Week 2 Friday Night Takeaways
It's early in the New Mexico high school football season and the season continues to surprise us each night. Today, we try and make sense of the changes.
1. Reservation for three..... What we've learned in two Friday nights of New Mexico high school football is that we have three teams sitting at the top with a fourth team on the waiting list. Centennial (No. 2 NMPreps 6A) controlled the entire game against El Paso-Franklin (TX). The Hawks were favored by 1.5 point and ended up winning, 49-21. Cleveland and La Cueva are the other two teams at the table and the Storm rebounded from last weeks loss with a win over La Cueva, 33-29. Oh and the fourth team on the waiting list is Volcano Vista (No. 4/6A) who has been impressive in their openers, following up their win against Las Cruces last week with a 50-20 win over West Mesa this week.
2. Chavez returns in special form....The Cibola Cougars (No. 6 NMPreps 6A) moved along easy, 68-14, against Valley on Friday Night. Aden Chavez who transferred back to New Mexico finished the evening with 359 passing yards and three touchdowns. Branden Castillo (2023), Marcus Wilson (2023) highlight some of his catches but just about all offensive players showed the touchdown party --- Anthony Romero (run), Jaiden Viramontes (run), Brayden Mummert (xtra points and Peyton Harrison (receiving). Aiden Harrison also tossed a TD for the Cougars in the win.
3. Early New Mexico Mr. Football candidates radar coming together... Volcano Vista QB Elliot Paskett-Bell continued to shine for the Hawks and after two games the senior is finding himself earning some recognition. Down south, the Centennial Hawks RB Mikah Gutierrez ran wild finishing with four touchdowns and 183-yards in the win over Franklin (TX). Can we talk kickers. Brayden Money (Alamogordo) smashed a 53-yard FG last night and Mason Crowell (La Cueva) hit one from 36-yards. As we compile more top players from this week the list will take form.
TWO MINUTE DRILL
Class President: Evan Wysong's first touchdown of the night went for 68-yards (run). He then had a 12-yard TD run and a 40-yard passing touchdown to Andres Armijo,
Foolish Pick: The Alamogordo Tigers (No. 17/6A) didn't shy away from being predicted as a potential mercy ruled game by Los Lunas (No. 5/6A). Los Lunas won 43-30 but it showed that the Tigers could be hunting for a final spot in the playoffs. Much improved. The Grine picks for the night went 23-6 for those not counting.
Who Picked the O/U of 100: Artesia-Hobbs was expected to be high scoring we had them going for about 73 points but they exceeded that prediction. Hobbs won this shootout 69-48. I will go rapid fire with this scoring stanza -- 1Q: Nye Estrada hit Peyton Greathouse for a 17 yard TD pass (Artesia 7-0); Bradley Valenzula scored from a yard out (Artesia (13-0); Omar Argott finds Jeremiah Jaquez from 28-yards for a TD (Artesia 13, Hobbs 7); Estrada hits Julian Rodriguez from 50-yards for the TD (Artesia 21, Hobbs 7); Argott hits Ethan Vanlandingham from 10-yards out (Artesia 21, Hobbs 13); 2nd Q: Kaden Trevino TD (Artesia 21, Hobbs 20); Argott connects with Jaquez again this time from 75-yards (Hobbs 27, Artesia 21); Diego Baeza gets on the board from 5-yards out (Hobbs 34, Artesia 21); Trevino scores again, this time on a 12-yard pass from Argott (Hobbs 41, Artesia 21); Estrada and Nick Sanchez end the Bulldog scoring drought with a 11-yard touchdown pass (Hobbs 41, Artesia 28); Estrada hits Rodriguez from 23-yards for a final TD of the half (Hobbs 41, Artesia 35); 3rd Q: Argott runs one in this time from 10-yards (Hobbs 48, Artesia 35); Payton Deans jumps in from 2 yards out (Hobbs 48, Artesia 41); Argott-Jacquez connection strikes again from 10-yards out (Hobbs 55, Artesia 41); 4th Q: Baeza scores again for Hobbs this time from 22-yards (Hobbs 62, Artesia 41); Cayden Joy scores for the Bulldogs (Hobbs 62, Artesia 48); Baeza scores the final score, a rushing TD (Hobbs 69, Artesia 48 - FINAL)
Quietly a Game of the Night: Texico and Santa Rosa are hanging around the 2A top-five rankings. The Texico Wolverines won 23-20 but it appears to have been a good football game to watch. If you have some stats or input please post or send us information.
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Now we ask. What are your takeaways from Friday night? What does your Week 3 ranking ballot look like? Most impressive teams so far this season?
It's early in the New Mexico high school football season and the season continues to surprise us each night. Today, we try and make sense of the changes.
1. Reservation for three..... What we've learned in two Friday nights of New Mexico high school football is that we have three teams sitting at the top with a fourth team on the waiting list. Centennial (No. 2 NMPreps 6A) controlled the entire game against El Paso-Franklin (TX). The Hawks were favored by 1.5 point and ended up winning, 49-21. Cleveland and La Cueva are the other two teams at the table and the Storm rebounded from last weeks loss with a win over La Cueva, 33-29. Oh and the fourth team on the waiting list is Volcano Vista (No. 4/6A) who has been impressive in their openers, following up their win against Las Cruces last week with a 50-20 win over West Mesa this week.
2. Chavez returns in special form....The Cibola Cougars (No. 6 NMPreps 6A) moved along easy, 68-14, against Valley on Friday Night. Aden Chavez who transferred back to New Mexico finished the evening with 359 passing yards and three touchdowns. Branden Castillo (2023), Marcus Wilson (2023) highlight some of his catches but just about all offensive players showed the touchdown party --- Anthony Romero (run), Jaiden Viramontes (run), Brayden Mummert (xtra points and Peyton Harrison (receiving). Aiden Harrison also tossed a TD for the Cougars in the win.
3. Early New Mexico Mr. Football candidates radar coming together... Volcano Vista QB Elliot Paskett-Bell continued to shine for the Hawks and after two games the senior is finding himself earning some recognition. Down south, the Centennial Hawks RB Mikah Gutierrez ran wild finishing with four touchdowns and 183-yards in the win over Franklin (TX). Can we talk kickers. Brayden Money (Alamogordo) smashed a 53-yard FG last night and Mason Crowell (La Cueva) hit one from 36-yards. As we compile more top players from this week the list will take form.
TWO MINUTE DRILL
Class President: Evan Wysong's first touchdown of the night went for 68-yards (run). He then had a 12-yard TD run and a 40-yard passing touchdown to Andres Armijo,
Foolish Pick: The Alamogordo Tigers (No. 17/6A) didn't shy away from being predicted as a potential mercy ruled game by Los Lunas (No. 5/6A). Los Lunas won 43-30 but it showed that the Tigers could be hunting for a final spot in the playoffs. Much improved. The Grine picks for the night went 23-6 for those not counting.
Who Picked the O/U of 100: Artesia-Hobbs was expected to be high scoring we had them going for about 73 points but they exceeded that prediction. Hobbs won this shootout 69-48. I will go rapid fire with this scoring stanza -- 1Q: Nye Estrada hit Peyton Greathouse for a 17 yard TD pass (Artesia 7-0); Bradley Valenzula scored from a yard out (Artesia (13-0); Omar Argott finds Jeremiah Jaquez from 28-yards for a TD (Artesia 13, Hobbs 7); Estrada hits Julian Rodriguez from 50-yards for the TD (Artesia 21, Hobbs 7); Argott hits Ethan Vanlandingham from 10-yards out (Artesia 21, Hobbs 13); 2nd Q: Kaden Trevino TD (Artesia 21, Hobbs 20); Argott connects with Jaquez again this time from 75-yards (Hobbs 27, Artesia 21); Diego Baeza gets on the board from 5-yards out (Hobbs 34, Artesia 21); Trevino scores again, this time on a 12-yard pass from Argott (Hobbs 41, Artesia 21); Estrada and Nick Sanchez end the Bulldog scoring drought with a 11-yard touchdown pass (Hobbs 41, Artesia 28); Estrada hits Rodriguez from 23-yards for a final TD of the half (Hobbs 41, Artesia 35); 3rd Q: Argott runs one in this time from 10-yards (Hobbs 48, Artesia 35); Payton Deans jumps in from 2 yards out (Hobbs 48, Artesia 41); Argott-Jacquez connection strikes again from 10-yards out (Hobbs 55, Artesia 41); 4th Q: Baeza scores again for Hobbs this time from 22-yards (Hobbs 62, Artesia 41); Cayden Joy scores for the Bulldogs (Hobbs 62, Artesia 48); Baeza scores the final score, a rushing TD (Hobbs 69, Artesia 48 - FINAL)
Quietly a Game of the Night: Texico and Santa Rosa are hanging around the 2A top-five rankings. The Texico Wolverines won 23-20 but it appears to have been a good football game to watch. If you have some stats or input please post or send us information.
====
Now we ask. What are your takeaways from Friday night? What does your Week 3 ranking ballot look like? Most impressive teams so far this season?
