Rivalry Thriller Shakes Up State Rankings Picture

In a wild, high‑tempo rivalry night, the Centennial Hawks held off a furious Alamogordo Tigers rally to win 42‑32, a game full of sudden bursts, long touchdown runs and special‑teams drama that left both stands roaring and the state rankings watching closely A B.

Centennial built an early edge behind a relentless ground game and multiple short‑yardage TDs from Dailen Ramirez, while Alamogordo answered with game‑breaking plays from Bryson Bloom — a 39‑yard sprint and a 79‑yard blast among them — and a late Nate Best‑to‑Keaton Orona score that forced a tense finish B. A 60‑yard kickoff return by Nathanael Cereceres swung momentum in the third quarter and helped the Hawks hold off the late Tiger surge.

The result has immediate ranking implications. Centennial arrives in the upper tier of New Mexico’s 6A picture and entered this week already listed among the state’s top teams; recent statewide ballots and composite lists have placed the Hawks inside the top five, making this victory a reinforcement of their standing against local contenders C D. For Alamogordo, the loss is a setback in the district race and likely nudges the Tigers down in weekly tallies after a strong stretch of high‑scoring offense failed to translate into the win.

State ranking services track momentum closely; MaxPreps and composite ranking aggregators showed Centennial near the top of New Mexico’s 6A pack entering the matchup, while Alamogordo sat lower on the statewide list — a gap this game largely preserved rather than closed, given Centennial’s late game control and balanced attack E D. Sports Illustrated’s New Mexico roundup and ranking notes also list Centennial among the teams gathering upward attention in late‑season polls, meaning the Hawks’ victory strengthens their case for higher seeding and statewide recognition.

Beyond polling, the game matters for district seeding and playoff paths. Centennial’s win improves its district résumé and could be decisive in tiebreak scenarios where head‑to‑head wins and margin of victory factor into playoff brackets; Alamogordo now faces the urgency of regrouping before key district contests to protect postseason hopes.

Key performers and takeaways: Bryson Bloom delivered highlight‑reel plays that kept the Tigers within striking distance and underscored Alamogordo’s explosive offense; Dailen Ramirez and Andrew Sandoval powered Centennial’s clock‑eating drives and touchdown runs that ultimately decided the night; special teams — both a kickoff return TD and a blocked PAT — were swing factors that shifted the scoreboard in small but critical ways.

What comes next: Centennial can use this signature home victory to cement a higher state ranking and momentum into the midseason stretch; Alamogordo, now 4‑3 and 1‑2 in district, will need to shore up late‑game execution and special‑teams protection as it prepares to host Carlsbad on October 10th.

Sources:
MaxPreps — Alamogordo vs Centennial game page (box score and game details)
https://www.maxpreps.com/games/10-2-2025/football-25/alamogordo-vs-cent…

High School on SI (Sports Illustrated) — Alamogordo vs Centennial game listing/recap and New Mexico state rankings roundup
https://www.si.com/high-school/stats/new-mexico/football/games/5755859-…
https://www.si.com/high-school/new-mexico/new-mexico-high-school-footba…

Prep Redzone — Alamogordo vs Centennial game page and matchup details
https://prepredzone.com/game/alamogordo-vs-centennial-october-2-2025/

KTSM 9 News — Centennial defeats Alamogordo 42-32 local recap/video
https://www.ktsm.com/video/centennial-defeats-alamogordo-42-32/11133629/

KOAT — New Mexico high school football scores and highlights roundup (week coverage)
https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-hs-football-scores-week-3-2025/…

MaxPreps — New Mexico state football rankings (MaxPreps rankings page used for state placement context)
https://www.maxpreps.com/nm/football/rankings/1/

On3 — New Mexico composite high school football rankings and team rating context
https://www.on3.com/high-school/rankings/football/new-mexico/

Yahoo Sports / Coaches poll summary — New Mexico coaches top‑10 polls (Sept. 30 compilation used for ranking context)
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/mexico-high-school-football-teams-0359…

LiveBallSports — New Mexico rankings coverage and state ranking notes
https://www.liveballsports.com/2025/10/01/las-cruces-new-mexico-footbal…

Hudl — Alamogordo vs Centennial historical game listings and box scoring archives
https://www.hudl.com/game/alamogordo-high-vs-centennial-high/varsity-fo…

YouTube — Live/recorded broadcast of Alamogordo vs Centennial (game feed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEVsQz_k7Xk

2nd Life Media / AlamogordoTownNews — Local recap, highlights and historical context for Alamogordo high football coverage
https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/221000/alamo…

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