City football takes center stage

Mayfield showed it could fight back. Organ Mountain showed how quickly it could pull away. Now, two teams coming off opposite opening-night results meet Friday at the Field of Dreams for Las Cruces’ first intercity matchup of the season. 

The Trojans host the Knights at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Mayfield enters 0-1 after a 23-13 loss to Los Lunas, while Organ Mountain is 1-0 following a 46-14 win over Deming. 

The Knights, who compete in Class 6A, are ranked No. 31 in New Mexico by MaxPreps, while the Class 5A Trojans are No. 55. Friday brings together a Mayfield team that found success after a difficult start and an Organ Mountain group that produced points in all three phases. 

Mayfield fell behind Los Lunas 17-0 in the first quarter before holding the Tigers scoreless over the next two. Junior quarterback Angelo Martos threw two touchdown passes in the opener, connecting with senior Israel Cabanas for an 11-yard score before halftime and sophomore Marcus Dominguez for another touchdown with 5:28 remaining in the fourth. 

The Trojans also moved into scoring territory several times without coming away with points, something that could become more difficult Friday against an Organ Mountain defense that spent its opener creating turnovers and pressure. 

Organ Mountain intercepted Deming three times, blocked a punt and forced multiple turnovers on downs. Junior cornerback Elean Navarrete finished with three interceptions, according to MaxPreps, and returned one 70 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

The Knights also generated pressure up front. Junior Jaydon Kraft recorded three sacks, sophomore Cinque Dunlap added 2.5 and senior Diego Acosta finished with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks. 

That group will line up across from a Mayfield offense that showed it could sustain drives against Los Lunas but had trouble consistently finishing them. Martos, Cabanas and Dominguez were all involved in the Trojans’ two scoring possessions and will be among the players to watch as Mayfield looks for its first win. 

On the other side, Organ Mountain junior running back Romeo Jones gives the Mayfield defense another challenge. Jones rushed for 177 yards and finished with three touchdowns against Deming, according to MaxPreps, helping the Knights build a 13-0 first-quarter lead before pulling away in the second half. 

Organ Mountain also showed it could score without its offense on the field. Along with Navarrete’s pick-six, senior Jaden Gonzalez returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, providing the final points for the Knights’ 46-14 win. 

Mayfield’s defense enters Friday after allowing just six points over the final three quarters against Los Lunas. Senior Isaac Zuniga recorded a sack in the opener, while the unit made several stops that kept the Trojans within reach after the early deficit. 

Friday will offer the first look at how two of Las Cruces’ four programs stack up against one another this season. Mayfield, Organ Mountain, Las Cruces and Centennial all opened against non-city opponents, making the Trojans and Knights the first to cross paths. 

For Mayfield, the matchup provides another opportunity at home after showing signs of a response in Week 1. If Week 1 offered a lesson for both teams, it was the importance of playing all four quarters — but Friday could come down to how much of the game is decided in the first one.