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Prep football: Week 5 games to watch and expert picks
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Games to watch
1. Hobbs at Las Cruces, Field of Dreams, 7 p.m. Friday: The District 3-6A schedule begins with a doozy of a matchup at the FOD, with a pair of definite playoff challengers hooking up. For the seventh-ranked Eagles, this is their first game of the season against a fellow 6A program. No. 2 Las Cruces is in the midst of a killer run, having played No. 4 Volcano Vista, No. 5 Rio Rancho and No. 1 Cleveland in the three games prior to this one.
2. Artesia at Gadsden, 7 p.m. Friday: The Panthers’ evolution into a Class 5A power has been impressive to watch over the last several years, and here is a massively important home game against the top-ranked Bulldogs. Gadsden is ranked No. 3 in 5A. Both these teams were in the state semifinals last November.
3. Eunice at St. Michael’s, 1 p.m. Saturday: Gotta love these type of unique nondistrict games, which in this case involves the No. 2 team in Class 2A traveling to the top-ranked team in 3A. Horsemen won big at Eunice last season.
4. Valencia at Silver, 7 p.m. Friday: Two of Class 4A’s top teams meet in a district matchup in Silver City. The Jaguars have already spent a lot of time on the road this season, with games at Kirtland Central and Gadsden. Silver has two weeks to prepare, which is bad for the Jaguars, after the Colts’ Week 4 game with rival Cobre was forfeited by the Indians.
5. Goddard at Lovington, 7 p.m. Friday: The Rockets had a very difficult 2024, with just two victories, and they already had two wins even before their Week 4 contest. Goddard is ranked No. 4, Lovington No. 5 in the latest 5A coaches’ poll.
