Southern New Mexico teams enter NMAA fall state championships
Southern New Mexico schools enter the 2026 NMAA fall championships. See local soccer and football matchups, state tournament schedules and ticket information.
Soccer playoffs begin Wednesday, with local schools competing for state titles as football, cross country and volleyball championships approach.
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - Southern New Mexico high school athletes are heading into state championship competition this week, with several Doña Ana County soccer teams earning top seeds and home playoff games as the New Mexico Activities Association begins its fall postseason.
Boys' soccer playoffs open Wednesday, Oct. 28, followed by girls' competition Thursday. Gadsden, Santa Teresa and Chaparral enter the Class 4A boys' tournament as the second, third and fourth seeds, respectively, while Organ Mountain is seeded second in the Class 5A girls' bracket.
The NMAA released its fall championship information Wednesday, outlining schedules, venues, tickets and streaming options for soccer, cross country, football and volleyball. The championships extend through Nov. 28, when the state's five largest football classifications are scheduled to crown their champions.
Several postseason dates were adjusted after severe flooding in northwestern New Mexico disrupted school schedules and forced football and soccer games to be rescheduled. The NMAA moved the soccer opening rounds back one day and delayed the release of football brackets for Classes 2A through 6A until Sunday, Nov. 1.
For southern New Mexico fans, the first opportunities to see local teams in action begin this week.
Boys' soccer playoffs begin Wednesday
Six boys' soccer teams from Doña Ana County are scheduled to compete in Wednesday's opening round, including four playing on their home fields.
In Class 4A, three of the bracket's top four seeds are from southern Doña Ana County. Gadsden, Santa Teresa and Chaparral will each host first-round opponents at 2 p.m.
Wednesday's local matchups:
- Class 5A: No. 13 Las Cruces at No. 4 Hobbs, 5 p.m.
- Class 5A: No. 15 Centennial at No. 2 Roswell, 6 p.m.
- Class 4A: No. 4 Chaparral hosts No. 13 Bloomfield, 2 p.m.
- Class 4A: No. 3 Santa Teresa hosts No. 14 Goddard, 2 p.m.
- Class 4A: No. 2 Gadsden hosts No. 15 Highland, 2 p.m.
- Class A-3A: No. 8 Hatch Valley hosts No. 9 Socorro, 5 p.m.
The boys' quarterfinals follow Friday, Oct. 30, with semifinals scheduled Monday, Nov. 2. State championship games will be played Thursday, Nov. 5, at the University of New Mexico Soccer Complex in Albuquerque.
Organ Mountain girls earn No. 2 seed
Organ Mountain enters the Class 5A girls' soccer tournament as the No. 2 seed and will host No. 15 Cibola at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Other local teams face road trips, while the Class 4A bracket includes a first-round matchup between two Doña Ana County schools: Gadsden and Santa Teresa.
Thursday's local matchups:
- Class 5A: No. 2 Organ Mountain hosts No. 15 Cibola, 6 p.m.
- Class 5A: No. 9 Mayfield at No. 8 Piedra Vista, 3 p.m.
- Class 5A: No. 13 Centennial at No. 4 Farmington, 2 p.m.
- Class 4A: No. 7 Gadsden hosts No. 10 Santa Teresa, 2 p.m.
- Class A-3A: No. 12 Hatch Valley at No. 5 Bosque, 4:30 p.m.
Girls' quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, followed by semifinals Tuesday, Nov. 3. The championship matches will take place Friday, Nov. 6, at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The boys' and girls' state finals will follow the same daily schedule, with Class A-3A at 1 p.m., Class 4A at 3:30 p.m. and Class 5A at 6 p.m.
The NMAA has published the complete boys' and girls' soccer brackets, including statewide matchups and tournament paths.
Football playoffs take shape
Southern New Mexico also has a representative in the eight-man football championship bracket, where No. 4 Mesilla Valley Christian School has earned a first-round bye.
The SonBlazers will advance directly to the quarterfinals Nov. 6 or 7, when they will face the winner of Saturday's opening-round game between No. 5 Magdalena and No. 12 Cloudcroft. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 31.
In six-man football, No. 6 Animas will travel to face No. 3 Roy/Mosquero in a quarterfinal Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m.
The NMAA has released the six-man and eight-man football brackets. Brackets for Classes 2A through 6A are expected Sunday, Nov. 1, at approximately 11 a.m., following the completion of weather-delayed regular-season games.
State football championship games are scheduled over three weekends:
- Nov. 14: Six-man championship
- Nov. 21: Eight-man championship
- Nov. 28: Class 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A championships
Game sites will be determined by playoff matchups and the NMAA's hosting rules. Championship games and select earlier-round contests will be streamed through the NFHS Network.
Cross country championships Nov. 7
New Mexico's top high school cross country runners will compete Saturday, Nov. 7, at Albuquerque Academy, with boys' and girls' state races across five classifications.
Competition begins at 8:30 a.m. with the Class 5A girls' race and continues throughout the day, concluding with the Class 3A boys' race at 3 p.m. Awards will be presented following each race.
Spectators may enter Albuquerque Academy through the west gate off Wyoming Boulevard at Burlison or the south gate off Academy Road at Moon.
Tickets are available online only. A $17 day pass allows re-entry, while regular admission is $12 for adults and $8 for K-12 students, seniors 65 and older and military personnel. The lower-priced tickets do not allow re-entry.
The NMAA will post results throughout the day at NMACT.org, with championship races also available through the NFHS Network.
Volleyball championships Nov. 12-14
The fall championship calendar continues with state volleyball competition Nov. 12-14 at four locations in the Albuquerque area.
The tournament will use a modified double-elimination format, with matches taking place at the Rio Rancho Events Center, Rio Rancho High School, Cleveland High School and Bernalillo High School.
The championship matches are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14.
The NMAA expects to release official volleyball brackets Sunday, Nov. 8, at approximately 2 p.m., following its seeding and selection process. Participating teams and opening-round matchups will be determined at that time.
All tournament tickets must be purchased online through GoFan. Day passes cost $17 and allow re-entry, while adult admission costs $12. Tickets for K-12 students, seniors 65 and older and military personnel cost $8. Transaction fees are included.
Championship matches and selected additional contests will be available through the NFHS Network, with brackets and results updated on the NMAA website.
Tickets, streaming and results
The NMAA is selling tickets for its state championship events through GoFan, with no cash sales at NMAA-operated championship sites. The listed prices include transaction fees.
For soccer, ticket sales during the opening rounds, quarterfinals and semifinals are determined by the host schools. Admission to the finals at the UNM Soccer Complex follows the NMAA's online-only ticket system.
The same $17 day-pass, $12 adult and $8 discounted-admission pricing applies to cross country, soccer finals and volleyball. Football tickets cost $12 for adults and $8 for eligible students, seniors and military personnel.
Championship games and races, along with selected preliminary contests, will be streamed through the NFHS Network. Streaming access may require a subscription.
Fans can find updated tournament brackets, game schedules and results at NMACT.org, where additional information will become available as teams advance and the remaining playoff fields are finalized.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
