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!!

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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.

Week 8 Staff Picks

Each week the staff at NMPreps.com shares their picks for the week of games. Today, we share our week 6 picks of the football season.

Volcano Vista vs. Rio Rancho +400 (Upset is Volcano Vista +1,500)
The Favorite: Rio Rancho
Grine's Pick: Rio Rancho
Why: For one, I have some catching up to do if I want to make the Pick'Em Tournament. Two, we now these Rams are some bad dudes (bad in a good way - okay, you probably got that).

Mayfield vs. Centennial +1,500 either way
The Favorite: (Split on Picks)
Grine's Pick: Mayfield
Why: I wanted to go Centennial, I like Centennial. Plus I rarely pick the right way when it comes to the Trojans. When I think they will be upset they win big. When I think they'll run away they surprise and don't. Today, the Trojans, just like in the Trojan war have an important battle on their hands with a chance to get play for yet another DC and climb in the playoff seeding.

Clovis vs. Manzano +600 (Upset is Manzano +1,250)
The Favorite: Clovis
Grine's Pick: Manzano
Why: Two mascots, both felines, I go with the King in this case. Plus, we knew I couldn't avoid taking an upset at some point. Let's just hope the Monarch can move the both against a Wildcat D that is only getting better. The 650 points chance is worth the risk.

Los Lunas vs. Belen +500 (Upset is Belen +800)
The Favorite: Los Lunas
Grine's Pick: Los Lunas
Why: Chile Roast on the line, you go with the favorite. Rivalry games are tricky but I think the Tigers are just a bit too much to handle for the Eagles this year. Watch out in 2017 for these Eagles though. Wager not worth the upset of -/+ 300 for me I'll take the points in this case.

Sandia vs. Eldorado +500 (Upset is Sandia +800)
The Favorite: Eldorado
Grine's Pick: Eldorado
Why: I've mentioned I'm looking for the tournament in Pick 'Em. I have to go with the Space Jam song and Steve Miller wrote it for me "Fly Like An Eagle" in this case, though picking the Eagles has been rough on my Pick 'Em either for or against.

Alamogordo vs. Roswell +400 (Upset is Alamogordo +600)
The Favorite: Roswell
Grine's Pick: Alamogordo
Why: Now I contradict myself saying +/- of 300 wasn't worth it but 200 is. Hmm... Well, I am a sucker for upset picks or do we remember someone calling me a degenerate gambler? I might be in the minority but the Tigers could be the Tiger team that plays into November.

Atrisco Heritage vs. West Mesa +500 either way
The Favorite: Split
The Pick West Mesa
Why: 500 either way, I guess I take the team that I picked in the preseason to win this District.

Clayton vs. Tucumcari +500 either way
The Favorite: Split
Grine's Pick: Tucumcari
Why: I have a sweet spot for both places. My family had a ranch in Clayton but the people in Tucumcari are some of the best people I've met. What does that have to do with picking a game? Nothing but I go with picking a mascot - Rattler.

Hot Springs vs. Silver +500 either way
The Favorite: Split
Grine's Pick: Silver
Why: Another either way, another pick with the heart as Silver I had a great experience when I meet people from there. Plus Hot Springs is a bit too inconsistent for me. Silver has an ATH that you will hear about.

Raton vs. Santa Rosa +400 (Upset is Santa Rosa +800)
The Favorite: Raton
The Pick: Santa Rosa
Why: Raton I don't think survives this one, even though I'm impressed with the season.

Socorro vs. Hatch +400 (Upset is Socorro +1,000)
The Favorite: Hatch
The Pick: Hatch
Why: Too many reasons to list. The Bears are just that good this season, nothing against Socorro but Hatch is the real deal.

Could I get some feed back on how many high school teams actually tackle during the week of practice before Friday's.