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3, 2, and 1. Those are the three play-off seeds that the Mayfield Trojans beat consecutively to win their fourth state title since 2000 during a dramatic ending to the 2010 prep football season. The Trojans are ranked number one in the pre-season by NMPreps.com even though they lose two division one players to graduation.

Michigan State Commit Matthew Rammondo and New Mexico State Commit Brandon Betancourt will leave some big shoes to fulfill, however the Green Machine has continued to produce big time talent year over year for the last 10-years under the Bradley regime.

The Trojans return Quarterback Axten Franzoy who threw for over 300-yards and four touchdowns in the 2010 state title game, they return one of the fastest running backs in the state in Ricky Milks and return the 2011 NMPreps.com Elite 100 MVP in Linebacker Isaac Ramirez. While there is no clear cut favorite ever in Class 5A, the Trojans enter the season as the team to beat from Title Town.

The next four in line are all teams that had huge success in the 2010 season and right behind Mayfield is upstart program Cleveland High School out of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Entering just their fourth year of football, legendary Head Coach Kirk Potter has his team's sight's set on reaching perfection this year. With 6-foot-4, 215 pound New Mexico State Commit Quarterback Cole Gautsche returning for his senior season along with 14 other returning starters from last year's two-loss season, most everyone in the Northern Region expects The Storm to be a title contender.

Las Cruces High a program with three state titles since 2000 returners a ton of fire power and it starts in the backfield with 5-foot-10, 180 pound Xavier Hall who has already ran for over 2,500-yards in two-seasons as a starter for the Dawgs. Las Cruces High's season was cut short on a controversial play-off call last season "The Catch" in the semifinals against Manzano. While cross town rival Mayfield owns the state as for now, Las Cruces High owns the City of Las Cruces as they've beat Mayfield in each of their last four meetings.

Sitting at number four in the pre-season rankings is the Manzano Monarchs who were the state runner up in Class 5A just one season ago. They graduate the 2010 New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year in Ryan Trujillo who is heading to New Mexico Highlands, but somehow Head Football Coach Aaron Ocampo has found a way to replace big time quarterback after big time quarterback. The Monarchs also return a solid nucleus of defensive starters from last year and that is always a good indicator of just how good Manzano is going to be.

Manzano is not going to lose a step this season. Carlsbad checks in at number five and while that might be a pre-season surprise, remember Carlsbad returns close to 15 starters from a team that went 8-4 last year. Carlsbad also won the district 4-5A crown with wins over Clovis and Hobbs. NMPreps.com Mr. Football Candidate Eric Galindo returners for his senior season and if he stays healthy, Carlsbad stays in the hunt come the late play-off season.

cleveland set to defend district 1-5A title

Cibola Cougars

Summer Buzz: Though the Cibola Cougars were an under .500 team during the 2010 season, they won some key games during the season (Manzano, Sandia, and Volcano Vista). They lose some big time offensive weapons like Frank Castaneda, Mark Tapia, Gabe Salazar and also lose some very good defensive ends like Mike Wilkinson and Jeremy Roybal. Brett Saxson projects as the starting quarterback and watch for Cory Ross to be the new name at running back. On the defensive side Drew Cahvez looks to be a name to watch as a downlinemen. Cibola might struggle early, but Judge Chavez will have them in the mix come district time.

Cleveland Storm

Summer Buzz: Cleveland won an outstanding nine games during the 2010 season and with D-1 recruit Cole Gautsche returning for his senior season, all eyes look to be on the Storm as the Metro Team to beat. Look for Cleveland to be even better than last year and look for Reese White to emerge as an athletic two-way player to compliment Gatusche. 6-foot-1, 330 pound Dezell Glover returns at defensive tackle and 5-foot-10, 210 pound Michael LiRosi returns as their starting linebacker. Cleveland is loaded and ready to make their first run at a 5A football title.

Rio Rancho Rams

Summer Buzz: Their offense was dismal in 2010 to say the least, but with transfer quarterback Jason Fitzpatrick now in the saddle the Rams look to be back in 2011. They again play a very daunting schedule and instead of playing Salpointe, Arizona they are playing Notre Dame Prep, Arizona. They lose a ton on defense, but look for new names like Dallon Brady and Frankie Morlock to make for some of the best defensive backs in the state. The key off-season addition is next level prospect Jason Ftizpatrick the two-year starting quarterback from Santa Fe High. Look for him to have a similar year to Tyler Baker during the 2009 season. Rio Rancho has not run out of talent, size, and speed with Cleveland opening up. They look to be back in 2011.

Volcano Vista Hawks

Summer Buzz: Volcano Vista is moving down the right path athletically and now in their third year of infancy the Hawks should be adjusted to compete in Class 5A. They return some very good talent and 6-foot-6, 225 pound Timothy Hatfield headlines the Class of 2012. He already has an offer from New Mexico and should reel in a few more as we get closer to the football season. Baseball Star Andre Vigil will be the featured running back and watch for Mackay Schaap to become one of the Albuquerque's top linebackers. Volcano Vista lost every single district game last year, which should have them very motivated in the weight room this summer. No place to go but up for Volcano Vista. Sleeper team alert.

tons of questions marks loom in albuquerque's top flight district

Eldorado Eagles

Summer Buzz: The Eldorado Eagles for right now are in rebuilding mode after losing a very talented senior class. Remember, they lost Colorado Commit Tyler McCulloch and JuCu signee Willie Pounds. Other notable losses included graduating Josh Day, Marcus Jaramillo, and Chris Sedillo. The Eagles don't look to have the same amount of talent as they've had over the last two-years, but they do return Head Coach Charlie Dotson who is one of the best in the biz. Watch for 6-foot-5, 210 pound quarterback Sam Gentry to finally come out of his shell and watch for John Russo to emerge as a player maker on the offensive side of the football. Replacing key linemen is Eldorado's summer theme.

La Cueva Bears

Summer Buzz: We've already said it 100 times after the season. La Cueva loses D-1 Commit Ronnie Daniels and three time state title winner Fred Romero who was the Head Coach of the Bears for the last decade. Out with the old and in with the new over at La Cueva. Ed Lucero a former Del Norte football coach from the mid-90's takes over and as you expect La Cueva will not miss a beat with talent. Watch for Michael Walsh at quarterback, Steven Romero as the key returning linemen, Tyler Wolf, Cameron Padilla and Kamron McKnight at running back and on the defensive side watch for players like Calvin Allen, Jalin Castillo, and Tyler Wolf to emerge as the big time defensive players. Depending on how they mesh with Coach Lucero will be the main difference in the end.

Manzano Monarchs

Summer Buzz: Coach Aaron Ocampo finally led Manzano to the promise land back in 2010 only to be beaten by the Mayfield Trojans in the finals. Losing a great offensive nucleus will be tough to replace, but over the years Manzano has been an offensive weapon's factory year in and year out. Three years ago it was Matt Dazell leading the Monarchs at quarterback, then it was Tyler Krueger, last year it was New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year Ryan Trujillo, and this year Robert Flores takes over the duties at the prized position. Anthony Johnson returns as the power running back and watch for Quvshuan Branch to be Manzano's do it all player, Zach Munoz up front as their best linemen, and John Pound to be their best linebacker. Last but not least, don't forget about Justin Snow in the secondary. Manzano's defense will be much more improved than last year. Monarchs have to like their chances going into 2011.

Sandia Matadors

Summer Buzz: Sandia had a great amount of talent during the 2010 season, however they were never able to piece it all together during the season. Though Sandia loses some big time players to graduation like Jordan Ratliffe, Cole Liggings, Carlos Mora, and Brandon Wade, Sandia as always returns a good amount of athletic talent. Watch for rising sophomore Aaron Smith to play a big role as a junior this season. Last year he had close to five interceptions and took over as quarterback mid way through the season. Jack Lamb and Dale Gallegos are two key linemen returning and there are several other notable prospect returning in 2011. Sandia will be ranked fourth in the district to start the season, but they have the talent to reach the play-offs. Stay tuned for more on Sandia.

mayfield or las cruces: which southern power will take 3-5A?

Alamogordo Tigers

Summer Buzz: Besides beating Gadsden last year, Alamogordo struggled in the district going 1-3 in district and 2-8 overall on the year. They missed the play-off and ended the year with losses to Onate and Las Cruces by a combined 77 points. They lose next level prospect quarterback in Kellen Hester which looks to be their toughest player to replace on offense. Alamogordo always has speed and this year their speed back looks to be Michael Luna. Other players to watch for include Nate Martin, Tanner Graham, and Justin Phillips. They might have less talent than last year, but they look to be a better team chemistry wise in 2011.

Gadsden Panthers

Summer Buzz: Gadsen finished 2-8 on the year in 2010 and missed the play-offs. They were 0-4 in the district playing Alamogordo very close in a two score loss. The bad news is they lose 235 pound fullback/running Matthew Minton to graduation, but the good news is the Panthers continue to improve under Jim Hite who is their head football coach. They play a tough schedule but could be in at least four to five games this year. Making the play-offs is unlikely, but winning 3-4 games is an achievable goal for a transforming program.

Las Cruces Bulldawgs

Summer Buzz: Las Cruces won 10 games during the 2010 season and started with six straight wins. They also topped Mayfield for the fourth straight time in a come from behind 14-9 thriller. Quarterback Jeremy Buurma graduates as the two-year starter and taking over for him will be 5-foot-6 Devin Perez who was 3-0 as a starter last year. The Bulldawgs also return Xaiver Hall who ran for over 1,000-yards, and return two very good tight ends in Zach Gonzales and Geoff Segovia. Up front watch for Troy Honeycutt to emerge as one of the best linemen in Las Cruces and watch for the 2011 NMPreps.com Eltie 100 Defensive Linemen MVP Kamryn Dixon to make waves as a junior. As usual they don't rebuild they reload in Las Cruces.

Mayfield Trojans

Summer Buzz: The Trojans are the Class 5A defending state champions after beating Manzano 69-42 in the 5A state title game. Last year the Trojans were sitting at 3-3 after a 45-12 loss to La Cueva. Pretty much everyone besides the Trojan Faithful had written them off, but all Mayfield did was win their next seven out of eight games to earn their fourth title since 2000. They lose two D-1 prospects in Matthew Ramondo (Michigan State Commit) and lose Brandon Betancourt (NMSU Commit). It's going to be impossible to fulfill the void left by Ramondo, but the Trojans have had stellar defensive tackles under the Bradley regime every single season. On the offensive side watch for returning quarterback Axten Franzoy, returning running back Ricky Milks, and look for Isaac Ramirez to emerge as a top linebacker on defense. No reason to doubt the Trojan's in 2011. Green Machine rolls on.

Onate Black Knights

Summer Buzz: Onate had a very tough season in 2010 and started off the season losing their first five games. At the end of the year Black Knight Long Time Head Football Coach Kelley Mckee was let go and young buck Caleb Hull was hired as the new football coach. The Black Knights will look to defensive players like Geoffry Smelser, Josh Holguin, and Aaron Esquibel and on offense look for Raymond Carjarbal to be their do it all player and the team's quarterback. Black Knights can go no where but up in 2011.

can carlsbad really win two-straight district titles this season?

Carlsbad Cavemen

Summer Buzz: The Carlsbad Cavemen of 2011 have some big shoes to fulfill winning eight games and taking home the district last season with wins over Clovis and Hobbs. The good news is that Eric Galindo returners for his senior season and if you don't know about him, you'll know of him soon enough when he plays against your team. They return a ton of talent from last year and watch for 6-foot-4, 180 pound sophomore quarterback Rodney Holcomb to emerge into one of the better quarterbacks in the region and on the defensive side watch for players like Matt Romero to be a productive defensive end and 300 pound Zach Leyva to be a dominating defensive tackle. Carlsbad is still the district favorite going into 2011.

Clovis Wildcats

Summer Buzz: The Clovis Wildcats were under .500 last season, but still nearly beat the 10-2 La Cueva Bears down the stretch of the season in 2010. This year they return key athlete Tre Orozoco who will take over for Jordan Hill at quarterback and Kenneth Betts the 6-foot-5, 290 pound defensive tackle that could emerge as a D-1 player by season's end. Running Backs like Boone Wheeler and Taylor Lee will be very different backs that Quran Wiggins and Raymond Beachum, but they'll have more of a blue collar type work ethic which makes those backs tougher to take down during the season. Defensive backs like Eddie Trevizo, Miley Chavez, and DJ Blackmon make for a good secondary. Key note: The last time Clovis went under .500 was in 2000. In 2001 they went 13-0. Also, Chad Roanhaus is the new offensive coordinator.

Hobbs Eagles

Summer Buzz: The Hobbs Eagles will look to get back on track after missing the play-offs in 2010 with a 4-6 season record. They started out 3-0, but had a tough time keeping momentum during the meat of their schedule. Returning 245 pound Reggie Mackey is huge for the Eagle football team as Mackey is one of the best known power runners in the state. They'll have a few other running backs like Aderiole Moore and Donovon Fierro to keep Mackey fresh. The big question mark is on the offensive line. Last year Hobbs was huge and they lost most of their big boys to graduation. On the defensive side the lose the Wilson twins along with a few additional defensive impact players. They have a good junior class which has been under the Coach Bruce Dollar regime for three years and most would agree that Hobbs will be tough to beat in 2011.

highland hornets have too much talent

Albuquerque Bulldogs

Summer Buzz: Last year the Bulldogs went a dismal 1-9 and let go of head coach Joe Anaya at the end of the season. Their lone win came against Atrisco Heritage a team that had zero wins in the 2010 season. The Bulldogs hired Michael Zufall in the off-season and from following Zufall on social media the off-season momentum seems to be high in Bulldog Country. Of course they play a very tough schedule as one of the smallest Class 5A programs, but a two to three win season is possible with a few quality returns coming back. Watch for standout Jared Griego to be their guy this year.  

Highland Hornets

Summer Buzz: The district favorite has to be the Highland Hornets for the second year in a row. Last year under now retired head coach Gary Sanchez, the Hornets went 8-3 on the season before losing to Clovis in the first round of the play-offs. They lose their head coach and lose their 5,000-yard career passing in Dyan Chavez to graduation, but overall this team was very young in the 2010 season. Watch for rising star and now quarterback David Brown to once again lead this very dangerous Hornet team into the play-offs picking up a second straight district title. The new coach is Derek Maestas a former assistant at Highland High School. Talent level is high at Highland, now let's see what they can do with it.

Rio Grande Ravens

Summer Buzz: The Ravens like two other teams in their district lost their head coach in the 2010 season. They hired Jim Danner a former La Cueva Coach/Belen Principal in the off-season as they will try and resurrect their program that won just two games in the 2010 season. The Ravens may have lost their head coach, but the good news is that they return 6-foot-2, 210 pound receiver Jaylen Spraggins. Spraggins is a dangerous player that can do work on the defense if Rio Grande can find a quarterback to get him the football. Rio Grande is more than likely in for another tough season. It's going to be a tough place to win, especially now that Atrisco Heritage opened up next door.

Valley Vikings

Summer Buzz: The Valley Vikings played some teams tight last year, but just could not pull out many "W's" when the rubber hit the road. Last year they lost to Alamogordo by three and lost to district runner up West Mesa by two scores. This year, everyone has high expectations for the Vikings as they return a few key players from last year's roster. They play in a conference that does not have many big boys, so winning three district games could get Valley in the play-offs if they are able to win at least two out of conference games. Valley has not done much in a long time and we see that being the case this year. Valley continues to struggle.

West Mesa Mustangs

Summer Buzz: The Mustangs won seven games last year before losing to Carlsbad in the first round of the 2010 play-offs. Last year was the best season for Head Coach James Palacios as a head coach and a big part of that came form having a 6-foot-4, 245 pound quarterback in Matthew Jaramillo. Jaramillo is now a member of New Mexico State, Palacios resigned just a few weeks ago, but West Mesa still has a few big time receivers like Chris Kline, the question is who will be the quarterback and can he compare to Jaramillo. West Mesa has a very favorable schedule again and if they can steal three wins in the district, the West Mesa Mustangs could be dancing once again into the play-offs.

Class 4A August 1st @ 10AM

Class 3A August 1st @ 12PM

Class 2A August 1st @ 2PM

Class 1A August 1st @ 4PM