2012 high school football schedules: a breakdown from a local perspective

With the 2012 high school football season right around the corner — opening night of the season will be Aug. 30 — we take a look at our local District 3-5A teams, along with Class 4A Centennial High School in the Hawks’ inaugural season, and see how they stack up with the competition.

Of course, Mayfield and Las Cruces High could very well be atop league play once again, and Oñate will need a bounce-back year in head coach Caleb Hull’s second season.

Centennial will be on the ground floor of their building project.
Here’s a look at who and how the local pigskin programs will play in the upcoming campaign, as we unveil the 2012 high school football schedules.

Mayfield
Aug. 30 @ El Dorado (El Paso) 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 @ Franklin (El Paso) 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 Carlsbad 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 Manzano 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 @ Eldorado 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 Volcano Vista 1 p.m.
Oct. 12 @ Gadsden* 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Oñate * 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 @ Alamogordo* 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 Las Cruces* 7 p.m.
* District 3-5A game

Schedule analysis: It’s a fairly typical Mayfield schedule, at least at the outset. The Trojans will open with two tough opponents right out of the chute in road affairs at El Dorado and then Franklin. Things could lighten up as the pre-district schedule winds down, however — Manzano could very well have a drop off with the departure head coach Aaron Ocampo, and a home tilt with Volcano Vista shouldn’t provide much trouble for the Trojans. Once again, a good record seems well within reach.

Las Cruces High
Aug. 31 Chapin 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 Eldorado 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 @ Cibola 1 p.m.
Sept. 21 @ Rio Rancho 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 La Cueva 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 @ Artesia 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 @ Oñate* 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 Alamogordo* 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 BYE
Nov. 2 Gadsden* 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 @ Mayfield* 7 p.m.
* District 3-5A game

Schedule analysis: This tough docket doesn’t leave a whole lot on the table. Chapin and Eldorado to kick things off and then a road game at Rio Rancho promises to be a battle in a playoff rematch from 2011. La Cueva at home and then a road contest at Class 4A power Artesia won’t be easy either. Still, it’s better than the alternative — last year LCHS rolled through an easy pre-district schedule, although such domination didn’t do them many favors once the state playoffs rolled around. This year’s schedule is much tougher, which likely isn’t a bad thing for a team that has the potential of a state title contender.

Oñate
Aug. 31 @ Bel Air 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 Socorro 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 Cleveland 1 p.m.
Sept. 21 @ Hobbs 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 @ Volcano Vista 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 West Mesa 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 Las Cruces* 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 Gadsden* 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 @ Mayfield* 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 @ Alamogordo* 7 p.m.
* District 3-5A game

Schedule analysis: Last year’s Knights schedule was entirely too difficult and it showed — OHS was blitzed during a pre-district lineup that featured Franklin, Cleveland and Rio Rancho, not the ideal recipe for a team under a rookie head coach in Caleb Hull. This year’s lineup is better in that respect — it’s not quite the same murderer’s row — although certainly isn’t filled with cupcakes either, with some legitimate Class 5A programs still prominent on the docket. It will be a big year for Hull, now in his second year with Oñate, which is now truly his program.

Centennial
Aug. 30 Americas JV (El Paso) 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 @ El Paso High JV 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 @ Atrisco Heritage 7 p.m.
Sept. 20 Fabens 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 @ Hatch 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 @ Truth or Consequence 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 @ Socorro 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 Santa Teresa* 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 @ Chaparral* 7 p.m.
Nov. 8 Deming* 7 p.m.
* District 3-4A game

Schedule analysis: This probably is exactly the schedule the Hawks should be playing in their inaugural year on the football field — a couple junior varsity teams, along with Class 3A programs Hatch Valley, Truth or Consequences and Socorro. With that being said, none of these contests are going the be easy, and should prepare Centennial for a District 3-4A lineup that should hold an edge on the Hawks — Centennial will not have seniors on its roster, and will essentially be an expansion team in 2012. Year 1 will be Year 1 for Centennial, and the question will be in the subsequent years that follow, as the program looks to grow onto the Class 5A level. Building a football program is about establishing not just numbers, but quality numbers. And this is literally the ground floor of a building project that can be arduous.

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