Alamogordo, Ruidoso and Tularosa Break into Top 10 in State Football Rankings

The New Mexico Athletics Association and MaxPreps released their most recent Football Polls and the Alamogordo Tigers, Ruidoso Warriors, and Tularosa Wildcats have broken into the top 10 High School football rankings for their class.  Alamogordo ranks #9 in class 6A, Ruidoso ranks #7 in class 3A and Tularosa ranks #8 in class 2A. Class is defined by school size.

Cleveland remains on top: Coming off another 6A state title, the Storm largely maintained the top spot in the August 31 rankings. The team's strength was proven early with a 55-42 win over Centennial, though losing a lot to graduation led to some preseason debate over whether the gap to other teams would close.

La Cueva's unexpected stumble: Preseason powerhouse La Cueva, a perennial contender, dropped its first two games of the season. Their narrow 21-20 loss to Volcano Vista was particularly surprising, leading to a slide in the rankings despite the high caliber of the team.

Las Cruces' strong start: The Bulldawgs made a strong impression with a decisive 61-6 win over Mayfield. This reinforced their high preseason ranking and cemented their status as a major threat to Cleveland.

Alamogordo's hot start: While not typically at the very top of statewide rankings, Alamogordo turned heads by beginning the season with a perfect record. This impressive run saw them jump several spots and enter the conversation as a team to watch.

Artesia's continued dominance: The Bulldogs continued their success from the previous season, starting with a 48-24 win over Carlsbad. Artesia's place among the state's elite was confirmed, backed by standout player Bryce Parra.

Ranking disparities and community discussionDifferent ranking systems and early-season performances fueled a healthy amount of debate among fans on forums like NMPreps:

La Cueva vs. Volcano Vista: The rivalry game was a key point of discussion. Despite La Cueva's loss, some fans pointed to their tough schedule as a reason to not overreact, while others saw Volcano Vista's upset as a sign of their potential to climb the rankings.

The strength of 5A: The consistent performance of teams like Roswell and Artesia raised the question of whether the state's best Class 5A teams could challenge the top 6A programs. Roswell's victory over Los Lunas was one data point in this debate.

The rise of smaller schools: The success of teams like Robertson and St. Michael's at the smaller-classification levels was also a topic of conversation. Starting the season with undefeated records, these teams gained attention from fans across the state.

MaxPreps statewide rankings by class for weekend ending 8-31-25

Class 6A

1.Cleveland

2.Las Cruces

3.La Cueva

4.Centennial

5.Volcano Vista

6.Hobbs

7.Rio Rancho

8.Los Lunas

9.Alamogordo

10.Piedra Vista

Class 5A

1.Artesia

2.Roswell

3.Lovington

4.Gadsden

5.Deming

6.Goddard

7.Mayfield

8.Los Alamos

9.Valley

10.Miyamura

Class 4A

1.Bloomfield

2.St. Pius X

3.Bernalillo

4.Portales

5.Silver

6.Albuquerque Academy

7.Taos

8.Valencia

9.Grants

10.Espanola Valley

Class 3A

1.St. Michael’s

2.Robertson

3.Dexter

4.NMMI

5.West Las Vegas

6.Socorro

7.Ruidoso

8.Cobre

9.Hope Christian

10.Hatch Valley

Class 2A

1.Texico

2.Santa Rosa

3.Eunice

4.Jal

5.Raton

6.Loving

7.Legacy Academy

8.Tularosa

9.Estancia

10.Tucumcari

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