Las Cruces High hosts Rio Rancho at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the Field of Dreams in the first round of the Class 6A state football playoffs.
The Bulldawgs (7-3) earned the home game after upsetting Centennial 29-28 in overtime on Oct. 30. Senior Denton Walter, a University of New Mexico commit, scored four touchdowns and then blocked Centennial's extra-point attempt in overtime to seal the win, the Las Cruces Bulletin reported.
Las Cruces coach Mark Lopez said Walter's performance extended beyond the scoring plays. Lopez said the team has improved since beating Rio Rancho 14-7 earlier this season, pointing to the offensive line's development and a defense that has helped control field position.
Against a Rio Rancho (5-5) team he described as explosive, Lopez said he wants the Bulldawgs to stay disciplined, protect the football and establish their running game.
Centennial gets a bye
Despite the overtime loss, Centennial (6-4) kept the No. 4 seed in Class 6A and a first-round bye, according to the Bulletin. The Hawks will face the winner of No. 5 Sandia and No. 12 Farmington in the Nov. 13-14 quarterfinals.
Quarterback Ruiz Laborin threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the rivalry game. Gavin Woods contributed a rushing touchdown and a receiving score, while sophomore Kevan Hernandez added a rushing touchdown.
MVCS opens eight-man quarterfinals
Mesilla Valley Christian School takes the field Friday as well. The fourth-seeded SonBlazers (8-1) face Magdalena (8-2) at 7 p.m. at Hatch Valley High School in the eight-man state quarterfinals.
MVCS closed the regular season Oct. 23 with a 48-12 win over Lordsburg. Sophomore Jaxson Warner rushed for 213 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries and caught a 37-yard touchdown pass in that game. He enters the postseason with 1,218 rushing yards, 29 total touchdowns and five interceptions on defense.
Senior Kobe Redfearn has thrown for 1,266 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Coach Caldwell said the bye week allowed his team to address details like special teams, alignments and snap counts.
The SonBlazers already beat Magdalena once this season, but Caldwell cautioned against overconfidence. He expects the Steers to make adjustments.
Cross country heads to state
Local runners travel to Albuquerque on Saturday, Nov. 7, for the state cross country meet.
Organ Mountain won the girls district championship Oct. 31 at Centennial High School, Las Cruces Bulletin Executive Editor Kurt Johnson said on KRWG. Sophomore Ashley Galaz came from behind to win the individual title, and the Knights placed six girls in the top 13.
On the boys side, Centennial won the team title, but Organ Mountain's Ryu Medina took the individual championship. Organ Mountain's Bo Beasley finished second.
Organ Mountain's cross country program is coached by David Nuñez, who came out of retirement this fall after a 35-year career at the school, the Bulletin reported in September. The school credited him with 30 district cross country championships before he stepped away in 2025.
Las Cruces High kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at the Field of Dreams. The state cross country meet follows Saturday in Albuquerque.
