Teams from New Mexico return to fall football for the first time since 2019 after playing an abbreviated spring schedule during the 2020-21 school year. The New Mexico Activities Association did not hold any state playoffs last year, but it is expected to conduct a full season in 2021 with playoffs set to begin October 30.
Cleveland (Rio Rancho) opens the season as the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Top 25 state preseason rankings. The Storm won the Class 6A state championship in 2019 and went undefeated (4-0) in the spring. Rio Rancho (3-1), whose only loss last spring was to rival Cleveland, comes in at No. 2. Clovis, which lost to both Cleveland and Rio Rancho in the spring, begins the season at No. 3.
See the complete list below.
New Mexico Preseason MaxPreps Top 25
1.
Cleveland (Rio Rancho), 4-0 record in 2020
2.
Rio Rancho, 3-1
3.
Clovis, 3-2
4.
Goddard (Roswell), 2-2
5.
Farmington, 5-0
6.
Las Cruces, 3-1
7.
Los Lunas, 3-0
8.
Hobbs, 2-3
9.
Carlsbad, 2-2
10.
Cibola (Albuquerque), 2-0
11.
Centennial (Las Cruces), 1-2
12.
Mayfield (Las Cruces), 2-2
13.
Socorro, 4-0
14.
Alamogordo, 3-2
15.
Deming , 3-1
16.
Roswell, 2-2
17.
Lovington, 4-1
18.
Artesia, 2-3
19.
Volcano Vista (Albuquerque), 2-1
20.
Grants, 3-1
21.
Piedra Vista (Farmington), 3-2
22.
Eldorado (Albuquerque), 1-2
23.
Bloomfield, 2-3
24.
West Mesa (Albuquerque), 3-0
25.
Portales, 4-0
