Week 13 Friday Night Preview
Heading into the final three weeks of the 2022 New Mexico high school football season, win or go home at this point. 6A-3A football will start the quarterfinals, 2A will host their semifinal games, and a pair of state championships in 8-man and 6-man football. The weather turns down, the football tension turns up!
6A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(1) Cleveland Storm vs (9) Los Lunas Tigers, 7pm
Battle of the defending state champions; Los Lunas won 5A, Cleveland won 6A in 2021. The Los Lunas Tigers do feature a top ten level player in Paul Cieremans (QB/2023) and the Tigers will show fight. The Storm just have too many weapons on both sides of the ball -- insert the roster here of top players. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(2) La Cueva Bears vs (7) Farmington Scorpions, 7pm
Here we have a District 2-6A rematch. The first game could be remembered as the scene from the Revenant. The La Cueva Bears controlled the entire game on their way to a 62-19 win. Will that happen again? Trel Griego played well last week in a close win for Farmington. La Cueva features the top ranked quarterback Aidan Armenta (2023) along with being surrounded by top talent -- Ian Sanchez, Gabriel Buie, and Jackson Hix (2024) just name a few. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(3) Centennial Hawks vs (6) Rio Rancho Rams, 7pm
This one is hard to predict. Is it quietly a must-see game or will the Centennial Hawks flex, as many predict. Either way we are taking the Centennial Hawks in this contest but the Rio Rancho Rams have the potential to be solid squad. The Centennial defense will be too much for the run game. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(4) Hobbs Eagles vs (5) Volcano Vista Hawks, 7pm
Road trip. The highly anticipated contest being the 4/5 seed that has been debated most of the season on who should be the 4-seed behind the top three. It has everything you want to watch in New Mexico high school football in the playoffs. Hobbs QB Omar Argott and Volcano Vista QB Elliot Pasket-Bell will both be announced on the 6A Quarterback of the year ballot. They both have targets on the outside. The battle will actually be Pasket-Bell escaping the Hobbs defense, led by Kenyon Singleton and Cameron Hernandez. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
5A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(4) Goddard Rockets vs (5) Deming Wildcats, 6pm
Almost two months ago the Goddard Rockets beat the Deming Wildcats on the road 28-13. Deming fought back from being down 14-0 early in that game and trailed 14-13 at one point. This one is predicted to be on the lines of a one possession game. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
4A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(4) Lovington Wildcats vs (5) Portales Rams, 7pm
Taking a look at every game taking place tonight, this one has me the most intrigued (well, second behind VV-Hobbs). Both teams have enough talent to be favored to play for the state championship. Lovington the defending champ is favored again and Ashton Aranda looks to build on his campaign for 4A QB of the year. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
3A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(1) Socorro Warriors vs (9) Cobre Indians, 7pm
Another district rematch taking place in the quarterfinals tonight. Despite the Socorro Warriors winning the first time 29-0, many have predicted this one could be a lot closer. Also, despite what you hear the Socorro Warriors have studs. ATH Marcus Armijo (2023) is a stat stuffer for Socorro this season with over 2200 yards. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(2) Ruidoso Warriors vs (7) West Las Vegas Dons, 6pm
The night of the Warriors in 3A football quarterfinals. Ruidoso has won 8-straight heading into tonight and with dudes like Cooper Pritchett (2023), Kaden Sago (2023), Logan Sandoval (2024), and Dalton Trapp (2023) you have to like the Warriors big. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
2A FOOTBALL - SEMIFINALS
(2) Texico Wolverines vs (3) Santa Rosa Lions, 7pm
Although the Wolverines are the 2-seed, they will be on the road tonight as they face the 3-seed Santa Rosa Lions. The two teams met earlier this season with the Wolverines defending their home field 23-20. Plenty of reason to like this contest and one is running back Andres Madrid (nearly 1,500 yards rushing) for the Lions. We could list a handful for both teams that will be featured on post season awards lists. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
Heading into the final three weeks of the 2022 New Mexico high school football season, win or go home at this point. 6A-3A football will start the quarterfinals, 2A will host their semifinal games, and a pair of state championships in 8-man and 6-man football. The weather turns down, the football tension turns up!
6A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(1) Cleveland Storm vs (9) Los Lunas Tigers, 7pm
Battle of the defending state champions; Los Lunas won 5A, Cleveland won 6A in 2021. The Los Lunas Tigers do feature a top ten level player in Paul Cieremans (QB/2023) and the Tigers will show fight. The Storm just have too many weapons on both sides of the ball -- insert the roster here of top players. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(2) La Cueva Bears vs (7) Farmington Scorpions, 7pm
Here we have a District 2-6A rematch. The first game could be remembered as the scene from the Revenant. The La Cueva Bears controlled the entire game on their way to a 62-19 win. Will that happen again? Trel Griego played well last week in a close win for Farmington. La Cueva features the top ranked quarterback Aidan Armenta (2023) along with being surrounded by top talent -- Ian Sanchez, Gabriel Buie, and Jackson Hix (2024) just name a few. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(3) Centennial Hawks vs (6) Rio Rancho Rams, 7pm
This one is hard to predict. Is it quietly a must-see game or will the Centennial Hawks flex, as many predict. Either way we are taking the Centennial Hawks in this contest but the Rio Rancho Rams have the potential to be solid squad. The Centennial defense will be too much for the run game. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(4) Hobbs Eagles vs (5) Volcano Vista Hawks, 7pm
Road trip. The highly anticipated contest being the 4/5 seed that has been debated most of the season on who should be the 4-seed behind the top three. It has everything you want to watch in New Mexico high school football in the playoffs. Hobbs QB Omar Argott and Volcano Vista QB Elliot Pasket-Bell will both be announced on the 6A Quarterback of the year ballot. They both have targets on the outside. The battle will actually be Pasket-Bell escaping the Hobbs defense, led by Kenyon Singleton and Cameron Hernandez. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
5A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(4) Goddard Rockets vs (5) Deming Wildcats, 6pm
Almost two months ago the Goddard Rockets beat the Deming Wildcats on the road 28-13. Deming fought back from being down 14-0 early in that game and trailed 14-13 at one point. This one is predicted to be on the lines of a one possession game. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
4A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(4) Lovington Wildcats vs (5) Portales Rams, 7pm
Taking a look at every game taking place tonight, this one has me the most intrigued (well, second behind VV-Hobbs). Both teams have enough talent to be favored to play for the state championship. Lovington the defending champ is favored again and Ashton Aranda looks to build on his campaign for 4A QB of the year. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
3A FOOTBALL - QUARTERFINALS
(1) Socorro Warriors vs (9) Cobre Indians, 7pm
Another district rematch taking place in the quarterfinals tonight. Despite the Socorro Warriors winning the first time 29-0, many have predicted this one could be a lot closer. Also, despite what you hear the Socorro Warriors have studs. ATH Marcus Armijo (2023) is a stat stuffer for Socorro this season with over 2200 yards. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
(2) Ruidoso Warriors vs (7) West Las Vegas Dons, 6pm
The night of the Warriors in 3A football quarterfinals. Ruidoso has won 8-straight heading into tonight and with dudes like Cooper Pritchett (2023), Kaden Sago (2023), Logan Sandoval (2024), and Dalton Trapp (2023) you have to like the Warriors big. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
2A FOOTBALL - SEMIFINALS
(2) Texico Wolverines vs (3) Santa Rosa Lions, 7pm
Although the Wolverines are the 2-seed, they will be on the road tonight as they face the 3-seed Santa Rosa Lions. The two teams met earlier this season with the Wolverines defending their home field 23-20. Plenty of reason to like this contest and one is running back Andres Madrid (nearly 1,500 yards rushing) for the Lions. We could list a handful for both teams that will be featured on post season awards lists. Friday Night Picks and Score Predictions.
