Week 4: New Mexico high school football scores and summaries

Eldorado’s Stellar Kendrick (10) runs past the Los Lunas defense during the Eagles’ 28-22 loss to the Tigers in Los Lunas on Friday night.

Kenn Rodriguez / Valencia County News Bulletin

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Published September 12, 2025 - 9:00 p.m. Modified September 13, 2025 - 8:13 p.m.

This story will be updated throughout the weekend.

Thursday (Sept. 11)

---> Cibola 23, Carlsbad 7

The popular homecoming king did his part. So did the Cibola defense. And for good measure, there was also an utterly preposterous special teams touchdown, as peculiar as any scored in New Mexico this season.

Cibola’s eventual 23-7 victory over Carlsbad on Thursday night at Nusenda Community Stadium upped the team’s record to 3-1, and this is a team that is proving to be one of the pleasant surprise stories of Class 6A football in the first half of the season. The Cougars are less than a minute away, going back to the season opener, from being unbeaten.

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---> St. Pius 28, Organ Mountain 21

At Milne Stadium, the Sartans’ big-play offense served them well as St. Pius (3-0) avenged a 2024 loss to the Knights with a come-from-behind win.

Junior running back Hershul Olloway Jr. had a big night with two long touchdown runs, including a 95-yarder, and Cayl Cox-Liggins caught an opening-play 80-yard touchdown reception for Class 4A’s second-ranked team.

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Crownpoint 14, Navajo Prep 8

Roy/Mosquero 80, N.M. School for the Deaf 37

Chaparral 49, N.M. Military Institute 24

Friday (Sept. 12)

---> Las Cruces 38, Cleveland 34

No. 1 vs. No. 2 delivered in every single possible way.

Oh what a night.

The days of hype leading into Friday night’s matchup between the state’s two best prep football teams, Cleveland and Las Cruces, were, as it turns out, more than justified.

The second-ranked Bulldawgs trailed by 10 in the second half, but they scored points on all four of their full drives after halftime, including the go-ahead score by quarterback Gunnar Guardiola, a 2-yard run with 1:29 remaining, and Las Cruces knocked off the top-ranked Storm 38-34 in a scintillating thriller.

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---> Los Lunas 28, Eldorado 22

What started out looking like an easy night at the office turned into a down-to-the-wire victory for Los Lunas.

The Tigers squandered all of a 21-0 lead, then held on to top Eldorado 28-22 in a District 2-6A opener at Los Lunas on Friday night. The outcome wasn’t decided until linebacker Bryant Baca sacked Eagles quarterback Giovanni Evans on fourth and goal from the Los Lunas 15-yard line as time expired.

“That was a heck of a win for the program, the community. We knew it was going to be incredibly tough, especially on homecoming week against such a great team,” said Tigers coach Greg Henington. “But we're super proud of our kids coming through in the end.”

Early on, it appeared that Los Lunas (2-2, 1-0) was well on its way to a running clock. The Tigers scored on each of their first three possessions to go up 21-0 with 11:06 remaining in the second quarter.

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---> Centennial 42, Rio Rancho 39

Centennial running back Dailen Ramirez didn’t buy a ticket to the dance, but he sure left his mark all over Rio Rancho’s homecoming.

After a late Rams comeback, the Hawks drove down the field to set up a game-winning touchdown from Ramirez, scoring on a 15-yard catch and run with eight seconds left in the game as Class 6A’s third-ranked Hawks won 42-39 over the fifth-ranked Rams.

The junior has now recorded three straight games with 100 yards or more, with multiple touchdowns in each of those contests. His game-clinching score marked a season-high three-score night.

Centennial’s final drive, however, was not its first comeback of the game. The Hawks fell behind 16-0 out of the gates. Rio Rancho receiver Parker Miller put up two first-half receiving touchdowns before Ramirez would light a spark with two rushing touchdowns of his own.

For Rio Rancho, the loss takes away from the heroics of receiver Jace Lee. The senior scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game, including a 60-yard screen pass to bring the Rams out of a 10-point hole.

“I thought our kids fought, and that that was our challenge for the week,” Rio Rancho coach Nate Pino said. “After last week, we got pushed around a little bit, but tonight, to fight and to compete, to answer the bell, you know. I thought our guys did that.”

The Rams are at El Paso Eastlake on Thursday. Centennial is back on the road for a District 3-6A opener at Carlsbad.

– Dan Allison, Rio Rancho Observer

---> La Cueva 42, Sandia 7

At Wilson Stadium, the Bears (1-2) won their District 2-6A opener, establishing a ground game early and being effective with multiple running backs as La Cueva beat the Matadors (0-4).

---> Moriarty 20, Bernalillo 12

In Moriarty, the Spartans’ magical run of comeback victories in the first three weeks came to an end, as the Pintos (2-1) scored two rushing touchdowns, but also returned a touchdown for a score in a victory over the Spartans (3-1), who trailed before coming back in each of their first three games.

---> Artesia 41, Deming 14

In Deming, quarterback Derrick Warren threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a third as 5A’s top-ranked Bulldogs (3-1) beat No. 8 Deming in a District 2-5A opener.

Marco Soto helped get the Artesia defense an interception on a tipped ball, and he also forced two fumbles on sacks, including one that he returned for a score.

--> Los Alamos 13, Highland 0

At Milne Stadium, Dylan Baca and Jordan Herrera had touchdowns for the Hilltoppers (4-0) won a defensive grind of a District 1-5A opener against the Hornets (2-2).

--> Volcano Vista 55, West Mesa 0

At Nusenda Community Stadium, the Hawks (3-1) scored 21 points in the first quarter and 34 more in the fourth quarter as they blanked the Mustangs (1-2).

D’Angelo Mitchell rushed for over a hundred yards on a night when Volcano Vista dominated on the ground. Aiden Gonzales returned a punt for a score for the Hawks.

Piedra Vista 21, Alamogordo 14

Santa Fe 18, Albuquerque High 6

Capital 7, Del Norte 6

Farmington 21, Falcon, Colo. 17

Taos 49, Aztec 12

Hozho Academy 26, Capitan 0

Logan 55, Dora 0

Elida 60, Floyd 8

Melrose 58, Hagerman 6

Sangre de Cristo, Colo. 20, Questa 6

Silver over Cobre, forfeit

Jal 41, Van Horn, Texas 0

Fort Sumner/House 24, Tatum 14

Menaul 50, Alamo Navajo 0

Hatch Valley 50, Laguna-Acoma 12

Texico 31, Olton, Texas 16

Valencia 51, Cuba 0

West Las Vegas 22, Portales 19

Legacy Academy 42, Santa Fe Indian 0

Animas 68, Fort Hancock 42

Bayfield, Colo., 46, Gallup 26

Zuni 32, Sanders, Ariz. 8

Tohatchi 26, Newcomb 6

Thoreau 14, Hot Springs 12

Santa Rosa 36, Tularosa 6

Escalante 48, Dove Creek, Colo. 40

Eunice 88, Morton, Texas 36

Estancia 44, Socorro 6

Bloomfield 56, Kirtland Central 0

Roswell 19, Lovington 13

Loving 20, Tucumcari 10

Mesilla Valley 45, Mescalero Apache 22

Magdalena 61, Reserve 0

Goddard 54, Santa Teresa 0

Saturday (Sept. 13)

---> Valley 25, Belen 22

Valley’s first victory of the 2025 prep football season couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Vikings (1-3), having to make a major adjustment on the fly after their starting quarterback got injured in the fourth quarter, went down the field and scored a late touchdown to defeat Belen 25-22 in a District 1-5A opener on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s very important,” Valley coach Billy Cobos said. “We don’t want to lose that first district game. That puts us behind the 8-ball.”

The game had been scheduled Friday night, but pushed back a day due to expected inclement weather.

And this victory was not secured for the Vikings until junior Malachi Chestnut of Valley recovered a Belen fumble just as the Eagles were inside the Valley 10 and nearing a go-ahead TD with about a minute to go.

Zach Perez, called into duty at QB after starter Jose Jaramillo went down, scored on a short touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation to put Valley in front. The Vikings missed the PAT, leaving Belen (1-3) a chance to either tie or win the game with a final drive.

“Coming out party (for Zach),” Cobos said. “He put the team on his back.”

Belen had taken a 22-19 mere moments earlier.

Valley led the game 13-0 early, but the contest became a back-and-forth affair from there, with Belen leading 14-13, then Valley leading 19-14, then Belen taking a 22-19 lead just past the halfway mark of the fourth quarter.

---> Manzano 29, Hope Christian 14

At Wilson Stadium, senior quarterback Bodi True threw a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for a third as the Monarchs (3-1) handed the Huskies (3-1) their first loss of the season.

---> Gadsden 42, Mayfield 21

At the Field of Dreams, the Panthers (4-0) beat the Trojans (0-4) in a District 2-5A opener that was originally scheduled Friday night but postponed until Saturday.

After never having beaten Mayfield before, Gadsden – one of two remaining undefeated teams in Class 5A, the other being Los Alamos – the Panthers have won this rivalry game in consecutive years.

---> Grants 54, Espanola Valley 0

Class 4A’s fifth-ranked (3-1) Grants polished off a 54-0 win over Espanola Valley in a District 1-4A opener, a contest that began Friday night before being suspended and resumed on Saturday afternoon.

---> St. Michael’s 50, Albuquerque Academy 21

In Santa Fe, Isaiah Dominguez scored four touchdowns as Class 3A's top-ranked team (4-0) defeated Class 4A's Chargers (2-2).

Dominguez scored three times on the ground, including an 88-yard touchdown. He also returned a kick 95 yards to set up another St. Michael's score.

McCurdy 16, Wingate 12

Clayton 54, Navajo Pine 0

Dexter at Pojoaque, canceled (1Q)

Miyamura 27, Rio Grande 0

Robertson 48, Ruidoso 19

Gateway Christian at Lordsburg, late