Peerman's Power Rankings: The unbeaten 13 — these are the NM high school teams who have yet to lose

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.” True as that may be, the next day’s standings showed an L for Vince’s team, without an asterisk.

So far in New Mexico high school’s fall sports season, 13 teams have not had to make an excuse for why they didn’t prevail. Here’s a look at the football, volleyball and soccer teams who collectively take the top spot in Peerman’s Power Rankings this week.

The Las Cruces High volleyball team may be the most dominant team in any fall sport. The Bulldawgs are 19-0 and have dropped only three sets all season, all in tournaments in their opponents’ home towns. Cleveland and La Cueva, the second- and third-ranked teams in 5A each picked up a set and El Paso Franklin, a Top 40 team in Texas, picked up the other.

Las Cruces should be the favorite to repeat as state champs next month and junior outside hitter Addison Massey is a lock to repeat as Gatorade Player of the Year.

Only one soccer team in the state remains without a loss — or even a tie — on its record: Hope Christian girls soccer, which improved to 20-0 after crushing Del Norte 16-0 in its most recent match. The Class 4A Huskies have outscored opponents 126-4 on the season, including a 3-1 victory over La Cueva, the top-ranked team in Class 5A.

What makes Hope’s record even more eye-popping is that roster is constructed with more eighth-graders and freshmen (seven eighth-graders, six freshmen) than upperclassmen (seven sophomores, three juniors and a senior).

Though Hope is dominant — and will be for years — the Huskies were challenged by St. Pius recently, needing a late goal in double overtime to beat the 12-8 Sartans. A lack of focus in the state tournament — as Hope seeks its fourth straight championship — could be a lesson these young Huskies would rather not learn.

The 11 other unbeaten teams in New Mexico fall sports are all on the gridiron, which is heading into the final week of the regular season.

La Cueva and Centennial are both 9-0 in Class 6A. The Bears — who needed a near-miracle (down 15 in the fourth quarter) to beat Arizona’s Pinnacle High in Flagstaff early in the season — haven’t been challenged by a team in New Mexico and should be 10-0 entering the playoffs.

The Hawks had a nail-biter early in the season as well, beating Cleveland by a touchdown in Week 1. How Centennial performs against 7-2 Las Cruces on Friday will be telling of its chances to win the blue trophy. Also, the Storm, which has only one blemish on its record, might be playing the best football in the state right now. Expect two of La Cueva, Centennial and Cleveland in the state title game. Which two is anyone’s guess.

Class 5A football, especially the southern district, is a dogfight. Only Roswell (7-1) has fewer than two losses.

Class 4A football, on the other hand, has been all Bloomfield (8-0) all year. In fact, only two teams, 6A’s Piedra Vista and 8-1 Bernalillo, have even scored on the Bobcats. Anything less than a state title would be a huge disappointment.

St. Michael’s and Robertson, both 9-0, will play for the District 2-3A crown on Friday. No team’s been within three touchdowns of the Horsemen this season; while the only team to challenge the Cardinals has been crosstown rival West Las Vegas (a 28-26 Robertson win). St. Michael’s is the more polished team, but this week’s game is at Robertson, so an upset isn’t out of the question.

The only 3A team assured of being undefeated going into the playoffs is Dexter. The Demons are 10-0 and on their bye this week and are squarely in the mix for a blue trophy.

Anything other than a Texico-Legacy Academy 2A state title game would be a surprise. How good have the Wolverines (8-0) been this year? MaxPreps has them as the 18th best team in the state — a higher ranking than 3A unbeatens Dexter and Robertson and higher than all but 11 6A teams. A 2A squad that could legitimately compete in the 6A playoffs? Impressive.

Also impressive is how dominant the Silverbacks (9-0) have been in their first year in 11-Man football. However, despite a 415-30 scoring differential this season, Legacy Academy ranks as only the 47th best team in the state. The MaxPreps computers clearly think Texico has something the Silverbacks don’t. We might find out what that is next month.

Melrose (9-0) and Fort Sumner/House (8-0) have wrapped up the regular season as the only undefeated teams in Class 8-Man. MaxPreps ranks the Buffaloes as the 17th best 8-Man squad in the nation; the Foxes sneak into the national rankings at 222nd. Though both have had extraordinary regular seasons, there remains a wide, wide gap between state’s Nos. 1 and 2 8-Man teams.

In 6-Man, only Logan (9-0) is undefeated, but Grady (8-1) could be the hungriest team in the playoffs, looking to avenge a 32-26 loss to the Longhorns in Week 3.

Another Lombardi quote: “Winning is not everything, but making the effort to win is.” These 13 teams have put in the effort thus far. Time will tell if they also have that championship drive.

Honorable mention

Rio Grande boys soccer won the District 5-5A title, the program’s first district crown since it was formed in 1987. And if the fifth-seeded Ravens beat No. 12 Cleveland at home on Tuesday, it’ll be the first time Rio Grande has advanced past the first round of the playoffs … The New Mexico State volleyball team won four straight matches at home, sweeping FIU and Liberty twice. That’s 12 straight sets won for the Aggies, who are now in third place in Conference USA … Former Lobo Corey Bojorquez, now the Cleveland punter, leads the NFL in number of punts (44), punting yards (2,282) and longest punt (84 yards) and is top five in punting average yards and net punting average yards. Unfortunately for Bojorquez’s numbers, it seems as if the Browns may have found a stable quarterback.

Meet the sports editor

Albuquerque Journal Assistant Managing Editor for Sports and Features (Sports Editor) Lucas Peerman will be visiting a different coffee house the last Wednesday of every month to meet with community members. This is an opportunity to discuss in person what you’d like to see in a sports section, or to just talk sports.

This month, Journal sports writer Geoff Grammer, who covers UNM men’s basketball, will be at the coffee meet-up as well.

Meet Lucas and Geoff at Napoli Coffee, 3035 Menaul Blvd NE, from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. Look for the little guy (Lucas) and the guy who stays in literal basketball shape (Geoff).

Peerman’s Power Rankings capture the athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman’s attention. Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or find me on X, @LucasPeerman.