. Cibola (0-4) at Piedra Vista (1-4)
24. Ruidoso (1-4) at Tularosa (2-2)
25. Albuquerque (1-3) at La Cueva (2-3)-Thurs.
26. Mescalero Apache (2-2) at Escalante (1-4), 1pm
27. West Las Vegas (3-2) at Thoreau (2-2), 2pm
28. Mayfield (2-2) at Belen (0-4)
29. McCurdy (3-1) at Navajo Prep (2-3)
30. Tohatchi (3-2) at Crownpoint (4-1)
31. Santa Fe Indian (1-4) at Espanola Valley (2-3)
32. Jal (4-1) at Capitan (1-3), 6pm
33. Santa Rosa (4-1) at Hagerman (1-4)
34. Laguna Acoma (1-3) at Cuba (5-0)
35. Centennial (2-2) at Organ Mountain (0-5)
36. Santa Teresa (0-4) at Mountain View TX (3-1)
37. Del Norte (0-5) at Rio Grande (0-4)
38. Hozho Academy (1-3) at Tucumcari (1-3)-Thurs.
39. Pojoaque Valley (2-2) at Cloudcroft (0-3), 2pm
40. Shiprock (0-5) at Newcomb (0-4)

Ride or Die: You know the phrase, here is our twist on the saying. Taos (2-2) plays host to Bernalillo (5-0) and their perfect record. The significance for both teams will be a home game in the playoffs. Bernalillo played Moriarty in a similar type of game last week can they make it two in a row with a short bus ride north? What to like about the Spartans is the four studs in Mason McChriston (2024), Diego Molinar (2024), Mario Molinar (2026), and Ulisses Castro (2027). They create a stellar defensive front that upset then top-25 ranked Valley in the opening week. So why are they a ride or die? Well, we've asked two other times if they are the real deal and now they have to back it up again but now I'm jumping on the wagon.

Contender/Pretender: Robertson (No. 3/3A) and Dexter (No. 2/3A) sit atop a lot of uncertainty in the 3A class. The winner could lock up or in a great position for the 1-seed in November (state playoffs). The Dexter Demons have consistently climbed the ladder of the NMPreps 3A Rankings while Robertson hangs to a top three slot. Gadsden (No. 9/5A) will host Goddard (No. 6/5A) on Thursday night in a similar type of game. This could be one of the bigger games played for Gadsden in Anthony, NM in quite some time.

On the Fringe/Double-Bubble: Volcano Vista (No. 4/6A) takes on Eldorado (No. 11/6A) and Farmington (No. 7/6A) travels to Rio Rancho (No. 9/6A) in a seed pairing to bubble game. I couldn't settle on a name for this section. Three of four teams are "IN" with Eldorado fighting for a playoff spot. Rio Rancho and Farmington are IN but are in a NEED win for a playoff spot.

Top Ten Games for Week 6. What do you have?