STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS KICKING OFF THIS WEEKEND

It will be Friday and Saturday when the state high school football tournament resumes. Eighteen games, nine on Friday, nine and Saturday. Nine in the afternoon, nine at night. And in all five state classes, the top four seeds advanced.

In 2A, it’s a Final Four when on Friday with a 7 p.m. scheduled kickoff, No. 2 Texico plays in No. 3 Santa Rosa, and on Saturday afternoon at 1, undefeated top seed Jal at 9-0 plays at 4th-seeded Eunice. reigning champion Jal is the team to beat even with the away game, and Texico-Santa Rosa can be labeled a pick-em.

In 3A, it’s a Friday night 6 o’clock start when 7th-seeded West Las Vegas heads for 2nd-seeded Ruidoso, and at 7, unbeaten top-seed Socorro is 10-0 and home to 8th-seed Cobre. The Saturday match-ups have 1 p.m. starts, with No. 5 seed Thoreau at No. 4 St. Michael’s, and 6th seed Raton travels to 3rd seed and defending champion Roberson in a District 2-3A contest.

The Horsemen get to play host against Thoreau, but Socorro, Ruidoso and Robertson are favored to win on their fields.

In 4A, they kick off on Friday when 5th-seeded Portales plays at fourth-seed Lovington in a 7 p.m. start, and on Saturday afternoon there’s a trio of contests all beginning at 1, with top-seeded Silver hosting 8th-seed Aztec, No. 6 seed Albuquerque Academy facing 3rd-seed Taos, the host at New Mexico Highlands, and 7th-seeded Moriarty takes the field at No. 2 Bloomfield.

Tough to go against awaken Lovington, Silver should handle Aztec, red-hot Taos is the choice to continue its 8-game win streak versus the Chargers, while Bloomfield with home field advantage rates the edge over upset-minded Moriarty.

In 5A, on Friday, No. 5 seed Deming heads for 4th seed Goddard, with the tilt at the Rowell Wool Bowl, on Saturday afternoon in 1 o’clock scheduled outings, 6th-seeded Albuquerque Valley nits the road and takes on No. 1 seed Artesia, No. 10 Goddard plays host and 3rd seed Roswell at the Wool Bowl, and 3rd-seeded Piedra Visa is host to 6th seed Mayfield at Hutchinson Stadium in Farmington.

Deming and Goddard are evenly matched, but the latter is more familiar with the Wool Bowl, Artesia figures to handily dispose of visiting Albuquerque Valley, and the same with Piedra Visa over traveling Mayfield.

in 6A, it’s a quartet of Friday games with 7 p.m. starts. At top-seed Rio Rancho Cleveland it welcomes 9th

seeded Los Lunas, at No. 4 seed Hobbs is a visit from No. 5 seed Albuquerque Volcano Vista, at 3rd-seeded Centennial it’s home at the Field of Dreams versus 6th-seed Rio Rancho High, and at Wilson Stadium in Albuquerque, 2nd-seeded Albuquerque La Cueva is host to No. 7 Farmington.

The Storm is getting familiar with hoisting the state championship trophy, Albuquerque Volcano Vista could bring a tough test at Hobbs, Centennial is the pick to oust visiting Rio Rancho, and La Cueva should tackle Farmington in what is a long trip.

Two undefeated teams remain, there are four teams with below .500 records, three at 5-6 and Lovington at 4-6, and with the Wildcats, second to Artesia with state championships, qualifying with the worse record after a dismal start of four straight setbacks.

Except for St. Michael’s, all the updated statistics are in but the Horsemen shut down theirs in all departments.