Las Cruces High/Clovis matchup

The second-seeded and 10-1 Las Cruces High Bulldawgs will face a much-improved and No. 3 seeded Clovis on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Field of Dreams in a Class 5A football playoff game.

Las Cruces High must play better on defense if it wants to advance to its first state championship game since 2002. Last week, the Bulldawgs were good on offense with 50 points, but gave up 45 to Manzano in a game that went down to the final minutes.

The Bulldawgs have the type of speed and a very good offensive line to make life tough for opposing defenses. Las Cruces High needs to have another strong day on offense and must eliminate mistakes on defense.

Clovis has been a team that is dangerous if it can hang around and have a chance in the fourth quarter. The 8-3 Wildcats have come from behind to beat the likes of Cibola, La Cueva and Artesia. Against Artesia and La Cueva, the Wildcats rallied from double-digit deficits.

How Clovis handles LCHS" speed and if the Wildcats can go on some long, time-cosuming drives to keep the Bulldawgs off the field, they have a chance.

But LCHS has too much speed and I figure the Bulldawgs to play better on defense. I pick the BUlldawgs 35-21.

- Felix

Mayfield/Cibola 5A football semifinal

Friday night's clash between No. 1 Mayfield and No. 4 Cibola in Albuquerque is shaping up to be one of the season's best games.

The Trojans are solid on both sides of the ball and is healthy. Cibola is big and is hoping last year's semifinal showing will help them in this year's game.

Many believe this game will be a battle of Mayfield's speed vs. Cibola's size. But Mayfield head coach Michael Bradley thinks that Cibola has good speed.

Cibola will depend heavily on running back Chase Bennison, quarterback Jonathan Mader and a huge offensive line that includes 350-pounder, Rio Mares.

The Trojans will counter with quarterback Matt Sandoval, receivers Nathan Enriquez and Freddy Young and running back Jacob Ceniceros.

Mayfield has won two straight Class 5A football titles and hasn't lost to a New Mexico team since 2004.

The game will be close throughout and could come down to a big turnover or stop late in the game. The Trojans have played in a lot of big games over the years, while Cibola hasn't had much big-game experience.

I believe Mayfield will do just enough and it wins, 21-14.

— Felix

Hatch Valley Boys Soccer and All-State

The Hatch Valley Bears were well-represented on the Class A-AAA Boys State Soccer team.
Midfielder Javier Rosales was named to the second team, while GK Abe Rosales, defender Bernardo Carranza, midfielder Jose Duran and forwards Edgar Ramirez and Juan Vasquez were named honorable mention.
The Bears reached the semifinals of the state tournament earlier this month.

— Felix

5A All-State boys and girls soccer teams

Class 5A Boys All-State Soccer
First Team

Victor Rodriguez, GK, Las Cruces High
Alex Bencoe, Def., Eldorado
Bryan Masters, Def., La Cueva
Rogelio Rodriguez, Def., Highland
Victor Gutierrez, Def., Las Cruces High
Brandon Baca, Midfield, La Cueva
Jesus Loya, Midfield, Highland
Kyle Porter, Midfield, Eldorado
Eric Tilley, Midfield, Sandia
Carson Baldinger, Forward, La Cueva
Armando Espinoza, Forward, Gadsden
Jacob Ray, Forward, Hobbs
Devon Sandoval, Forward, Eldorado

Second Team

Javier Lane, GK, Eldorado
Justin Doss, Def., Rio Rancho
Nate Widner, Def., Sandia
Edgar Hernandez, Def., Highland
Bobby Herrera, Def., Gadsden
Luis Castenada, Midfield, Gadsden
Nick Famiglietta, Midfield, Rio Rancho
Michael Wagner, Midfield, La Cueva
Jerry Yeh, Midfield, Las Cruces High
Ivan Esparza, Forward, Las Cruces High
Manuel Gomez-Barrera, Forward Highland
Desi Perez, Forward, Cibola
Juan Rios, Forward, West Mesa

Honorable Mention

Justus Adams, GK, La Cueva
Jason Allen, GK, Sandia
Price Brunson, GK, Hobbs
Oswaldo Garcia, GK, Highland
Spencer Porter, GK, Rio Rancho
Grant Willis, GK, Cibola
Dillon Cottingham, Def., Cibola
Fabian Fuentes, Def., Rio Grande
Nicasio Gonzalez, Def., Sandia
Jeff Jacobus, Def., La Cueva
Quezada, Melchor, Def. Rio Grande
Andrew Stewart, Def., Eldorado
Mark Vargas, Def., Rio Rancho
Jake Wisdom, Def., Cibola
Cullen Woomer, Def. Hobbs
Brandon Burton, Midfield, Mayfield
Edgar Castruita, Midfield, Gadsden
Kyle Dickey, Midfield, Hobbs
Zach Doran, Midfield, Highland
Nick Fenske, Midfield, Cibola
Orlando Martinez-Hernandez, Midfield, Sandia
Nick Pena, Midfield, Las Cruces High
Zachary Proctor, Midfield, Hobbs
Omar Vasquez, Midfield, Rio Grande
Jorge Arreola, Forward, Las Cruces High
Kevin Barnhart, Forward, Carlsbad
Javier Campos, Forward, Rio Grande
Mike Gonzales, Forward, Rio Rancho
Jesus Hernandez, Forward, Albuquerque High
Ezequiel Jimenez, Forward, Gadsden
Jesus Hernandez, Forward, Hobbs
Nico Muniz, Forward, Rio Rancho
Lawrence Robledo, Forward, La Cueva

Player of the Year

Victor Rodriguez, Las Cruces High

Coach of the Year

Erik Tuchfarber, Las Cruces High

Class 5A Girls All-State Soccer
First Team

Julia Rasmussen, GK, Rio Rancho
Megan Carpenter, Def., Rio Rancho
Monica Moya, Def., Sandia
Jacquelyn Paz, Def., Las Cruces High
Aubrey Tafoya, Def., La Cueva
Sarah Ellison, Midfield, Alamogordo
Jael Fanning, Midfield, La Cueva
Serena Mancha, Midfield, Sandia
Aja Stradnova, Midfield, Las Cruces High
Klarissa Ames, Forward, Rio Rancho
Stephanie Espinoza, Forward, West Mesa
Natalie Jenks, Forward, La Cueva
Savannah Whitaker, Forward, Sandia

Second Team

Taylor Nelson, GK, La Cueva
Rhiannon Carter, Def., Alamgordo
Brenna Dominguez, Def., Rio Rancho
Heather Goldberg, Def., Highland
Leah Jeppson, Def., Eldorado
Courtney Carpenter, Midfield, Rio Rancho
Priscella Del Aguila, Midfield, Rio Grande
Kim Luna, Midfield, Sandia
Christina Veasley, Midfield, Alamgordo
Taylor Dennis, Forward, Highland
Eliza Jaramillo, Forward, Rio Rancho
Kristen Johnson, Forward, Eldorado
Sara McCrory, Forward, Carlsbad
Hannah Talley, Forward, La Cueva

Honorable Mention

Miakela Bitner, GK, Sandia
Stevie Ennis, GK, Hobbs
Cdheynne Lambertson, GK, Alamogordo
Erin Maudlin, GK, Albuquerque High
Kari Lee Murphey, Rio Grande
Nikki Rosales, GK, Las Cruces High
Desire Smoot, Cibola
Kristina Ames, Def., Mayfield
Kayla Billings, Def., La Cueva
Avila Garcia, Def., Los Lunas
Michelle Lanier, Def., Sandia
Hannah McGrew, Def., Albuquerque High
Channel Sedberry, Def., Eldorado
Lindsey Short, Def., Las Cruces High
Katie White, Def., Rio Rancho
Stephanie Anderson, Midfield, Rio Rancho
Kelly Angerosa, Midfield, Rio Rancho
Marisa Bernal, Midfield, La Cueva
Elba Holguin, Midfield, Valley
Andrea Lozano, Midfield, Hobbs
Marian Maestas, Midfield, Valaley
Chantel Scott, Midfield, Cibola
Whitney White, Midfield, Eldorado
Jordan Banegas, Forward, Mayfield
Rhonda Clark, Forward, Las Cruces High
Zalika Dyson, Forward, Cibola
Carmela Garcia, Forward, Valley
Missy Marshall, Forward, Carlsbad
Elizabeth Romero, Forward, Sandia
Ashley Rosales, Forward, Las Cruces High
Katrina Torres, Forward, Cibola

Player of the Year

Klarissa Ames, Rio Rancho

Coach of the Year

Uwe Balzis, Rio Rancho

Former Bulldawg signs with UNM

Former Las Cruces High shortstop Daniel Gonzalez has signed with the University of New Mexico.

Gonzalez, who hit .357 with 31 RBI in 56 games with El Paso Community College, will be eligible to play for UNM in 2009.

Former New Mexico Junior College head coach Ray Birmingham and current Lobos coach Ray Birmingham had a chance to compete against Gonzalez last year and said he liked Gonzalez because of his good hands and because of his defensive ability.

"I want to recruit New Mexico and there are a lot of good players in Las Cruces," said Birmingham, a former baseball coach at Mayfield High School. "Daniel is a very good player and he's got a bright future."

— Felix

Saturday's New Mexico Prep Football Scores

Saturday’s (11/24) scores

PREP FOOTBALL
Class 5A
Quarterfinal

Las Cruces 50, Manzano 45

Class 4A
Quarterfinal

Artesia 47, Moriarty 27
Aztec 60, Piedra Vista 20
Kirtland Central 35, St. Pius 17

Class 3A
Quarterfinal

Albuquerque Academy 33, Lovington 17
Raton 21, Portales 7
Robertson 19, Hot Springs 9

Class 2A
Semifinal

Santa Rosa 41, Lordsburg 0

Class 1A
Championship

Fort Sumner 39, Carrizozo 14

Eight Man
Championship

Mountainair 38, Animas 26

New Mexico Playoff Scores, 11/23

Friday’s Football scores

Football
Class 3A
Quarterfinal

St. Michael’s 23, Bloomfield 15

Class 4A
Quarterfinal

Goddard 21, Capital 6

Class 5A
Quarterfinal

Cibola 16, Eldorado 12
Clovis 21, La Cueva 17
Mayfield 57, Rio Rancho 16

5A football predictions

Here are my predictions this weekend's Class 5A football quarterfinals.
No. 1 Mayfield over No. 9 Rio Rancho
The Trojans have too much offense for the Rams and the Rams tend to error-prone, which will only make Mayfield even tougher to beat.

No. 2 Las Cruces over No. 7 Manzano
Manzano has a good offense, but the Bulldawgs have a better one. The Bulldawgs move to the semis.

No. 3 Clovis over No. 6 La Cueva
Clovis has been hot of late late with wins against Cibola, Artesia and Hobbs and the Wildcats with 13 state titles are among the state's best. La Cueva is without one of the state's best running backs in Gus Bowe. The Bears were very good in last week's win against Alamogordo, but the Wildcats win a tough one at home.

No. 4 Cibola over No. 5 Eldorado
The Eagles had a nice year in Charlie Dotson's first season. But the Cougars have hopes of a semifinal matchup with Mayfield and the Cougars are too good up front to lose to the Eagles.

— Felix

Updated Playoff Schedule for Nov. 23-24

Mexico High School Football Playoffs

Schedule
Eight-Man
Championship
Saturday

Mountainair at Animas, 1 p.m.

Class A
Champioship
Saturday

Carrizozo at Fort Sumner, 2 p.m.

Class 2A
Semifinals
Friday

Dexter at Texico, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Lordsburg at Santa Rosa, 1:30 p.m.

Class 3A
Quarterfinals
Friday

St. Michael’s at Bloomfield, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Albuquerque Academy at Lovington, 1 p.m.
Robertson at Hot Springs, 1 p.m.
Portales at Raton, 1 p.m.

Class 4A
Quarterfinals
Friday

Capital at Goddard, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Moriarty at Artesia, 1 p.m
Kirtland Central at St. Pius
Piedra Vista at Aztec, 1 p.m.

Class 5A
Quarterfinals
Friday

Rio Rancho at Mayfield, 7 p.m.
Eldorado at Cibola, 7 p.m.
La Cueva at Clovis, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Manzano at Las Cruces High, 1 p.m.

Cruiserweight contender in Cruces

Unbeaten cruiserweight Eric Fields is in Las Cruces getting in some sparring with unbeaten heavyweight David Rodriguez and amateur light heavyweight Siju Shabazz at the Sammy Burke Youth Boxing Center.

Fields is 9-0 with seven knockouts and he is getting ready for a Dec. 1 fight in Tacoma, Wash., against 18-9 Gary Gomez. That fight is set for 10 rounds.

The 25-year-old Fields is a former national champion and has fought internationally for the U.S. amateur team.

He fought on the same team as Las Cruces' Austin Trout against Korea two years ago and like Trout, won his fight.

— Felix

Tuesday's NM Prep Hoops Scores

Boys Basketball

Bosque School 65, Monte del Sol 59, OT
El Paso Hanks, Texas 50, Mayfield 47
El Paso Montwood 72, Las Cruces High 36
Hobbs 99, Odessa, Texas 36
Hope Christian 83, Santa Fe Indian 41
Navajo Prep 61, Red Mesa, Ariz. 48
Santa Fe Prep 69, East Mountain 22

Girls Basketball

Bosque School 54, Monte del Sol 19
El Paso Montwood, Texas 60, Las Cruces 55, OT

Mayweather, Hatton trainers talk about Dec. 8 fight

Roger Mayweather, the trainer of Floyd Mayweather and Billy Graham, the trainer of Ricky Hatton, spoke to the media on Tuesday in regards to the Dec. 8 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. Nev.
Floyd Mayweather (38-0) takes on the 43-0 Hatton in a battle of two of best fighters in the world.
Mayweather is a slick fighter with great speed, defensive skills and the owner of six world titles.
"He can pressure all he wants," Roger Mayweather said of the action-paced Hatton. "That's all he can do. He's a high class club fighter. The best fighter is going to win, Ricky is durable but skills win fights."
Mayweather has beaten the likes of Jose Luis Castillo, Zab Judah and Oscar De La Hoya and is widely regarded as the best in the world.
"Floyd is at the top of his game," Graham said. "I don't believe that he or his camp is underestimating Ricky. Floyd's defense is breathtaking, he's a warrior and I knew this fight would happen. It was meant to happen."
Hatton, who said in a conference last month, that he believe he has a good chance of winning, is coming off a knockout win over Jose Luis Castillo.
The question for Hatton is can he be as effective at 147 that he is at 140. He beat Luis Collazo at 147 in 2006, but he wasn't nearly as sharp as he could have been.
"Ricky has a lot of attributes, good balance, good reflexes and good strength," Graham said. "That's good enough to beat Floyd. We're preparing for a hard fight."

— Felix

Rio Rancho's Marcus Williams

Rio Rancho High School star athlete Marcus Williams will be in Las Cruces on Friday night when the Rams take on Mayfield in the Class 5A football playoffs at the Field of Dreams.

Williams, the brother of New Mexico State receiver Chris Williams, is considering playing football or basketball in college at the Division I level. He said he is seriously considering New Mexico State if he chooses football. If it's basketball, it could come down to Texas Tech or Weber State.

- Felix

Mayfield girls players sign

Mayfield girls basketball players Amanda Tucker and Shatwa Morris are headed to Western New Mexico to play basketball next year.

Tucker, a point guard, signed on Monday, while Morris, an off-guard, will sign Tuesday morning.

The 1-0 Trojans are the defending Class 5A champs and play Roswell on Saturday afternoon.

- Felix

Rio Rancho/Mayfield

The top-ranked Mayfield Trojans finally return to action this Fridayi after a couple of weeks
off.
Mayfield (9-1) takes on No. 9 Rio Rancho, a 28-21 winner against No. 8 Hobbs last Saturday.
The Trojans should be ready for a Rams team that features Marcus Williams, the brother of New Mexico State receiver Chris Williams.

Rio Rancho escaped with a win last weekend, despite five turnovers. A punt return and an interception keyed Rio Rancho's win.

The Rams have long been a program that has played some of the state's best teams to a close game but could never win the big one. The Rams will face a tough one in Mayfield and this is Mayfield's time of the year.

Rio Rancho has enough athleticism to stay in the game with Mayfield for a while, but expect the Trojans to be focused and ready as they embark on a run for their third straight Class 5A football title. The Trojans have played in eight state championship football games since 1995 and are the state's top program in many respects.

Expect the Trojans to advance to the semifinals with a 35-14 win.

- Felix

Manzano, Las Cruces High matchup in football

Next Saturday afternoon's matchup between No. 7 Manzano and No. 2 Las Cruces High in the Class 5A football playoffs, could be an entertaining offensive battle.

The Bulldawgs feature a good offensive line, a strong runner in running back James Hall Jr. and a solid signal caller in Dante Caro. The 9-1 Bulldawgs have scored 40 points or more on six occasions this season and are presumably itching to get back on the field after losing 14-7 to No. 1 Mayfield in the regular season finale on Nov. 9.

Meanwhile, Manzano has shown steady progress all season. The Monarchs have a dangerous quarterback in Matt Dalzall, who torched Onate High for four touchdown passes and 350 yards yards passing in Saturday's 50-19 win in the Class 5A first round playoffs.
Plus, the Monarchs have some depth at running back with C.J. Carlisle and Jordan Llamas and Dalzall isn't a bad runner himself.

I believe Las Cruces High will be able to score on Manzano's defense, which appeared shaky at times against Onate, but expect the Monarchs to be a tough No. 7 seed in the process.

Earlier in the season Manzano lost to Mayfield and the Trojans just ran all over them in a 32-20 win. Expect the Bulldawgs to run, run and run some more against Manzano and try to keep them off the field.

Of note, the Monarchs fell 25-24 to Eldorado in the regular season finale, while the Bulldawgs handled the Eagles 28-7 in a non-district affair.

- Felix

Class 5A football quarterfinals are set

The Class 5A football quarterfinals are set for next weekend.
No. 9 Rio Rancho defeated No. 8 Hobbs 28-21 on Saturday and will now take on No. 1 Mayfield on Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Field of Dreams in Las Cruces.

No. 5 Eldorado squeaked by No. 12 Valley 24-21 and will now play No. 4 Cibola on Friday, Nov. 23 in Albuquerque.

No. 6 La Cueva handled No. 11 Alamogordo, 34-13, and is rewarded with a visit to No. 3 Clovis also on Friday night, Nov. 23.

No. 7 Manzano hammered No. 10 Onate by a score of 50-19 and will venture to Las Cruces on Saturday, Nov. 24 for a 1 p.m. start.

The Friday night games are slated to start at 7.

- Felix

Onate football at Manzano, Nov. 17

Knights hope to spring upset at Manzano
By Felix Chavez
Sun-News Reporter
LAS CRUCE S - The last time Onate High School and Manzano High played a football game, the Knights threw for 258 yards and had plenty of scoring chances.
But the Knights couldn't finish potential scoring drives and the Monarchs walked away with a 21-7 season-opening win.
However, today at Wilson Stadium in Albuquerque, the 10th-seeded Knights get a chance to earn revenge agains the No. 7 seed in a first round, Class 5A football game. The winner advances to next week's quarterfinal round against No. 2 Las Cruces High at the Field of Dreams.
"We feel like Manzano has improved, they are throwing the ball a bit more and they seem to have gotten better on defense as well," Knights coach Kelly McKee said. "We've had some good practices and this is a big opportunity in front of us."
Manzano is led by quarterback Matt Dalzell, who has thrown for 1,263 yards and rushed for 760 more. The Knights will also have to keep an eye out for running back Jordan Llamas, who has 643 yards rushing and receiver Seth Maisano, who has caught 19 passes for 313 yards.
The Monarchs are 8-2 on the season, their only losses being to Mayfield and Eldorado. The Monarchs lost 25-24 to Eldorado in the regular season final and finished second in District 5-5A.
Meanwhile, the 4-6 Knights hit their stride in District 3-5A action, beating Alamogordo and Gadsden to earn a spot in this year's playoffs. The Knights are one of four teams in the district to make the playoffs along with Mayfield, Las Cruces High and Alamogordo.
Both the Knights and Monarchs have been off for two weeks.
"For us because we are young, the extra practice helps and the playoff experience is good for us," McKee said. "This team reminds of 2003 when we had a young team after winning the 4A title in 2002. We got better as the season went along and it helped us down the road."
The Knights, who battled injuries throughout the year, are getting healthy with various skill players back in the lineup. Quarterback Eric Flores has thrown for 2,265 yards this season and his favorite target has been Gaby Taney, who has caught 78 passes for 983 yards. Running back Zach Hernandez will need a big effort today if the Knights want to win. Hernandez has rushed for 452 yards on 87 carries.
"Onate has certainly improved as the season has gone on," Manzano coach Aaron Ocampo said. "We feel like we have gotten better as well. We've had two weeks off and our kids are excited about playing again. It was a good game against Eldorado, we just made a few too many mistakes and didn't capitalilze on a couple of situations. We have to defend Onate's passing game well and be consistent."
Today's game begins at 1:30 p.m. and can be heard live on KSNM-AM 570.

Felix Chavez can be reached at fchavez@lcsun-news.com

James Hall Jr.

Las Cruces High junior running back James Hall Jr. is starting to get more and more attention from colleges for his football services. Both New Mexico State and New Mexico have shown interest, but now San Diego State and Iowa have shown at least early interest.

Hall has rushed for 21 touchdowns for the 9-1 Bulldawgs, who are the No. 2 seed in this year's Class 5A football playoffs and will play next weekend against either Manzano or Oñate.

— Felix

Final KRQE Prep Football poll

Here is the final KRQE, channel 13 poll that I am weekly voter in. Mayfield retook the No. 1 spot after beating Las Cruces High in last week's regular season finale. Las Cruces High drops to No. 2.

— Felix

KRQE H.S. FOOTBALL POLL
1ST PLACE VOTES POINTS
1. MAYFIELD (9) 117
2. LAS CRUCES 106
3. CLOVIS 100
4. ARTESIA 87
5. CIBOLA 85
6. ELDORADO 70
7. MANZANO 53
8. LA CUEVA 39
9. AZTEC 36
10.HOBBS 33
11.GODDARD 31
12.DEXTER 18
13.RIO RANCHO 11
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: ALAMOGORDO 9, ST. PIUS 5, ST. MIKE'S 5, LAKE ARTHUR 5, LOVINGTON 4, LOS ALAMOS 4, FT. SUMNER 1.

NM Football playoff times and matchups

2007 Prep Football Playoffs Class 3A, 4A, 5A
Class 5A
First Round
Friday

No. 12 Valley at No. 5 Eldorado, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Alamogordo at No. 6 La Cueva, 7 p.m.

Saturday

No. 9 Rio Rancho at Hobbs, 1 p.m.
No. 10 Onate at No. 7 Manzano, 1:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals
TBA

Rio Rancho/Hobbs winner at No. 1 Mayfield
Eldorado/Valley winner at No. 4 Cibola
La Cueva/Alamogordo winner at No. 3 Clovis
Manzano/Onate winner at No. 2 Las Cruces

Semifinals
TBA

Rio Rancho/Hobbs/Mayfield winner vs. Eldorado/Valley/Cibola winner
La Cueva/Alamogordo/Clovis winner vs. Manzano/Onate/Las Cruces winner

Championship
Semifinal winners

Class 4A
First Round
Friday

No. 9 Moriarty at No. 8 Los Alamos, 7 p.m.

Saturday

No. 11 Santa Teresa at No. 6 Capital, 1 p.m.
No. 10 Piedra Vista at No. 7 Silver, 1 p.m.
No. 12 Belen at No. 5 Kirtland Central, TBA

Quarterfinals
TBA

Moriarty/Los Alamos winner at No. 1 Artesia
Kirtland Central/Belen winner at No. 4 St. Pius
Santa Teresa/Capital winner at No. 3 Goddard
Silver/Piedra Vista winner at No. 2 Aztec

Semifinals
TBA

Moriarty/Los Alamos winner/Artesia winner vs. Kirtland Central/Belen/St. Pius winner
Santa Teresa/Capital/Goddard winner vs. Silver/Piedra/Aztec winner

Championship
TBA

Class 3A
First Round
Saturday

No. 9 Hatch Valley at No. 8 Albuquerque, 1 p.m.
No. 11 Ruidoso at No. 6 Robertson, 2 p.m.
No. 10 Portales at No. 7 Socorro, 1 p.m.
No. 12 Cuba at No. 5 St. Michael’s, TBA

Quarterfinals
TBA

Hatch Valley/Albuquerque Academy winner at No. 1 Lovington
St. Michael’s/Cuba winner at No. 4 Bloomfield
Robertson/Ruidoso winner at No. 3 Hot Springs
Socorro/Portales winner at No. 2 Raton

Semifinals
TBA

Hatch Valley/Albuquerque Academy/Lovington winner/St. Michael’s/Cuba/Bloomfield winner
Robertson/Ruidoso/Hot Springs winner vs. Socorro/Portales/Raton winner

Finals

Semifinal winners

3A, 4A and 5A football playoffs

The seedings for the high school football playoffs are set. In Class 5A, there were no surprises.
Mayfield by virtue of its 14-7 win against Las Cruces High on Friday night, was named the top seed and will play the winner of No. 8 Hobbs and No. 9 Rio Rancho on Nov. 23 or Nov. 24.
LCHS is the No. 2 seed and will also play Nov. 23 or Nov. 24 against No. 7 Manzano or No. 10 Onate. Onate visits Manzano next Friday or Saturday.
The other first round matchups are No. 11 Alamogordo at No. 6 La Cueva and No. 12 Valley at No. 5 Eldorado.
The winner of Alamogordo and La Cueva will visit No. 3 Clovis and the winner of the Valley/Eldorado game will visit No. 4 Cibola.

Mayfield is well-deserving of that top seed. The Trojans really did a great job of coming up with big plays on defense against Las Cruces High. The Bulldawgs, who averaged 40.3 points per game prior to Friday's game, moved the ball well in the second half and kept the ball away from MHS in the final 24 minutes. But Mayfield has been stingy on defense under Jim Bradley and now Michael Bradley. A possible matchup for MHS in the semifinals is against No. 4 Cibola, which is big up front and features a handful of Division I prospects.

For the Bulldawgs, a potential semifinal game with Clovis is looming. Clovis started slow this season and has been coming on of late with wins against Hobbs, Artesia and Cibola.
The Bulldawgs didn't play badly in Friday's loss, they just couldn't finish a handful of drives.

In 4A Santa Teresa is the No. 11 seed and visit Capital on Friday or Saturday and in Class 3A, Hatch Valley is the No. 9 seed and will visit Albuquerque Academy.

- Felix

Friday night prep scores

Friday’s New Mexico football scores

Alamogordo 35, Gadsden 7
Artesia 56, Goddard 28
Bloomfield def. Thoreau, forfeit
Cibola 35, Rio Rancho 21
Clovis 34, Carlsbad 0
Espanola Valley 72, Taos 38
Highland 27, Los Lunas 20
Hot Springs 42, Hatch Valley 21
Kirtland Central 33, Piedra Vista 14
Los Alamos 95, Bernalillo 0
Lovington 28, Portales 0
Mayfield 14, Las Cruces 7
Moriarty 35, Belen 21
Raton 22, Robertson 21
Ruidoso 49, NMMI 0
Silver 27, Santa Teresa 7
Socorro 35, Chaparral 18

Class 2A
First Round

Tucumcari 49, Loving 6

Class 1A
Quarterfinal

Carrizozo 48, McCurdy 8
Fort Sumner 42, Jal 0

Some interesting Mayfield/LCHS tidbits

MAYFIELD:

• Mayfield has scored 922 points in the 41-game series, an average of 22.48 points a game.
• The total points differential in the 41-game series favors Mayfield, who has won by an average of 6.92 points a game.
• Mayfield has only been shutout once in this series (1992, 34-0).
• Mayfield has shutout Las Cruces eight times in 41 games, which accounts for 19.5 percent of the games played in the series.
• The most points Mayfield has scored in a series game is 56 (1995, 56-22).
• Mayfield has scored in double figures in 36 of the 41 games played, 14 of the last 15 games, and 18 of the past 20.
• Only five times in the series has Mayfield been held to seven points or less (1967, 1968, 1986, 1992, 2000).
• Of the 23 games Mayfield has won in the series it has scored 702 points an average of 30.52 points in those games. Las Cruces has been limited to 193 points, an average of 8.39 points. The Trojans’ average margin of victory has been 22.13 points.
• In the series, Mayfield has scored 40 or more points in a game seven times, and 30 or more points 11 times.
• Of its 23 victories in the series, Mayfield has never scored less than 14 points.
• Only five times has Mayfield been limited to seven points or less. (1967, 1968, 1986, 1992, 2000).
• Mayfield wide receiver Freddy Young, son of former New Mexico State linebacker Freddy Young Sr., leads the Trojans with 27 catches.

LAS CRUCES:

• Las Cruces has scored 638 points in the series for an average of 15.56 points a game.
• Las Cruces has been shutout eight times in this series (1970, 1971, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1989, 19990, 1996). In those games, the Dawgs gave up 231 points, an average of 28.8 points. Mayfield’s shutouts account for 26.36 percent of the total points it has scored in the series.
• Las Cruces’ shutouts have accounted for 19.5 percent of the 41 games played in the series.
• Take away the eight shutouts, and Las Cruces has averaged 19.33 points in 33 games in the series.
• The most points Las Cruces has scored in a series game is 39 (1993, 39-14).
• Las Cruces has scored in double figures in 26 of the 41 games played.
• Of the 17 games Las Cruces has won in the series it has scored 447 points, an average of 26.29 points in those games. Mayfield has been limited to 199 points, an average of 11.7 points. The Bulldawgs’ average margin of victory has been 14.59 points.
• Las Cruces has been limited to single digits in 15 of 41 games (1970, 71, 73, 74, 77, 79, 81, 84, 89, 90, 94, 96, 2001, 03, 06).
• Of its 17 victories in the series, Las Cruces has never scored less than 13 points.
• Of its victories, Las Cruces has scored 30 or more points five times, and 20 or more points 13 times.
• This year, the Bulldawgs have two 1,000 yard rushers in Dante Caro (1,209) and James Hall Jr. (1,360).
• Hall has scored 21 touchdowns on the season, three games with three touchdowns.

— Courtesy of mostly Sun-News Reporter Steve Ramirez

KRQE High School Football Poll

Here's the 11th version of the KRQE Ch. 13 poll, which I vote in each week. Again, 9-0 Las Cruces High is ranked No. 1 and 8-1 Mayfield is No. 2 heading into Friday's clash at Aggie Memorial Stadium. Clovis is a solid No. 3 after big wins against Cibola, Artesia and Hobbs. Artesia is No. 4 and Cibola rounds out the top five.

— Felix

KRQE FOOTBALL POLL WEEK 11
1ST PLACE VOTES POINTS
1. LAS CRUCES (9) 141
2. MAYFIELD (2) 134
3. CLOVIS 114
4. ARTESIA 112
5. CIBOLA 99
6. ELDORADO 74
7. MANZANO 63
8. HOBBS 53
T9.GODDARD 47
T9.LA CUEVA 47
11.AZTEC 41
12.DEXTER 20
13.RIO RANCHO 11
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: LOS ALAMOS 10, ALAMOGORDO 9, ST. MIKE'S 5, VALLEY 4, RATON 3, SANDIA 3, HIGHLAND 2, ST. PIUS 1 ACADEMY 1, ONATE 1.

High School girls soccer news

While Las Cruces High girls soccer player Aja Strnadova is not with her teammates at the state high school soccer championships in Bernalillo, she is performing well for the U17 Czech Republic team in Madrid Spain, where they are competing in qualifying for the World Cup.

The Czech Republic tied Spain 1-1 and beat Italy 3-2. The Czech Republic plays Belarus on Saturday. Word has it that Aja is playing well and has been on the field a great deal for the Czech Republic.

— Felix

Siju Shabazz and international competition

Las Cruces amateur boxer Siju Shabazz is going to get some valuable experience in the coming month in the boxing ring. On Nov. 16-17 in Hinkley, Minn., he will participate in the Golden Gloves World Championships. Then later this month and into December, he will head to England to represent the United States in fights against England.

Shabazz won the National Golden Gloves title at 178 pounds in May and later competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. In early September he represented the U.S. in a dual vs. Australia, which he won.

Shabazz has been boxing for just a few years and is improving all the time. He just needs more experience and these fights coming up will only help get better. Shabazz will likely turn pro sometime in 2008, maybe 2009, but the future is bright.

— Felix

Which QB plays better could be difference

Both Las Cruces High quarterback Dante Caro and Mayfield High quarterback Matt Sandoval have been very good this year. While Caro has been more of a running quarterback and Sandoval the passer, both have are arguably the two best in 5A.

With that being said, the QB that plays better and makes better decisions on Friday night could be the difference in the game. The junior Caro has improved as the season has gone along in terms of his passing , while his running ability has been solid each week. This is Caro's first big game as a QB against Mayfield and there might be some nerves early on. But he's handled himself well in big games against Artesia and Eldorado.

The senior Sandoval has played in a lot of big games in the past two seasons, so I would expect that he won't get rattled on Friday night if things go wrong.

Expect both offenses to do what they've been doing all season, Las Cruces High setting things up with the run and Mayfield switching between pass and run.

I would guess that if Mayfield jumps ahead of LCHS by 10 or more, expect them to try and eat up some clock.

Also, I would expect Mayfield to load the box and force LCHS to pass more and see if Caro can lead the way via the air.

— Felix

Where does this MHS/LCHS game rank?

There have been some good Las Cruces High/Mayfield games the 41-game history.
In 1975, the Bulldawgs beat MHS 21-13 in a battle of the state's top two teams.
In 2002, the two teams played twice, Mayfield won Round 1, 42-28, with LCHS winning Round 2 and the state championship, 17-14. In 1998, Las Cruces High beat Mayfield 25-13, but the Trojans went on to win the state championship.

This Friday's game at Aggie Memorial could be the best in series history between 9-0 LCHS and 8-1 Mayfield.

What are some of the best memories you readers have and some of your favorite players?

I've been here since 2000 and my favorite players have been James Hall Jr. , Matt Montoya, Tim Dixon and Isaac Gomez for LCHS and Jeremy Lawson, Evan Copeland, David Bustillos and Matt Sandoval for Mayfield.

- Felix

Finally, Mayfield vs. Cruces in football action

The two best football teams in the state finally get to meet on Friday when 9-0 Las Cruces High and 8-1 Mayfield meet at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
Friday's game is for the District 3-5A championship and the No. 1 seed in the Class 5A playoffs.
Both teams are explosive on offense and the offenses will be a hot topic of conversation this week. Which offense is better?
It's hard to say right now. The Bulldawgs have a great running attack with RB James Hall Jr., QB Dante Caro, RB Will Bruce and RB Randy Baca, but the passing game isn't too shabby.
Mayfield is explosive with QB Matt Sandoval in both the passing and running game, RB Jacob Ceniceros and a trio of receivers in Freddy Young, Nathan Enriquez and Collin Schoeppner.
Both teams have great speed and if LCHS has one advantage, I might say its offensive line, but not by much.
It's an even matchup on offense in my mind. The team that can take care of the ball and not commit stupid penalties will have the most success.
Both teams have had some hiccups on offense at times this year, but overall the execution by both teams has been very good.
I'm not ready for a prediction just yet, but expect the game to be high scoring. Mayfield hasn't faced a back with Hall's speed all season and I don't believe LCHS has faced an offense that is as balanced as Mayfield's. That's what makes this game so intriguing.
Anyway, look for more blog items during the week. Also, tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

-Felix

New Mexico Prep Football Scores 11/2-3

Friday’s N.M. Scores

Artesia 48, Roswell 0
Aztec 41, Kirtland Central 24
Bloomfield 67, Crownpoint 0
Capital 42, Espanola Valley 7
Carrizozo 46, Mescalero Apache 8
Cibola 76, Gallup 0
Clovis 28, Hobbs 7
Dulce 38, Navajo Prep 6
Eldorado 25, Manzano 24, OT
Floyd 48, Clovis Christian 20
Fort Sumner 49, Clayton 9
Gateway Christian 42, Tatum 6
Highland 35, Rio Grande 25
Laguna-Acoma 52, Navajo Pine 8
Las Cruces 42, Onate 13
Lordsburg 7, Tularosa 0
Lovington 48, NMMI 7
Mayfield 46, Gadsden 0
Melrose 74, Logan 0
Piedra Vista 39, Farmington 8
Portales 27, Ruidoso 13
Rio Rancho 58, West Mesa 27
Santa Rosa 42, Tucumcari 7
Socorro 27, Cobre 11
St. Pius 28, Moriarty 14
Zuni 68, Tohatchi 0

Saturday’s scores

Albuquerque Academy 49, Raton 7
Cloudcroft 41, Estancia 0
Escalante 28, McCurdy 15
St. Michael’s 71, Pojoaque 0
St. Pius 21, Moriarty 14

Six Man Semifinal

Lake Arthur 38, Roy 18

Good news for Las Cruces boys soccer

Unfortunately, I did not receive this announcement before Saturday's deadline, but LCHS boys soccer stands to live another day in the high school boys soccer state tournament.

Cibola and Las Cruces Boys Soccer Teams To Playoff for Semifinal Advancement

ALBUQUERQUE - The New Mexico Activities Association would like to announce that the Cibola and Las Cruces boy’s soccer teams will play a “playoff” game on Tuesday, November 6 to determine the team that will advance to the semifinals on November 8 at the Bernalillo Soccer Complex.

A mistake was made by the New Mexico Activities Association in the clarification of the World Cup tie breaking procedures. One document distributed by the NMAA in the coaches’ packet prior to the tournament declares Las Cruces the winner of pool C. In effort to clarify the tie breaking procedures another document distributed during tournament play declares Cibola the winner. (See attached documents).

The NMAA takes full responsibility for the mistake. In an effort to decide the champion of pool C, the NMAA believes that this is the best decision for all teams involved in the sport of soccer in our first year of World Cup play.

The game time and location of the “playoff” game will be determined by the NMAA on Monday, November 5. The NMAA will pay all expenses incurred by the schools in regards to the “playoff” game.

For more information concerning this announcement, please contact Robert Zayas, NMAA Director of Communications at (505) 977-5386.

Interesting note

There has been some interesting names that have reportedly shown interest in the assistant coaching vacancies at Onate High School. Former New Mexico State defensive and offensive lineman Tommy Laborin, former Mayfield High assistant coach and former Hatch Valley head coach Henry Carrillo and former Las Cruces High and current New Mexico Lobos defensive back Tyson Ditmore have been linked to having interest in working for head coach Kelly McKee. It will be a while before anything is decided, but stay tuned.

- Felix