It’s Cleveland vs. Las Cruces, Part II in 6A final

Even at the end of that September night in Rio Rancho, it felt like there were loose ends that needed tying up between Cleveland and Las Cruces.

“After we played them,” Las Cruces coach Mark Lopez said, “we had a sense that we may be back here for the state championship.”

None of the challengers were up to the task of dealing with the Bulldawgs, or the Storm, over the course of the season’s first 14 weeks. There was Las Cruces and Cleveland, and then there was everyone else.

Now, in Week 15, the final pairing in Class 6A is the one nearly everyone projected, as No. 1 Las Cruces (12-0) plays No. 2 Cleveland (11-1) for the state championship at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“We’re not done. This team is definitely not done,” said Las Cruces senior running back Danny Amaro. “We’re one step closer to our goal, and we’re excited to be here.”

Not since 2017 has there been a 6A title game that didn’t feature the Storm, which beat La Cueva in last year’s final. Saturday’s game is the first title contest in the largest division since 2016 to feature a school outside the metro area, and the last one was also Las Cruces.

“Everybody is fired up for the opportunity,” Lopez said. “We all in the city have gone through this, this fourth high school thing (a reference to the opening of Centennial that had a huge negative impact on both Las Cruces and Mayfield), trying to figure out how we’re gonna deal with this.”

The only blemish on the Cleveland ledger was that September night, when Las Cruces, then ranked No. 2, scored a touchdown with 90 seconds remaining for a 38-34 victory over the Storm, which was then ranked No. 1.

“The guys, they took it to heart,” Cleveland coach Robert Garza said. “They took it personally. It really did make us better as a team, maybe humbled a few guys.”

Cleveland was up two touchdowns in the first half that night, and led by as many as 10 in the second half. The Storm, even after giving up the lead late in the game, advanced as far as the Las Cruces 20 before the drive stalled.

Hatch (39 TD passes and just five picks) was intercepted twice that night 2½ months ago, but his completion percentage is a gaudy 75.1%, and he’s surrounded by dangerous and reliable receivers like Evan Nanez (49 receptions, 977 yards, 15 TDs), Jacob Maldonado (48/769/9) and Ajay Vigil.

Samuel Bustillos (703 yards, nine scores) is the Storm’s leading rusher, but Cleveland likes to get multiple runners involved.

Both coaches will feed their stars, but how might Saturday look demonstrably different from September, if at all?

“The biggest mistake is assuming that past success will predict future success,” Lopez said.

Amaro rushed for 188 yards and two long touchdowns in September. He has scored 39 touchdowns on the ground this season, including three in a 44-7 semifinal win in Albuquerque last week against La Cueva. He has rushed for 1,843 yards (an average of 150-plus) through 12 games.

“First game, we were able to contain him for the most part, but he broke a couple of big runs,” Garza said. “If we can shut him down we’re gonna have a pretty good chance to win the football game.”

Amaro is the most visible component of the Bullawgs’ big three, and each member of this trio demands attention.

Senior quarterback Gunnar Guardiola has been extremely efficient, throwing for 24 TDs versus just two interceptions. The receiver he’ll look most frequently to is Francisco Winnikoff (64 catches, 1,248 yards, 12 scores).

But the Cleveland defense, and retiring coordinator Eddie Kilmer, has only surrendered 69 total points during an eight-game winning streak.

“They’re creating a lot more turnovers,” Lopez said.

Lopez said he wouldn’t be surprised if this game, much like the first one, was decided by who has the ball last.

“It feels like that to us,” he said.

Las Cruces has not won a state football championship since 2013, which was a memorable one-point win over Mayfield at Aggie Memorial Stadium. The Bulldawgs were back in the final three years later, but were beaten by undefeated Rio Rancho.

Garza said his team is ready.

“They’re excited,” he said. “I’ve really been on them to enjoy this moment. Playing in the state championship game is a tough thing. … These guys are locked in.”