Bears-Hawks matchup spices first week
During the course of the 11 weeks of prep football’s regular season, there will be 170 games played among the 24 metro-area programs through Nov. 2, with 33 schools popping in for visits along the way.
Here are some August projections of the top matchups in the area during the regular season (the entire week-by-week schedule for the metro-area schools accompanies this story):
WEEK 1: The best matchup anywhere in New Mexico occurs in Albuquerque on the opening Thursday, with La Cueva taking on Volcano Vista at Nusenda Community Stadium as the Bears officially open defense of their 2018 state title.
Chad Adcox’s debut with Sandia comes the following night against Cibola. Several other new metro-area coaches also have their first games Friday, including Shaun Gehres of Albuquerque Academy at Tohatchi, Ty House of Belen at home versus Del Norte and Gabe Romero of Moriarty at West Las Vegas.
But the best of the Friday night games is Rio Rancho hosting Centennial.
The Saturday slate features two interesting games, with Portales visiting Hope Christian and Goddard in town to play St. Pius. WEEK 2: Both of Rio Rancho’s schools head out of state: Cleveland heads south to El Paso Franklin, Rio Rancho north to Pine Creek out of Colorado Springs. Former Eldorado offensive coordinator Steve Castille brings his Oñate Knights to town to face Cibola.
Locally, the two best games are Saturday, with Las Cruces at Eldorado and Piedra Vista visiting St. Pius. WEEK 3: Mayfield, Clovis and Artesia are all in the area Friday, with the Wildcats at Rio Rancho, the Trojans taking on West Mesa and the Bulldogs in
Belen. Los Lunas makes its only appearance in Albuquerque, with a showdown against Sandia at Wilson Stadium, also Friday.
But the game that will likely draw the most eyeballs is Eldorado’s trip to Cleveland on Friday.
WEEK 4: Mayfield returns for a second straight week, this time to tangle with Cleveland. Also on that Friday is the almostalways supremely entertaining matchup between Albuquerque High and Del Norte.
Centennial also has a second trip to the area, against Sandia on that Saturday at Wilson Stadium.
WEEK 5: Highlighting things is the terrific pairing at Wilson between La Cueva and Rio Rancho. Cibola and Los Lunas staged a tremendous battle in Albuquerque a year ago; the Cougars return the visit in what is the Tigers’ home opener after a bizarre four-game roadie.
WEEK 6: Volcano Vista-Sandia on Thursday is a great way to open the middle week of the regular season.
A quarter of the metro area’s 24 teams have their byes in Week 6. Goddard visits Los Lunas on Friday and Aztec travels to St. Pius on Saturday in two of the tastier matchups on the board.
WEEK 7: Districts 1 and 2 in Class 6A get started, with La Cueva-Manzano the top game locally.
Española Valley goes to Bernalillo in a district game. Last year the game between those two in Española never made it out of the first quarter because of a fight between players.
Lots more teams with byes this week and in Week 8.
WEEK 8: Eldorado comes off a bye to face La Cueva, and Cleveland ventures to Community Stadium to take on Cibola on Friday.
Bernalillo is at St. Pius at Wilson Stadium on Thursday in a district encounter; the Spartans rarely appear in one of Albuquerque’s three public football facilities.
WEEK 9: Some superb matchups are led by Cleveland at Volcano Vista (Community) on Friday night. Also Friday, Clovis is at Wilson Stadium to face Eldorado, and Lovington travels to Moriarty. Plus, there is the civic pride showdown at Valencia between the Jaguars and Los Lunas.
Adcox and Sandia take on the coach’s former school, Manzano, on Thursday.
WEEK 10: Can’t go wrong with Manzano-Eldorado as a curtain raiser on Thursday night.
Friday’s slate is not terribly strong, with La Cueva-Sandia the most attractive game. Saturday, however, offers up an outstanding 1-6A battle between Rio Rancho and Volcano Vista at Community Stadium.
Also Saturday, in the evening, Española Valley is at St. Pius and, be assured, there will be Sundevil fans to watch this one after they were banned from last year’s game between these two schools in Española.
Menaul moved an Oct. 3 home date with Magdalena here to Week 10, with the Steers taking the place of Foothill, which last week dropped its football program. (Mission Achievement & Success in Albuquerque also has dropped football).
WEEK 11: The regular season ends with the usual parade of traditional rivalry games, including Belen at Los Lunas (that’s a Saturday afternoon), Cleveland at Rio Rancho, Eldorado-Sandia and Volcano VistaCibola. La Cueva closes at home against Clovis.
What will become of Highland’s program beyond this season? Will the Hornets have football in 2020? They close in Gallup at Miyamura.