Football Recap: Las Cruces Wins High-Profile Contest Against Volcano Vista

Las Cruces faced Volcano Vista in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Bulldawgs enjoyed a cozy 38-20 victory over the Hawks. That's more bragging rights for the Bulldawgs, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.

Daniel Amaro

Rushing Yards

08/28/25 vs Volcano Vista	210
08/22/25 @ Mayfield	126
11/23/24 vs La Cueva	96
11/15/24 @ Volcano Vista	115
11/08/24 vs West Mesa	59
+ 4 more games

Daniel Amaro had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 210 yards and four TDs while picking up 13.1 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in September of 2024. Las Cruces also got help from Francisco Winnikoff, who showed off his sure hands for 105 receiving yards.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Las Cruces proved: they limited Volcano Vista to a paltry 3.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Denton Walter for the heroic effort on defense: he. Las Cruces didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 10.5.

Las Cruces' defense also made the game a nightmare for Aurelius Wiley., racking up 12 sacks. Walter led the group effort, picking up five of those sacks all by himself. He has been hot, having also posted 11 or more total tackles the last eight times he's played.

Volcano Vista's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Wiley, who threw for 192 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushed for 32 yards. Ismael Mendez III was Wiley's top target, picking up 115 receiving yards and one score.

Las Cruces has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 49.5 points this season. As for Volcano Vista, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.

Coming up, Las Cruces will take on Rio Rancho at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Volcano Vista, they will face off against Sandia at 11:00 a.m. on September 6.