My take on the top teams in the state:
6A Boys:
It's hard to say who the top 4 teams in 6A right now are, but I'm going to take a crack at things and say the top four would be La Cueva, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque and Eldorado. At this point, any of these teams could end up holding the blue trophy at the end of the year. However, teams like Atrisco and Cibola aren't far behind. La Cueva, to me, is the clear cut favorite in 6A. They only have one loss, to Albuquerque, which came about due to a red card by the Bears starting goalkeeper. He now knows what watching his team lose with him on the sideline is like, and I know he wont let that happen again. Rio Rancho has looked good early on and should win their district. Albuquerque could see themselves in another state final, if they can work together to overcome the two losses they have already experienced. Eldorado is a team that has more heart than anyone else. I know those guys are hungry for victory and may just have what it takes to upset La Cueva.
5A Boys:
Academy, St. Pius, Roswell and Los Alamos is who I would but as my top 4. Academy is obviously the clear favorite currently, however, they have been the top seed multiple times and have fallen short when it matters. It will be interesting to see if they can overcome the 1 seed, non state champ curse they have going on. St. Pius, however, has bounced back from a few rebuilding years. Their only loss is to Rio Rancho and they look promising. It will be exciting to see how 5A ends up.
4A Boys:
Sandia Prep, Taos, Bosque and Rehoboth are all looking decent so far. Sandia Prep had a shaky start, but any team that loses 11 seniors, and two kids who would be key players on this years squad would have a rough start too. However, they bounced back with a strong finish against Cibola. The Sundevils have some competitive freshman who know what winning is like because of their club team. Right now, with Santa Fe Prep not starting off well and Bosque holding 3 losses, Prep is the favorite once again.
6A Girls:
No doubt, Volcano Vista is the hottest team in the state right now. The program has been strong for years and I think they have another state title ahead of them. Eldorado's only loss is to Volcano, and as the year progresses they could get strong enough to steal the trophy from the Hawks. La Cueva and Rio Rancho are my next two favorites.
5A Girls:
St. Pius girls are the "new dynasty" as they call themselves. There is no doubt Tatiana Limon and Lourdes Padilla wont give it their all to win another state title. However, the undefeated Farmington Scorpions, led by Hannah Kelley wont go down with a fight. It will be interesting to see how the two could match up. Aztec and Academy, like years before are also in the top 4.
4A Girls:
Since 2013, Hope Christian has dominated 4A, and although they look a little vulnerable this year, they are the top team once again. Taos and Socorro, although they haven't played a particularly tough schedule, both are undefeated. Socorro might have the upper hand on the Tigers, with bigger scorers. The fourth spot in 4A is really up for grabs. St. Mikes, Sandia Prep and Bosque all could have a shot at it. It just depends on how the season turns out.
6A Boys:
It's hard to say who the top 4 teams in 6A right now are, but I'm going to take a crack at things and say the top four would be La Cueva, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque and Eldorado. At this point, any of these teams could end up holding the blue trophy at the end of the year. However, teams like Atrisco and Cibola aren't far behind. La Cueva, to me, is the clear cut favorite in 6A. They only have one loss, to Albuquerque, which came about due to a red card by the Bears starting goalkeeper. He now knows what watching his team lose with him on the sideline is like, and I know he wont let that happen again. Rio Rancho has looked good early on and should win their district. Albuquerque could see themselves in another state final, if they can work together to overcome the two losses they have already experienced. Eldorado is a team that has more heart than anyone else. I know those guys are hungry for victory and may just have what it takes to upset La Cueva.
5A Boys:
Academy, St. Pius, Roswell and Los Alamos is who I would but as my top 4. Academy is obviously the clear favorite currently, however, they have been the top seed multiple times and have fallen short when it matters. It will be interesting to see if they can overcome the 1 seed, non state champ curse they have going on. St. Pius, however, has bounced back from a few rebuilding years. Their only loss is to Rio Rancho and they look promising. It will be exciting to see how 5A ends up.
4A Boys:
Sandia Prep, Taos, Bosque and Rehoboth are all looking decent so far. Sandia Prep had a shaky start, but any team that loses 11 seniors, and two kids who would be key players on this years squad would have a rough start too. However, they bounced back with a strong finish against Cibola. The Sundevils have some competitive freshman who know what winning is like because of their club team. Right now, with Santa Fe Prep not starting off well and Bosque holding 3 losses, Prep is the favorite once again.
6A Girls:
No doubt, Volcano Vista is the hottest team in the state right now. The program has been strong for years and I think they have another state title ahead of them. Eldorado's only loss is to Volcano, and as the year progresses they could get strong enough to steal the trophy from the Hawks. La Cueva and Rio Rancho are my next two favorites.
5A Girls:
St. Pius girls are the "new dynasty" as they call themselves. There is no doubt Tatiana Limon and Lourdes Padilla wont give it their all to win another state title. However, the undefeated Farmington Scorpions, led by Hannah Kelley wont go down with a fight. It will be interesting to see how the two could match up. Aztec and Academy, like years before are also in the top 4.
4A Girls:
Since 2013, Hope Christian has dominated 4A, and although they look a little vulnerable this year, they are the top team once again. Taos and Socorro, although they haven't played a particularly tough schedule, both are undefeated. Socorro might have the upper hand on the Tigers, with bigger scorers. The fourth spot in 4A is really up for grabs. St. Mikes, Sandia Prep and Bosque all could have a shot at it. It just depends on how the season turns out.
