High Stakes in 6A & 5A Resurgences: What We Learned from a Wild First Month of NM High School Football
Can you believe it’s been a month of high school football already?
With four weeks in the books, colder nights creep in and district play ramps up, but there is still plenty to unfold in the 2026 New Mexico high school football season.
6A: All Eyes on Cleveland vs La Cueva
The matchup has been circled on calendars for months, but the road to get here has been a bit unexpected. 6A powers Cleveland and La Cueva will meet on Sept. 18 at Wilson Stadium.
The first matchup between the two schools since becoming district foes. Since these teams usually meet in championship settings, many expected this to be an undefeated versus undefeated tale. Cleveland has held up their end of the bargain.
The Storm sit at 4-0 after impressive wins against Centennial and Texas’s Amarillo High. Cleveland took down Farmington on the road in Week 4.
The defense may not be as dominant as in 2025, allowing 35 points to the Scorpions this past Friday and 28 to the Sandies the week prior, but their offense is still electric as ever.
Quarterback Michael Denison and receiver Evan Nanez are arguably the best QB-WR duo in the state, with Nanez tallying over 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first 4 games.
For La Cueva, it hasn’t been a picturesque start. A tough trip to Colorado that ended in a loss to Palmer Ridge was followed up by an upset loss to Volcano Vista, dropping the Bears to 1-2.
LC would get back in the win column in a big way with a 54-0 win over West Mesa, perhaps the tune-up needed for a meeting with Cleveland. Behind quarterback Monty Melendez, their offense remains dangerous. Melendez has 12 passing TDs through four games, on top of a couple of touchdowns in the ground game.
It is always a treat whenever these two programs meet. Grab the popcorn this Friday night.
New Kids on the 6A Block
We know their names, but they’ve been reintroducing themselves to the state.
Volcano Vista and Sandia have arguably been the stories of the 6A season so far, predictably and unpredictably.
For Sandia, the offseason hype has manifested so far. Quarterback Jaleel Lewis, with his new offense of weapons, ran for two scores and threw for a third in a 46-0 win over Albuquerque High in Week 4.
The Matadors have scored 40+ in all four of their contests, including a double-overtime thrilling win over Eldorado.
Up the road at Volcano Vista, their offensive numbers haven’t lied either. The Hawks might’ve flown under the radar entering the year, but a 42-31 stunner over La Cueva in Week 3 proved they mean business.
VV has outscored their opponents a combined 176-33. They took down Clovis 50-0 in Week 4. Quarterback Jude Herrera has 12 passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns so far this season.
Is this just early season magic? Or will we see one of these teams flourish in November?
What to Make of Southern Football
When Centennial fell flat against Cleveland and Las Cruces escaped Rio Rancho in Week 1, the jury was still out on how these southern programs would pan out this season.
Now, court is back in session.
After their 14-7 sluggish win against the Rams, the Bulldawgs have outscored their opponents 125-14. This includes a Week 4 district win against Hobbs, 41-0.
Exit: Danny Amaro, Enter: Aldo Gallegos. The junior running back has been the main focus of this LC offense with 375 yards and six touchdowns.
Over at Centennial, they fell to Texas’s Andress High in Week 2 to move to 0-2, but since then, they have impressed. Centennial took down 5A power Artesia 37-14 before posting a dominating win against Carlsbad for their first district win of the season, 35-7.
Running back Ruiz Laborin tallied three touchdowns against a stout Cavemen defense.
So, who will come out of 6A-2? Time will tell. The biggest wrinkle in the plot will be Volcano Vista, which, along with Eldorado, is one of the few northern schools in this southern-dominated district. The metro-area fun is over for the Hawks. Their next four: @ Carlsbad, vs Centennial, @ Hobbs and vs Las Cruces. Buckle up for some long bus rides!
5A: WHO was 0-3?
After a Week 3 loss to Centennial, the Artesia Bulldogs fell to 0-3. Yes, the 33-time champion Artesia Bulldogs. Feels weird to even type.
However, you have to read between the lines. Artesia has a tough non-district schedule of 6A programs, including Carlsbad, Hobbs and Centennial. They put up a good fight in all three rounds, including a 28-27 loss at Hobbs.
Once Artesia returned to 5A play, they were hungry for a victory, and it showed in Week 4. Artesia blazed past Deming, 53-0, to start district play 1-0.
Five different Bulldog receivers recorded touchdowns as quarterback Lucas Atkins went 10/10 for 215 yards and 4 scores.
I have a feeling Artesia will be just fine.
Giant Killers
While their arch rival struggled through non-district games, the Roswell Coyotes had a month to remember.
In Week 1, Roswell put together the Game of the Week (Possibly the Year) in a 64-60 upset over 6A’s Hobbs.
Two weeks later, the Rio Rancho Rams would come to town, and it was quickly clear that the Wool Bowl is the place where goliaths fall to David. Roswell took down another 6A program in a 39-35 win over the Rams.
Behind these high-scoring affairs is Roswell quarterback Andruw Fuentez, who has almost 1,000 passing yards on the season and 12 touchdowns already. Fuentes and Co. carried this momentum into district play, taking down Alamogordo 56-26.
Could they carry this momentum towards a title run?
Assessing The Newcomers
Cibola and Los Lunas are new to 5A this season after dropping down from 6A. So far, it seems like it has been a worthwhile move.
The Cougars and Tigers both took home Week 4 district wins, as LL took down Capital 50-0 and Cibola beat Miyamura 56-13.
Both programs had trouble facing higher programs in the early going, but now with district action underway, they could climb their way into 5A prominence quickly.
Quarterback Giovanni Romero leads the way for Cibola, tossing two touchdowns for 139 yards against Miyamura.
For Los Lunas, quarterback Luke Cieremans and receiver Daniel Medina have been quite the pair, connecting for eight catches, 133 yards and four scores.
Which program will leave the best first impression?
Dan Allison is a freelance high school and college sports writer. You can reach him at @danlallison on X.
One month into the 2026 New Mexico high school football season, the landscape is shifting fast as colder nights set in and district battles begin. From Cleveland and La Cueva’s long-awaited 6A clash at Wilson Stadium to high-flying surges by Sandia and Volcano Vista, the state’s top classification is delivering plenty of high-stakes drama. Meanwhile in 5A, perennial power Artesia snaps an unusual skid to open district play with authority, Roswell solidifies its role as a giant killer, and newcomers Los Lunas and Cibola make early moves. Here is the full breakdown of where things stand after four weeks of action.