Centennial and Santa Teresa Shine in District as Boys Soccer Season Shifts to State

Centennial is currently ranked first in the MaxPreps rankings, and for good reason.

A Las Cruces Digest Report

Class AAAAA (5A) Large School

Three of the six teams in District 3/5A completed their regular season on a winning note–and with winning records. Centennial, Gadsden and Organ Mountain

The Centennial Hawks managed a nearly perfect regular season. They defeated one of Albuquerque’s storied programs, Eldorado, early in the season–on the road. Centennial is currently ranked first in the MaxPreps rankings, and for good reason. The Hawks have consistently demonstrated strong defense while finding the net on the other end of the pitch. They have ended their regular season with a perfect cycle against district foes. Their only loss came earlier this month in the first district roundabout when Organ Mountain landed a hit and left the only mark against the Hawks. Converting expectations to reality for Centennial will not come automatically; they have shown themselves capable of being beaten. For this reason, their opponents cannot count on playing an over-confident Hawks team when they take to the pitch this championship season.

The Gadsden Panthers finished District 3/5A play in second place, and some might want to discount this accomplishment by pointing out a schedule bereft of matches against northern New Mexico opponents. This could be a terminal error as we enter championship season. While it is true the Panthers have not captured a win from a top-tier team, they have remained competitive in the losses suffered to both in and out-of-district foes. Their two losses to top-ranked Centennial (in-district) and loss to Hobbs (2nd place in District 4/5A) came in close 2-0 matches. Any question about whether this team has earned its runner-up status in District 3/5A need only look at this team’s record against 3rd place Organ Mountain. The three matches resulted in two Gadsden wins and a tie. It is as if this Panthers prowls the competition, waiting for the right moment to pounce on their prey. We will find out if there is a hunting spirit in these Panthers, soon enough.

The Organ Mountain Knights squared off to teams from the northern part of the state on two occasions, and broke their lances in both tilts. They did, however, land the only strike against in-district rival Centennial in a 2-0 upset on October 2^nd. This was the only loss suffered by the top ranked Hawks this season. We will be watching to see if this Knights team makes the cut for this years State Championship.

Unlike the Lady Bulldawgs, the LCHS Boys have struggled to put together a confident streak of wins this season. Two early losses to northern New Mexico competition (Rio Rancho and Cleveland) proved to be a pair of losses this Bulldawg team could not seem to recover from. They finished their middling regular season with two losses, the first a 6-1 rout at the hands of District 3/5A cellar-dweller Alamogordo and the second in a close 2-1 pride match against Centennial. The Bulldawgs showed in their last match with the Hawks an ability to meet any challenge with grit and determination, but they never could find a consistent reason to do so over the course of the season.

The Mayfield Trojans managed to finish out of the cellar of District 3/5A. Offensively, they were able to find the net early in the season, but failed to score a single goal in their last four matches. Defensively, the Trojans shut out opponents in only five matches this season, and held opponents to a single goal in only three.

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Class AAAA(4A)

The Desert Warriors of Santa Teresa finished District 3/4A play as king of the hill. Their early season play was highlighted by a handful of wins against up-class opponents, and they managed to get through district play with a single loss to in-district rival Chaparral. Santa Teresa’s MaxPreps ranking is 3^rd among 4A schools, behind two Albuquerque perennials: private schools Albuquerque Academy and St. Pius. Las Cruces Digest looks forward to watching the Desert Warriors take the pitch against some of New Mexico’s most elite.

Chaparral is nipping at the heels of District 3/4A rival Santa Teresa, splitting wins with the Tribe in their two meetings. Of the 7 losses racked up by the Lobos, four were at the hands of up-class opponents. The only out-of-district loss suffered by the Lobos was at the hands of District 4/4A champion, Lovington.

Class A to Class AAA(3A)-Composite

The Hatch Valley Bears secured second place in composite District 3/4 in composite Class A-3A. The Bears only two district losses came at the hands of the tough Colts squad bunked at New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI). The last match of the local soccer season took place at the Stapp Parade Field in Roswell, and the Colts topped the Bears at home, (5-1). [Note: No major damage was reported at NMMI from the recent flooding in the Roswell area.] Despite a losing overall record, the Bears stand at 10^th in MaxPreps class rankings. The NMAA has done a great service to the students in our broader community piecing together meaningful soccer schedules for some of our area’s smaller schools. Now that it is championship season, we get to see how teams from these smaller schools really stack up.

State Championships Start October 29th–Brackets Published Soon!

Article posted by:

Levi Gwaltney

Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.

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