6A championship preview: La Cueva, Cleveland to meet for title (again)

La Cueva and Cleveland.

Act IV.

Saturday’s Class 6A state football championship between No. 1 La Cueva (12-0) and No. 3 Cleveland (11-1) marks the fourth time since 2018 that the Bears and Storm have settled things on the season’s final day.

This matchup kicks off at 1 p.m. at Wilson Stadium. They are meeting in the title game for the third consecutive year. In 70 years of record keeping by the New Mexico Activities Association, this is the first time the same two schools are meeting in the large division final for a third straight season.

“Gonna be a battle,” La Cueva senior linebacker Mason Posa said.

This duo has gained clear separation from the rest of New Mexico.

“Obviously, we have really good kids on our teams, but I think there’s a lot of pride in both programs,” Cleveland coach Robert Garza said. “Kids come up and they’re excited to be a part of these two programs.”

It has been seven years since a big-school football final has been staged without Cleveland, that being Manzano-La Cueva in 2017.

The Bears won championships on Cleveland’s field in 2018 and 2023. Last year, La Cueva dominated, 35-14. Cleveland won a famous (infamous?) 75-62 shootout at Wilson Stadium two years ago.

The volume of playmakers on display on Saturday would be difficult to quantify. Both rosters are stacked, which perhaps will create an epic curtain closer to the 2024 season.

The two best players on the field will both be in La Cueva blue, assuming both of them will actually be on the field.

Posa, who next month is going to sign with Wisconsin, is probably the most valuable player in Class 6A. It’s not just his tremendous, high-motor linebacking that distinguishes him, but also his presence on special teams — both as a returner and on kick blocks — and even his occasional presence in the offensive huddle.

Last week, for example, he stepped in briefly on offense, took a direct snap, and darted 64 yards for a TD in the third quarter.

Why was that necessary?

Because of the physical ailment to the other aforementioned Bear, senior quarterback Cam Dyer.

The Arizona State-bound Dyer — Saturday is scheduled to be his final high school game in any sport, as he is graduating early — was injured, twice, in last week’s 47-19 semifinal victory over Las Cruces, and at one point was carried off the field with a right knee injury.

He did ultimately return, but did not run the ball, and no QB in this state runs the ball more effectively or dynamically than Dyer. He threw two touchdown passes in the second half. He had run for two medium-range scores in the first half before going down.

“Still in a wait and see pattern,” La Cueva coach Brandon Back said Wednesday night. “I really don’t know (if he’ll play).”

On Friday afternoon, Back was asked directly if Dyer will play.

“Still not sure,” he said.

The mystery of Dyer’s health/availability may not altogether be a bad thing for the Bears, since Cleveland must game-plan for multiple contingencies: Dyer as a passer only, Dyer as a dual threat, and an offense absent Dyer altogether. He threw for 2,361 yards and 30 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,360 yards and 20 scores.

“Whatever it is,” Garza said, “we’ll have a couple of different plans. We just have to roll with it, be prepared for whoever it is.”

Dyer said after the Las Cruces victory he was expecting to play.

“We know we have that target on our back. We’ve had it all year,” he said. “So if we come ready to play, we play our game, I think we’ll come out on top.”

La Cueva averages 46.6 points a game, Cleveland 48 a game. Both have an impressive victory outside the state. The Bears won in double overtime in Week 2 in Flagstaff against Pinnacle High from Phoenix, while the Storm beat a very good El Paso Pebble Hills squad in Week 5.

Both dominated their respective districts. And both have two blowout victories in these playoffs.

For the Bears, running back Cheeto Lumbrera III (664/15 TDs), plus receiver Jayden Parsons (45 catches, 872 yards, 12 TDs) are valued weapons; speedy Tanner Montano can be a factor in the pass game (44/557/7) and on kick returns.

Cleveland’s Juan Muñoz has rushed for 980 yards and 14 touchdowns, but the stat that jumps off the page is his average yards per carry: 13.1.

“We have to stop the run game,” Posa said.

Also for Cleveland, junior quarterback Jordan Hatch (2,100 yards, 27 TD passes) has been productive and steady. Jacob Maldonado (43/813/10) leads the Storm receiving corps. Muñoz also has six receiving touchdowns.

Muñoz and Lumbrera can be expected to be featured in the pass game Saturday.

Both these teams have hefty offensive lines with Division I talent — University of Minnesota-bound Mark Handy at tackle for La Cueva, and junior Moses Sparks, with multiple D-1 offers at tackle for Cleveland.

“We’re clicking. We’re ready,” Sparks said.

Garza, aware of La Cueva’s O-Line prowess, said this: “I’m gonna go a step further and say, our defensive line has to establish itself against their O-Line.”

Back said he was impressed with the Storm’s bigs.

“They’re Cleveland, so they’re gonna be really big and very, very strong,” Back said. This Storm offense, Back added, has further benefited from having Heath Ridenour, the former Cleveland head coach, calling plays as offensive coordinator.

Of Muñoz, who rushed for 255 yards and three touchdowns last week, Back said, “A fantastic runner. It’s impressive how well he runs the ball and how quick he gets going.”

Cleveland won the physicality battle with Centennial last week, and both defensive lines have their work cut out on Saturday.

“They’re everything they are advertised to be,” Garza said of La Cueva. “An athletic squad, high energy.”

Cleveland is the only team playing anywhere Saturday that isn’t seeded No. 1 or No. 2.

But the Storm last weekend authored what might have been the single most impressive victory by any 6A team all season, 56-20 over previously unbeaten Centennial. Garza described it as Cleveland’s best performance of the year.

“These guys are excited and they know what’s at hand,” Garza said. “They’re ready to take the next step and play one more great one.”

La Cueva, meanwhile, is thinking about nothing except going back-to-back.

“We worked hard for this moment,” Dyer said. “Now we just have to finish.”