Week 8
District play starts in District 1/2/5-2A with teams vying for a playoff spot and big matchups. In District 2-4A, conference games start in a week, with one final tune-up for those teams. The upcoming weeks will help determine which local teams will make the postseason.
Our new weekly football hub will provide updates with every local game each week. Refresh after the game for news, statistics and pictures.
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Game of the Week
Highland Hornets (3-3) vs. Pojoaque Elks (3-3)
Friday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m. in Pojoaque
Final Score: Highland 28, Pojoaque 6
Pojoaque’s defense held strong for much of the game, doing what they needed to do to give their team a chance. But the offense never quite found its rhythm, and four interceptions made the difference in the game. Still, Pojoaque’s coaches were happy with the way the team fought down to the end, and they had a chance to get within one score halfway through the fourth quarter. Pojoaque will look to take lessons from their first competitive game of the season into district play.
Pojoaque Stat Leaders
Passing: Ethan Meloy – 8/16, 95 yards, 1 TD
Rushing: Ethan Meloy – 7 carries, 23 yards | Zeke Villegas – 7 carries, 14 yards | Killian Medina – 2 carries, 11 yards
Receiving: Serafin Mendes – 2 receptions, 37 yards | Zeke Villegas – 2 receptions, 36 yards, 1 TD
Preview: The Elks have had an up-and-down schedule through their non-district season. This week presents a tough challenge while facing Highland, a larger school that seems to be close to the same level as Pojoaque but a bit higher.
Pojoaque has been hit by a few injuries in recent weeks. But freshman running back Jonah Villegas has stepped up as a key contributor on both sides (including 283 yards against Cloudcroft). Pojoaque will look for a reconfigured offense to find success.
Highland has had both high-scoring and low-scoring games this season. Their rushing game, led by Amiri Mumba, has been their strength, so Pojoaque will need to get tough in the trenches.
McCurdy Bobcats (5-1) vs. Santa Rosa Wildcats (6-1)
Friday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m. in Santa Rosa
Final Score: Santa Rosa 62, McCurdy 12
The Bobcats took to the road to start district play, and for the second year in a row were outmatched by the Lions from the beginning. Santa Rosa grabbed their fifth-straight win, with their only loss coming by two points against the state’s top-ranked team. McCurdy will look to rebound for a renewed rivalry game against Escalante.
Preview: McCurdy is as hot a team as any right now, having won five straight games, four against 3A teams. But now they have their toughest game of the season, and they find out if they are contenders or pretenders in their district. Santa Rosa is not just one of the best teams in 2A, but also recorded a win against 3A’s top team.
Escalante Lobos (2-5) vs. Laguna-Acoma Hawks (2-4)
Friday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m. in Paraje
Final Score: Escalante 58, Laguna-Acoma 22
This time, the Lobos took care of business on the road. They raced out to a big first-quarter lead with 30 points, and were up 46-8 by the second quarter. Two more weeks of district play will determine whether Escalante can return to the postseason.
Preview: On paper, the Lobos should be big favorites in this one. Their 2-5 record belies a tough schedule that includes some close losses to strong teams, before last week’s big loss to Tularosa, while the Hawks lost to a team that Escalante beat by 51. But Laguna-Acoma has played tough against Escalante, and a road matchup will make it even tougher.
Tatum Coyotes (4-3) vs. Dulce Hawks (3-3)
Saturday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m. in Dulce
Final Score: Tatum 52, Dulce 0
Preview: The Hawks have come back to earth while facing southern New Mexico’s top teams, the teams that consistently dominate 8-man football. Their last three games have been losses by a combined 178-6. This week is another tough southern team, but potentially a slightly easier one. Dulce will need to rebound for what could be an impressive win or a tough loss.
Española Valley Sundevils (4-3)
Bye Week
After three straight wins, the Sundevils’ bye week comes at what could be a perfect time. Española Valley will take their week off to rest up before heading into a crucial game.