Cavemen Battle Rio Rancho in Playoffs

By Don Eskins

The Carlsbad Cavemen, seeded 11th for this year’s Class 6A state football tournament, will face off against the sixth-seeded Rio Rancho Rams on Saturday, November 8.

Kickoff for the first-round clash is set for 1 p.m. in Rio Rancho.

Absent from the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, the Cavemen, led by Cale Sanders, are more than excited about the prospect of returning to the New Mexico Big Dance.

“This is a big step for our kids and our program. With the schedule we’ve played this season, getting to the playoffs has been a battle for us every weekend,” said Sanders. “But our kids have fought their way in; it’s where they deserve to be, and our staff couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Following the 31-13 loss on Friday, October 31, to the third-ranked Hobbs Eagles, the Cavemen closed out regular season play at 5-5 on the year and 3-3 in conference.

In District 3/6A play, CHS finished fourth behind No. 1 Las Cruces, No. 2 Hobbs, and No. 3 Centennial. Clovis placed fifth, Alamogordo sixth, and Organ Mt. seventh. In this week’s, November 7, MaxPreps Class 6A poll, the Cavemen are ranked 10th.

A Look at the Rio Racho Rams

The Rio Rancho Rams, although posting a 6-4 record in 2025, enjoyed a great season of football. Victories for Rio Rancho came via Atrisco Heritage, 52-12; Clovis, 56-0; Cibola, 25-15; Piedra Vista, 34-13; Volcano Vista, 28-27 (OT); and Farmington, 26-14.

Losses for the Rams came via top-seeded Las Cruces, 47-22; second-seeded Cleveland, 49-14; fourth-seeded Centennial, 42-40; and Eastlake of El Paso, 51-28.

As a team, they’ve been averaging 32.5 points per game while giving up 27.

No doubt about it, Rio Rancho will be a force in this year’s playoffs.

“Rio Rancho has a great football team. They’re like an All-Star team. They’re physical, fast, and they’re top-heavy with skilled athletes,” said coach Sanders. “Defensively, they can man up with their secondary and put an extra man in the box to make running difficult.”

Offensive impact players for the Rams: Quarterback M. Takahashi has completed 167 of his 276 attempts for 2,263 yards, an average of 13.6 yards per catch. He has thrown 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

As a runner, Takahashi has carried the ball 111 times for 666 yards, an average of 6.0 yards per tote. He has scored seven TDs.

E. Rolan also carries the ball for the Rams. He has rushed for 574 yards on 121 carries, an average of 4.7 yards a rush. He has scored nine touchdowns.

Takahashi’s favorite receiver is P. Miller. Miller has hauled in 66 catches for 1072 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Also targeted by the Ram signal caller have been J. Lee, with 31 catches for 466 yards and six TDs, and M. Stagman, with 31 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns. (Stats by MaxPreps)

A Look at the Cavemen

Although Sanders said he feels Rio Rancho is loaded with talent, the Carlsbad head coach said he also feels his Cavemen can compete with the Rams—and win.

“Our kids have grown a lot this year, but they haven’t peaked yet. Having bought another week of play, that’s a plus for us,” said the Cavemen boss. “If our guys play smart, don’t make silly mistakes, or turn the ball over, they can compete with Rio Rancho.

“I feel like we can lean on our offense, the guys up front, and a defense, led by Colton McKibben, that’s gotten better and better as the season has moved along,” he said.

“As for our skilled players, I don’t think there’s a better wide receiver in the state than Robert Castenada. Our quarterback, Marley Munoz, who continues to improve with each outing, is also special, as is our running back, Brock Wright.”

As a team, the Cavemen have been averaging 24.7 points per ball game while giving up 27.6.

Offensive impact players for the Cavemen: Quarterback Marley Munoz has completed 83 of his 154 pass attempts for 1192 yards, an average of 14.4 yards per reception. He has thrown 11 touchdowns with six interceptions.

Brock Wright leads all CHS running backs. He has carried the ball 160 times for 940 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per carry. He has scored 10 TDs.

Munoz ranks as CHS’s second leading rusher. He has picked up 623 yards on 120 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per tote. He has scored three TDs.

Robert Castenada, with 45 catches for 869 yards, an average of 19.3 yards per catch, leads all CHS receivers. He has recorded 11 touchdowns.

Also hauling in catches have been RJ Hernandez, 14 catches for 161 yards; Eloy Lopez, 13 catches for 139 yards; and Jaden Harper, nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. (Stats by MaxPreps)

First Round Games: Top four teams drew first round byes; No. 5 La Cueva vs. No. 12 Eldorado; No. 6 Rio Rancho vs. No. 11 Carlsbad; No. 7 Volcano Vista vs. No. 10 Cibola; and No. 8 Los Lunas vs. No. 9 Piedra Vista.