Football

Sixty-two days remain until the start of the 2026 high school football season in Arizona and New Mexico.

For many prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, the spotlight extended far beyond the players. It found their parents. From emotional embraces to quiet living room moments, the draft became a reminder that every name called – or not called – carries a story built on years of sacrifice, support and belief.

Miami’s return from the wilderness is complete. A year after shaking off irrelevance, the Hurricanes capped their resurgence with a 31–27 victory over Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl, punching their ticket to the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium and moving one win away from their first national title since 2001.

The University of New Mexico Lobos came within a final play of capping a historic season Friday afternoon but fell 20–17 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in overtime at the 2025 Rate Bowl at Chase Field.

The Bloomfield football team may have cemented its status as a dynastic program. On Saturday, the top-seeded Bobcats (12-1) claimed its second consecutive 4A state crown with a 58-27 win over No. 2 St. Pius X Sartans (10-2) in a rematch in last year’s title game at the Nusenda Community Stadium in Albuquerque.