And now we know who everyone is.
It’s hard to fake it through three weeks of football, and as we quickly approach the time when the leaves start to change and the hot-air balloons start to rise, we see the contenders very clearly, the pretenders even more so, and the also-rans as clear as day.
We’ve still got eight weeks (and seven games) to go in the regular season. For some, district play starts this weekend.
The New Mexican sports department took it in the teeth last week by stumbling to a 4-3 mark in prep picks; 19-4 for the season. We went 2-1 in college games and sits at 4-2 for the season.
Here is a look at this week’s games involving Santa Fe-area teams:
Friday
Albuquerque High (2-1) at Santa Fe High (2-1), 7 p.m.
The second season starts right here for the Demons, whose final seven games of the regular season are in District 2-6A. The first three games are at Ivan Head, and the final four are all on the road, so the “getting better” part of SFHS’ game plan will need to be pretty good if this team hopes to have any shot at the playoffs. The visiting Bulldogs aren’t built to contend with 6A’s best, but they’re certainly good enough to roll into town and leave with a win. They scored a solid win over Cibola in their opener and are just a couple of defensive stops from being undefeated.
Prediction: Albuquerque High 28, Santa Fe High 20
Del Norte (0-3) at Capital (0-3), 7 p.m.
Oh, Jaguars. Oh, no, no, no. Held to just 13 points in three games, they’re quickly taking on the look and feel of the 2024 version of themselves when they had an anemic attack early on, routed Del Norte and finished just 2-8. Bottom line, if Capital can’t find a way to generate some offense, it’s going to be a long, painful season. QB Ace Bachicha and RB Josh Baker have the talent to make things work, but they both need time and space to do some running. Bachicha’s passes are often rushed because his pocket collapses — and when it doesn’t, it’s as if he’s preprogrammed to rush throws because he’s used to being under pressure. That should change here.
Prediction: Capital 32, Del Norte 18
S.F. Indian School (1-2) at Legacy Academy (2-1), 7 p.m.
Capital isn’t the only city team struggling on offense. The Braves have yet to score more than 14 points in each of their last eight games. The good news is the SFIS defense has been outstanding. The unit saved the day with a late stop in the win over Cuba and kept the Braves in it until the final gun in each of the last two games, which they lost by a combined six points. Legacy is a different animal, though. The Silverbacks are ranked No. 4 in Class 2A and crushed the same Laguna-Acoma team that beat SFIS last week.
Prediction: Legacy Academy 48, SFIS 8
Los Alamos (3-0) at Highland (2-1), 7 p.m.
The Hilltoppers are well on their way to a stellar regular season that should put them in position for a home game in the opening round of the playoffs — if not a bye through the first round. RB Jordan Herrera has emerged as one of the top running backs in the state as L.A. has adjusted to life with a new cast of characters that includes QB Hayden Watkins and his 64% completion rate. Fact is, until someone comes along and proves they’re better than the Hilltoppers, the northern half of the state (in Class 5A anyway) belongs to them.
Prediction: Los Alamos 30, Highland 21
Española Valley (2-1) at Grants (2-1), 7 p.m.
For anyone who got used to watching the Sundevils the last few years, seeing them throw the ball with the kind of regularity they do now under new coach Caleb Holbrook is just — weird. QB Irvin Primero broke out the passing game in a big way last week at Capital, where his ability to throw the ball in rainy conditions carried the Sundevils to a second straight win. Granted, Española’s strength of schedule isn’t much to write home about, but a win’s a win, and the Sundevils have been taking care of business. That said, Grants is an enormous favorite and is ready to prove it.
Prediction: Grants 52, Española Valley 6
Taos (0-3) at Aztec (1-2), 6 p.m.
This much we know: The team in orange and black named the Tigers is going to win. The Taos version of that argument has been getting progressively better over the last couple of weeks against some pretty stiff competition. The three teams they’ve played are a combined 8-1. Their best outing came last week in a close call against Highland. The Aztec version of this argument has gotten worse as the season has gone on. The Tigers from the Four Corners area survived a scare against Rio Grande in the opener and have been blown out two weeks in a row. Advantage, visitors.
Prediction: Taos 29, Aztec 26
Portales (0-3) at West Las Vegas (2-1), 7 p.m.
This is a much better matchup than the records indicate. Portales has played a brutal schedule with losses to 5A powers Goddard and Lovington, and last week’s painful OT loss to unbeaten Bernalillo. The Rams are also playing behind a freshman QB who’s learning on the fly. The Dons have thrown the ball much more than their preseason hype had promised, as QB Caydin Encinias has proven to be accurate and productive. He’ll need to be against a Rams roster that has enough umph to turn things around in a hurry.
Prediction: Portales 23, West Las Vegas 21
Saturday
Abq. Academy (2-1) at St. Michael’s (3-0), 1 p.m.
No one plays defense like the Horsemen, not in Class 3A anyway. The only team to put points on the scoreboard against them is Capital, and the Jaguars got blown out. Academy has a drop-back passer in William Braun. He’s thrown for eight touchdowns in the first three weeks, averaging better than 200 yards a game. He’ll need time to throw, but that’s easier said than done against a St. Michael’s defensive front that’s as good as it gets at the small-school level. The expectation is plenty of chances for sacks from the Horsemen front, and plenty of chances for Horsemen QB Kamal Stith & Co. to continue to shine with the ball in their hands.
Prediction: St. Michael’s 42, Albuquerque Academy 7
Dexter (2-1) at Pojoaque Valley (2-1), 1 p.m.
Give the Elks credit for scheduling up in weight class the last couple of weeks. Los Alamos hammered them last week, but that wasn’t entirely unexpected. This week’s visit from the Demons isn’t much different. Dexter was humbled last week by Grants, but is still very much a force in 3A. Demons QB C.J. Granados has been solid but not great, completing a respectable 51% of his passes and rushing for 60 yards a game. The Elks are riding the backs of D’Marcus Rodriguez and Joshua Gonzales, but they sure could use some help from the injured personnel still missing. Even healthy, Pojoaque would have it rough against a team of this caliber.
Prediction: Dexter 41, Pojoaque Valley 19
Wingate (2-1) at McCurdy (1-1), 1 p.m.
The Bobcats showed a lot of heart in a win at Tucumcari last week. It was the kind of win that will likely pay off come playoff seeding time. They’ll enter this one, their home opener, as a favorite. Wingate struggled in close wins against Newcomb and Cuba, both at home.
Prediction: McCurdy 27, Wingate 18
Robertson (2-1) at Ruidoso (1-2), 1 p.m.
The Cardinals suffered a mild upset in last week’s 8-0 loss at home to Santa Rosa. If you’ve ever been to Cardinals Stadium during a rainstorm, you know just how rotten the field conditions can be. It goes a long way in explaining why there was only one scoring drive in the entire game, one where field position, ball control and really good footing were paramount to success. The Warriors lost to the other Las Vegas team last week, falling in the final moments to the Dons. Look for big things from Cards QB Nathan Gonzales, a player who has more than half the team’s total offense through three games.
Prediction: Robertson 34, Ruidoso 14
Oh, boy. It would be so tempting to be the one to make a pick on the Lobos’ behalf and be the first to brag about calling a win over a Big Ten team. But let’s be honest — UNM is a 15-point ‘dog for a reason. The team’s body of work over the decades says this game is a loss.
Prediction: UCLA 30, New Mexico 24
The Aggies are off to a hot start behind a surprisingly tough defense. NMSU has allowed only 17 points in two games, but it’s a bend-but-don’t-break defense that ranks 65th in total yards allowed but is top-15 in points allowed.
Prediction: Louisiana Tech 27, New Mexico State 23