New Mexico football playoffs reach quarterfinals
The heavyweights of New Mexico high school football enter the postseason ring this weekend. The top four seeds in each of the state’s five 11-Man divisions all come off their bye week for quarterfinal action Friday and Saturday. Teams like Cleveland, Bloomfield, St. Michael’s and Texico officially begin their quest to affirm their status as No. 1 seeds – and to defend their 2025 titles – as we ...
The New Mexico high school football playoffs reach their quarterfinal stage this weekend, with the top four seeds from each of the five 11-Man divisions competing in games on Friday and Saturday. Cleveland, Bloomfield, St. Michael's, and Texico begin their bid to retain their 2025 titles after a bye week. St. Michael's ongoing dynasty will climax in the coming weeks, while Roswell's 5A quest will be one of the most compelling stories in November.
Rio Rancho, the No. 7 seed in 6A, faces off against the No. 1 seed Storm in a high-profile Friday night game at the Storm's Rio Rancho home. Another 10-0 team, Volcano Vista, will host Carlsbad in a Saturday afternoon matchup, featuring a potential heated quarterback showdown between Jude Herrera of Volcano Vista and Marley Muñoz of Carlsbad. Carlsbad linebacker Colton McKibben, a UCLA commit, will return to Albuquerque for his second quarterfinal appearance.
Centennial, the No. 4 seed, will host fifth-seeded Sandia in a rematch featuring one of the most potent offenses in the state. Sandia's senior quarterback Jahleel Lewis has thrown for five touchdowns in a first-round victory, while Sandia averages 46.5 points per game. The Matadors' defense will focus on Sandia's dual-threat quarterback, Ruiz Laborin, who has accumulated 2,300 combined yards.
In Class 5A, Roswell hosts Santa Fe in a Friday evening game, with Andruw Fuentez, the Coyotes' quarterback, delivering an impressive 32 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season. Piedra Vista hosts Goddard on Saturday, with the Panthers seeking to challenge the top-seeded Bulldogs. Gadsden, the No. 3 seed, faces Artesia in a Saturday afternoon game, as the Bulldogs aim to overcome their 6-4 record from the previous season.
Class 4A is dominated by five of the remaining eight teams, with each of the four quarterfinals featuring at least one metro area team. St. Pius, the No. 2 seed, will compete against Manzano at 6 p.m. Friday, while Valley, Belen, and Valencia travel to face No. 5, No. 6, and No. 8 seed teams, respectively. The Vikings will take on Lovington at 1 p.m. Saturday, while the Jaguars face the Jaguars at the same time.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
