Plenty left to prove

September is nearing its end, and the local football picture is beginning to sharpen. 

Las Cruces has yet to lose, Centennial carries a three-game winning streak into Albuquerque, and Mayfield finally has a victory behind it. Organ Mountain and Gadsden are looking for answers after difficult losses, while Mesilla Valley Christian enters another matchup between winning teams. 

Las Cruces (5-0, 2-0 district) hosts Eldorado (2-2-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday after beating Organ Mountain 42-7 last week at the Field of Dreams. The Bulldawgs enter the week ranked No. 2 in New Mexico by MaxPreps, behind only Cleveland, and have allowed seven points over their last three games. 

Junior quarterback Aldo Gallegos rushed for 110 yards against Organ Mountain and added 71 through the air. Chris Gomez scored three rushing touchdowns, while the defense held the Knights to 12 rushing yards. 

Organ Mountain (3-2, 0-2) heads to Hobbs (2-3) at 7 p.m. Friday trying to halt a two-game skid after opening the season with three straight wins. Quarterback Jaydon Kraft threw for 122 yards and a touchdown against Las Cruces, but the Knights struggled to establish the rushing attack that helped fuel their fast start. 

Mayfield (1-4, 1-1) returns to the Field of Dreams against Deming (1-4) at 7 p.m. Friday with a breakthrough finally behind it. The Trojans rolled past Chaparral 58-7 last week for their first win, giving head coach Joseph Frias a victory against the program he coached last season. 

Friday gives Mayfield a chance to turn that result into consecutive wins after an 0-4 opening that included losses to Organ Mountain, Las Cruces and Gadsden. 

Gadsden (4-1, 1-1) gets its first chance to answer a 57-14 loss at Artesia, which abruptly ended the Panthers’ perfect start. Gadsden scored twice before halftime but was blanked over the final two quarters after an opening month in which its offense repeatedly overwhelmed opponents. 

The Panthers host Goddard (2-3) at 6 p.m. Friday, one week after a result that looked much different from the four straight victories that opened their season. Gadsden had scored 56 points against Mayfield just one week before the loss. 

Mesilla Valley Christian (3-1) stays home for a 7 p.m. Friday matchup with Gateway Christian (3-1). The SonBlazers returned from their open week with a 43-0 win over Capitan, giving them 139 points across their three victories. 

Quarterback Kobe Redfearn completed 8 of 10 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns against Capitan. Jaxson Warner added 88 rushing yards and 33 receiving yards as MVCS quickly found its footing again. 

Centennial (3-2, 2-0) closes the local slate Saturday with one of the weekend’s biggest tests, traveling to Albuquerque for a 1 p.m. game against unbeaten Volcano Vista (5-0). The Hawks have won three straight after an 0-2 start, most recently beating Clovis 42-30. 

Quarterback Ruiz Laborin accounted for five touchdowns in that win, throwing for 190 yards and two scores while rushing for 68 yards and three more. Centennial now gets an opportunity to carry that surge against a Volcano Vista team ranked No. 3 in New Mexico by MaxPreps. 

By Saturday afternoon, Week 6 should offer a clearer look at which September trends have stayed in power.