Neighbors Cup: Fall Sports – Centennial Boys, Las Cruces Girls Lead the Way

Fall is in the books, and the Neighbors Cup standings are ready to be revealed. Across football fields, volleyball courts, soccer pitches, and cross country courses, prep athletes across our broader community have battled all season for every point. Over the next few days, we’ll spill the beans on all of the area’s top performers. Until then, here are the top three schools for Boys’ and Girls’ fall sports, with in-depth coverage of each sport to follow. At the end of the year, the winning school will see their name added to the Neighbors Cup trophy (“the Bean”) and receive a commemorative sack of beans recognizing their accomplishment—plus a little extra to support their programs—a sweet reminder of the teamwork, skill, and determination that made this season memorable.

Defining the Fall Rankings

For the fall season, Neighbors Cup standings are split into two separate rankings—Boys and Girls—based on performance across selected sports. The Boys Fall Sports rankings include Football, Soccer, and Cross Country (XC), while the Girls Fall Sports rankings are determined by Volleyball, Soccer, and XC.

Points are awarded based on district performance, with postseason bonus points reserved strictly for state championships, with the lone exception being officially recognized state records which are awarded an even larger bonus. Over the coming days, each fall sport will be recapped individually, offering a closer look at the performances that shaped these standings.

Boys Fall Sports Standings

Centennial High School, the reigning Neighbors Cup champion, sits atop the Boys Fall Sports standings once again after a strong, balanced showing across football, soccer, and XC. Hardly considered the “new school” anymore, the Hawks continue to pair depth with consistency, positioning themselves early as a program capable of repeating last year’s success.

Behind Centennial, Las Cruces High School and Chaparral High School finished tied for second, a result shaped as much by postseason structure as on-field success. Both programs made deep runs in the state football playoffs, with the Bulldawgs advancing all the way to the state championship game before falling by a touchdown. Under the Neighbors Cup scoring system, however, postseason bonus points are awarded only for state championships, meaning those runs did not add to the overall tally.

Las Cruces High’s boys earned the vast majority of their points through football, scoring no points in soccer and only a minor participation total in XC. Chaparral High, the smallest school among the contenders and a member of the Gadsden School District, once again emerged as the sleeper of the standings. The Lobos’ ability to remain competitive across all three fall sports continues to make them one of the most intriguing programs in the Neighbors Cup race.

Girls Fall Sports Standings

On the girls’ side, Las Cruces High School claimed first place in the fall standings behind a dominant volleyball season that culminated in a state championship—their third consecutive title. The Bulldawgs not only separated themselves decisively in the girls’ race, but also recorded the only state championship by any school in any fall sport, boys or girls, during the season. That achievement proved pivotal in the Neighbors Cup standings and set the tone for the fall. Volleyball will lead off the girls’ fall sport recaps, with soccer and XC coverage to follow in the days ahead.

Organ Mountain High School finished second, with Centennial High School close behind in third. Both programs posted balanced results across volleyball, soccer, and XC, remaining in contention throughout the season. Like their boys counterparts, the Las Cruces High girls received no points for soccer and added only a modest participation total from XC.

It’s also worth noting that Organ Mountain and Centennial were the only schools to field complete teams at both the boys’ and girls’ state cross country championships, a measure of depth and commitment that will be explored further in the upcoming XC recap.

Publication Schedule

Wednesday, December 10 – Football

Las Cruces Bulldawgs continue their district dominance from last year, joined by the MVCS SonBlazers, Chaparral Lobos and Gadsden Panthers pushing deep into the playoffs. The Bulldawgs narrowly missed a state title, their season ending one score away from glory.

Thursday, December 11 – Volleyball

The Las Cruces High Bulldawgs captured their third consecutive state championship, the only state title earned in any fall sport this season.

Friday, December 12 – Soccer

Santa Teresa High School’s Desert Warriors captured district titles in both boys and girls soccer, while the recaps will also highlight standout performances and memorable moments across all programs.

Saturday, December 13 – Cross Country (XC)

Coverage will spotlight the runners who made it to the state championship, with Organ Mountain and Centennial’s complete teams standing out.

Stay tuned for High School Sports!