Horsemen, Hilltoppers to remain undefeated at halfway mark | Sports

The fifth team? Los Alamos. At 5-0, the Hilltoppers are No. 6 in this week’s 5A poll. The same goes for the MaxPreps rankings, which rate the Toppers’ strength of schedule as the lowest of any team in 5A.

That metric likely won’t improve much as Los Alamos’ district, 1-5A, is considered to be far inferior to 2-5A, which is home to the state’s top five teams.

Something to keep an eye on the rest of the way is what, exactly, would a 10-0 regular season do for the Hilltoppers’ postseason seed? Would it be enough to land a top-four spot and the automatic bye into the state quarterfinals that comes with it?

We shall see, but in the meantime, it’s safe to say that Los Alamos types have a legitimate rallying cry. The lack of respect for being the best team in 5A’s vastly inferior district should be enough to get a few people paying attention.

At any rate, here’s a look at this week’s top high school games involving teams from our area:

Few teams have struggled on offense (cough, cough, Capital) like the Knights until last week, when they rattled off 38 points in a loss to Belen. They’d scored just 12 in their first four games. That’s a problem facing the unbeaten Hilltoppers, a team that looks like it’s destined for an unbeaten regular season. They can pass, run and defend. They even have a pretty good kicker who doubles as the QB.

Prediction: Los Alamos 55, Del Norte 0

It ain’t over for the Bobcats, but last week’s forfeit to Legacy Academy, coupled with an ugly coaching mess, has turned something promising into a potentially season-defining situation. Assuming the team can pull together enough players to be on the field, this is a winnable game. That could be a big ask, though.

Prediction: Newcomb 24, McCurdy 12

Expectations in Taos were a little higher than a slow start, but the signs of improvement are there. The Tigers took care of business in their district opener, and with an upset here — or at least a good showing against 4A’s top-ranked team — they can climb back into the conversation as a playoff contender.

Prediction: Bloomfield 48, Taos 14

This is what having your back to the wall feels like. The Demons put themselves here by falling last week to Sandia. As crazy as it sounds, this is a must-win on multiple levels for Santa Fe. This is the home finale, and two of the final four (all on the road) are against 6A’s best. For any chance at all of a playoff berth, the only option here is winning. Prove us wrong, Demons.

Prediction: Eldorado 35, Santa Fe High 20

Want to know what an asterisk means? Look no further than Texico’s schedule, which includes three games against teams from Texas. Two were losses to teams with playoff aspirations. The Wolverines’ third was to Santa Rosa, the team that beat West Las Vegas last week to complete a Meadow City sweep. Speaking of schedules, you have to admire the Dons for running the gauntlet of some of Southern New Mexico’s most respected programs.

Prediction: Texico 20, West Las Vegas 19

On paper, this is the game of the week in our neck of the woods. These two teams are tough to figure out. The only thing we know for certain is that both will wind up in the 4A playoffs in five weeks. The visiting Sundevils salvaged their season with a surprising home win against Moriarty last week. That’s the same Moriarty team that upset Bernalillo the week before.

Prediction: Española Valley 26, Bernalillo 21

If we were going strictly by offensive stats, the final score of this game would figure to have both teams in single digits. The Jaguars have managed just 27 points in five games and have yet to score in the double digits. The visiting Ravens scored 20 of their 33 points in the season opener. That said, this will probably be a breakout game for both units, so look for big things this week from Jaguars QB Ace Bachicha and RB Josh Baker.

Prediction: Capital 30, Rio Grande 24

Barring SFIS’s status as an independent, this would be the District 2-3A opener for both. The Braves’ path as an indie 11-man team hasn’t been easy. Their two-year trend of struggling to score points finally had a bright spot last week with 24 points against Navajo Prep — just the second time in the past 14 games they’ve reached double figures. It figures to be a return to the norm against a Huskies program hovering in the top-5 in 3A ahead of next week’s district opener against St. Michael’s.

Prediction: Hope Christian 48, SFIS 6

It feels odd to call the Cardinals an overlooked 3A monster. They’ve been in or near the classification’s penthouse for two decades, this year included. Somehow, they seem to lurk in the shadows of the Dexters and dreaded St. Michael’s. Dismiss them at your own peril. Robertson’s defense is dominant, forcing 11 turnovers in five games.

Prediction: Robertson 34, Tularosa 13

It seems as if every week presents a challenge to the Horsemen and their steadily growing winning streak, yet every week they snuff it out like a campfire in the middle of a river. No one plays defense like the two-time defending champs. They’re not vulnerable against the pass or the rush. They’re deep, talented and — yawn, you get it. We’ve seen this movie before, and we know how it ends. Consider this one final speed bump before the start of 2-3A play next week; four games in as many weeks against the top teams in 3A.

Prediction: St. Mike’s 49, Raton 7

It’s about to get real for the Cowboys, easily one of the feel-good stories of NCAA Division II this season. They have the nation’s leading rusher in freshman Jeffery Jones and have a defense that, for better or worse, makes things really exciting. The Pokes face long odds against the No. 7 team in the nation, but it’s a solid litmus test for a team on the rise.

Prediction: Western Colorado 45, N.M. Highlands 27

The Aggies took one in the chin with a blowout loss at Louisiana Tech, but their win over Tulsa looks a whole lot better after the Golden Hurricane ended Mike Gundy’s career at Oklahoma State. As for the Lobos, can you describe a 2-1 team as “rolling”? Turns out, you can. UNM has a measure of momentum coming out of a bye week and could (rubs temples) reach the halfway point of bowl eligibility with a win here. Here’s hoping a sellout crowd of 37,000-plus has a great (and safe) time.

Prediction: New Mexico 38, New Mexico State 27

Yikes. We had complete misfires on Pojoaque’s trip to Gallup to play Hozho Academy. Same with picking Española to go down in flames against Moriarty. Went 7-2 for the week and now stand at 34-8 for the season.