Football Game Preview: Centennial Hawks vs. Alamogordo Tigers

vs

Previous 3 Games

10/03/24 - Away	61-35 W
10/20/23 - Away	42-21 W
10/22/22 - Home	42-17 W

Centennial has gone a perfect 3-0 against Alamogordo recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Hawks will host the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Centennial is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

Centennial is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Carlsbad, who was ranked 13th at the time (Centennial was ranked third). The Hawks pulled ahead with a 21-20 photo finish over the Cavemen/Cavegirls last Friday. The 21-point effort marked the Hawks' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Meanwhile, Alamogordo played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They lost 47-26 to Hobbs. The defeat continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Eagles: they've now lost five in a row.

Centennial will have to keep a close watch on Bryson Bloom and Nathanael Best, a pair of players who had a big impact on Alamogordo's prior game. Bloom rushed for 111 yards and a pair of TDs, while Best rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Alamogordo's loss dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Centennial, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.

Thursday's contest might be decided on the ground. Centennial has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 241.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Alamogordo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 270.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Centennial took their victory against Alamogordo when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 61-35 score. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Best, who rushed for 142 yards and one score, and also threw for 94 yards and three TDs. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Hawks still be able to contain Best? There's only one way to find out.