Cavemen Battle No. 2 Volcano Vista in Qt. Finals

By Don Eskins

It took some heroics for the Cavemen to log a 42-35 overtime victory over the Hobbs Eagles in the opening round of the New Mexico Class 6A State Football Tournament. But thankfully for Carlsbad, Cavemen defensive back Lennon Ananins was up to the task.

Taking a 35-20 lead into the fourth and final quarter in a game played in Carlsbad on Saturday, November 7, the Cavemen looked to be on cruise control and on their way to an Eagle rout.

But Hobbs wasn’t quite ready to throw the towel in yet. The Eagles rallied to score twice in the fourth quarter, knot the game up at 35-35, and send the classic encounter into overtime.

Although momentum appeared to be with Hobbs, the Cavemen, with the ball first in overtime, scored quickly on a quarterback Marley Munoz one-yard plunge to jump out in front 42-35.

On the Eagles’ ensuing drive, Hobbs quarterback Junior Medrano went to the well once too often. While attempting to hit a receiver in the right corner of the end zone for a quick score, Ananins raced in front of him to steal the ball and the game for CHS.

Ananins’ heroics preserved the 42-35 win for Carlsbad and moved them on to round two of the state playoffs to take on the second-seeded Volcano Vista Hawks in Albuquerque on Saturday, November 14, at 1 p.m.

With the victory over Hobbs—a victory that saw Caveman workhorse Brock Wright rush for 234 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Marley Munoz connect with wideout Jaxson Duarte for two scores—Carlsbad lifted their overall record to 8-3.

Cavemen vs. Volcano Vista

While the Cavemen were battling the Hobbs Eagles in Round 1 of the state playoffs, the 10-0 Volcano Vista Hawks, having drawn a first-round bye as the tourney’s second seed, were resting and watching closely in the Duke City.

However, when the two teams face off in the quarter-final round of the state playoffs at Nusenda Community Stadium, in no way will they be strangers to each other.

Saturday’s clash will mark the second time Carlsbad and Volcano Vista have met this year. On September 18, on the road, the Hawks defeated the Cavemen 38-17.

However, while the scoreboard said the Hawks were three touchdowns better than the Cavemen, the stats said something very different. Overall, while Volcano Vista amassed 344 total yards of offense, Carlsbad, only 18 yards back, put up 326.

Volcano Vista’s victory was one of seven wins vs. no losses, recorded by the Hawks en route to capturing this season’s District 2/6A conference title. Carlsbad, with a 4-3 showing in the district, placed fourth.

But the Cavemen have vastly improved since their early-season loss to the Hawks. Since that loss, they’ve chalked up five victories in their last six outings, including a 30-17 win over New Mexico’s traditionally tough Las Cruces Bulldawgs.

That would be the same Bulldawgs that Volcano Vista beat by just 14 points, 28-14

As Coach Sanders Sees It

Despite entering the clash with Volcano Vista, seeded seventh and quite the heavy underdog, Cavemen head coach Cale Sanders says he likes his team’s chances of getting by the Hawks.

“You don’t go 10-0 unless you’re a really good team. Volcano Vista, seeded second for this year’s playoffs, is very good,” said Sanders. “Our kids are going to have a mountain in front of them when they line up against the Hawks; they all know that.

“But now, at 8-3, we’re a pretty good team ourselves,” said the CHS coach. “And at 8-3, not only do our kids know how to play the game, but they also know how to win!

“If we play the game a snap at a time, a series at a time, a quarter at a time, a half at a time, and keep the score close down the stretch,” said Sanders, “this team will figure out a way to win.”

With a victory over Volcano Vista, Carlsbad would move on to take on the winner of the (No. 3) La Cueva vs. (No. 6) Eldorado quarter-final clash, in the semi-final round of the Class 6A state tournament. Date and time TBD.

Key Cavemen vs. Hawks Matchups

CARLSBAD OFFENSE: Passing: Marley Munoz, 97-189-1321yds-16TDs-6ints; Rushing: Brock Wright 218-1383-18TDs; M. Munoz 157-872-10TDs; Receiving: Jaxson Duarte 43-616-9TDs; Jaden Harper 24-362-4TDs; Ian Wilson 19-290-3TDs.

DEFENSE: Colton McKibben 138 Total Tackles-2 ints-8 Tackles for Losses; Damian Valencia 99TTs-4ints; Trey Barta 85TTs-6TFLs; Juan Rubio 65TTs; Isaiah Gaitan 62TTs-7.5 Sacks-13TFLs; Lennon Ananins 5ints; M. Ivan Morales 7TFLs.

VOLCANO VISTA OFFENSE: Passing: J. Herrera 157-241-2359yds-35TDs-6ints; Rushing: J. Gonzales 78-431-6TDs; J. Herrera 63-302-8TDs; Z. Soto 70-281-4TDs; Receiving: A. Wiley 54-746-6TDs; I. McCary 40-717-14TDs; Z. Ward 30-607-10TDs.

DEFENSE: A. Gonzales 69TTs-6TFLs-8ints; M. Marcut 69TTs-8TFLs-4.5 Sacks; J. Hansen 54TTs-14TFLs-2.5 Sacks-2ints; J. Quions 3 Sacks; E. Ait Azzat 6 Sacks; H. Brown 4ints; M. Padilla 2ints.

Cavemen Probable Lineup

OFFENSE: Linemen: Left tackle, sophomore Carlo Chavez; left guard, senior Lincoln Adsero; center, senior Nathaniel Olivas; right guard, junior Makai Yorgensyn; and right tackle, junior Hector Nava. Backfield: Quarterback, No. 2 Marley Munoz, and Running Back, No. 27 Brock Wright; wide receiver corps: No11 Jaden Harper, junior Ian Wilson, sophomore Josiah Fuentes, and tight end, senior Braden Florez.

DEFENSE: Linemen: Nose tackle, junior Sean Cruz; defensive end, senior Isaiah Gaitan; and defensive end, senior Jaedyn Lynch; Linebackers: senior Colton McKibben, junior Trey Barta, and junior Juan Rubio; Secondary: senior Lennon Ananins, safety/cornerback; senior safety, Damian Valencia; and senior cornerback, Noah Gonzales.

(Two spots on the Cavemen’s defensive unit, one on the line and another in the secondary, have yet to be filled. Coach Sanders plans to fill the positions by committee.)

State Tournament News

2026 State Tourney Seeds: 1. Cleveland 10-0, 2. Volcano Vista 10-0, 3. La Cueva 7-3, 4. Centennial 6-4, 5. Sandia 8-2, 6. Eldorado 5-4, 7. Carlsbad 7-3, 8. Las Cruces 7-3, 9. Rio Rancho 5-5, 10. Hobbs 4-6, 11. Albuquerque High 5-4, 12. Farmington 3-7.

First Round Games: Rio Rancho 21, Las Cruces 20; Eldorado 50, Alb. High 35; Carlsbad 42 OT, Hobbs 35;

Qt. Final Round: 1 Cleveland vs. 9 Rio Rancho; 2 Volcano Vista vs. 7 Carlsbad; 3 La Cueva vs. 6 Eldorado; 4 Centennial vs. 5 Sandia.