2025 New Mexico High School Football: 8-Man State Championship Preview

Friday night marks the final chapter of the 2025 8-man football season, and it couldn’t script a better ending. The undefeated No. 1 seed Fort Sumner/Houser Foxes host the No. 2 seed Melrose Buffaloes, the two-time defending state champions looking to complete a rare three-peat. One program is chasing the return of its throne; the other is fighting to keep its dynasty alive.

No. 1 Fort Sumner/Houser Foxes vs. No. 2 Melrose Buffaloes

Friday, November 21 • 7:00 PM • Fort Sumner, NM

Fort Sumner has been the most dominant team in the state wire to wire. The Foxes average over 50 points per game and have allowed just 46 total points all season, a defensive statistic almost unheard of in 8-man football. Their playoff run has only reinforced their stance as the championship favorite, rolling through Menaul 50-0 after a first-round bye, then dismantling 4-seed Mesilla Valley Christian 54-12 in last weekend’s semifinal.

Junior quarterback Jordan Holland (2027) has authored one of the most complete seasons in New Mexico this year. He has thrown for 2,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, nearly half of that production going to fellow junior Travon Bonds (2027), who has racked up 971 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Holland is just as dangerous on the ground with 607 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores, and just as impactful on defense, totaling 100 tackles. The ground game adds another layer with AJ Lucero (2026), who enters the title game with 625 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, Holland and Larry Roybal (2028) anchor a unit that has physically overwhelmed every opponent; Roybal has produced 63 tackles and eight sacks.

On the other side, Melrose arrives as the back-to-back champion with the swagger of a team that expects to be here. After opening the season 0–2 with losses to Colorado powers Haxtun and Mancos, the Buffaloes have ripped off ten straight wins and look every bit like the version that has gone 36–3 over the last three seasons. Their postseason path includes a 66-14 quarterfinal win over Lordsburg and a hard-earned 32-14 semifinal victory over 3-seed Tatum.

Everything Melrose does revolves around senior Jaxon Odom (2026), one of the most explosive small-school athletes in New Mexico. Odom has been the engine of their back-to-back titles, and nothing has changed this season. Against Tatum last week, he carried the ball 30 times for 210 yards, much of it coming in the second half when the Buffaloes needed him most. Junior quarterback Trevin Yeary has settled into his role, giving Melrose balance when Odom draws heavy defensive attention, and defensively the Buffaloes rely on Zaiden Saucedo (2027) to set the tone.

Melrose averages 40 points per game, plays an experienced brand of championship football, and enters the title game with the heart of a champion. But this year’s matchup feels like a collision between two players who have defined the 2025 8-man season: Odom for Melrose, and Holland for Fort Sumner. This game may end up determining not only the championship, but also the player of the year in New Mexico’s 8-man ranks.

Melrose is still Melrose, and Odom gives them a real shot at a three-peat. But Fort Sumner has been too dominant, too explosive, and too complete. The Foxes won it all in 2022 before the Buffaloes began their two-year run, and this feels like the year they take it back.

Prediction: Fort Sumner 55, Melrose 52

Join the Conversation: Comment and Give Your Prediction Here

Official Player of the Year and Award Nominations Here

2025 Playoff Previews – 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, and 2A

Coaching Carousel: Two 5A Jobs Open, More News