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Showdown is a beatdown for St. Pius
St. Pius' head coach Curtis Flakes II prays with his players before their game against West Mesa at Nusenda Community Stadium, August 23, 2025.
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Saturday afternoon’s Class 4A prep football matchup between two of the top three ranked teams in New Mexico was as anticlimactic as they come.
In a stunning one-sided result, No. 2-ranked St. Pius demolished No. 3 Chaparral 50-0 in a District 2-4A contest at Milne Stadium. The game was over by halftime.
And first place in 2-4A changed hands in the process.
The Sartans (6-1, 3-1) now occupy first place alone, with the Lobos (6-3, 3-2) having lost two in a row.
“Pretty cool to watch our kids have their best game of the year,” St. Pius coach Curtis Flakes II said.
All of St. Pius’ top playmakers were heavily involved. Junior tailback Hershul Olloway Jr. was over 100 yards in the first quarter alone and finished with 136 yards and two touchdowns.
Receiver Cayl Cox-Liggins caught two touchdown passes and also intercepted two passes for the Sartans. And quarterback Isaiah Carpenter threw for 194 yards and four scores against the Lobos.
St. Pius will clinch the 2-4A championship if it wins its final two games, at Valencia and versus Manzano. The Sartans are the only one of the seven teams in the district with just a single loss. Portales has two losses, Chaparral has two, and Valencia has two.
CIBOLA 28, FARMINGTON 10: In the late game Saturday at Nusenda Community Stadium, the ninth-ranked Cougars (5-3, 1-2 in District 1-6A) picked up a crucial victory, overcoming a sloppy first half and ending a two-game skid with a victory over the Scorpions (1-7, 0-3).
Hayes Baum, Cibola’s senior linebacker, had a pick-6 in the win for Cibola, which scored 21 unanswered points in the second half. Damian Suarez had a nice outing for the Cougars, rushing for nearly 100 yards with a TD.
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LA CUEVA 49, ATRISCO HERITAGE 14: In the early game Saturday at Nusenda Community Stadium, Jhett Kinghorn, who had two interceptions last week against Los Lunas, had two more interceptions Saturday against the Jaguars, and the Bears’ offensive depth carried the day in a District 2-6A win.
No. 5-ranked La Cueva is 6-2 overall and 5-0 in 2-6A. Atrisco fell to 1-7, 0-5.
VALENCIA 22, MANZANO 14: At Wilson Stadium, quarterback Santino Mares rushed for two touchdowns, and Michael Storms III also ran for a score as the Jaguars (4-4, 2-2 in 2-4A) beat the ninth-ranked Monarchs (4-4, 1-3).
The Valencia defense intercepted three passes in the win. Manzano’s two touchdowns came on special teams and on defense.
ROBERTSON 9, HOPE CHRISTIAN 7: In Las Vegas, Brenan Deisler caught a touchdown pass in the final minute of the first half, and he also kicked a third-quarter field goal as the seventh-ranked Cardinals (6-3, 1-2 in 2-3A) ended a modest two-game losing streak with a win over the fourth-ranked Huskies (6-3, 1-2). The Huskies were being shutout until late in the fourth quarter.
