FOOTBALL

Breaking down fall 2021 football campaigns for Shiprock, Bloomfield, Aztec

Matt Hollinshead
Farmington Daily Times

Familiar territory for Shiprock

The Chieftains are back in District 1-4A after spending the past three seasons as an independent squad.

However, Shiprock will again face some familiar foes seen in 2018 and 2019 as a result of going independent.

Those matchups include a Week 1 trip to Pojoaque Valley on Aug. 20, plus a Week 4 home game against Bernalillo on Sept. 10.

Shiprock also tacked on a Sept. 17 home game against 2018 4A state champion Taos.

Bloomfield’s Marc Armenta (12) hangs on to the ball for a catch along the Piedra Vista sideline on Friday, March 12, 2021, at Bobcat Stadium in Bloomfield.

Critical Weeks 1-3 for Bloomfield

The Bobcats’ first three games will feature matchups with possible state playoff seeding implications, including a 2019 playoff rematch.

Bloomfield will host St. Pius on Aug. 20 to kick off the fall campaign, followed by a trip to 2019 3A state champion Hope Christian on Aug. 28.

Bloomfield will also host Grants on Sept. 3. The last time both squads went at it, BHS outlasted Grants 48-41 in the 2019 4A state semifinals at Bobcat Stadium.

First half of season key for Aztec

The Tigers will have a critical stretch during the first half of their fall campaign, playing at home in four of their first five games.

Aztec will host Miyamura (Aug. 20); Montezuma-Cortez, Colorado (Aug. 27); Farmington (Sept. 10); and Bayfield, Colorado, (Sept. 17) during that span.

Aztec football coach Eric Stovall encourages players on the sideline during practice on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, at Fred Cook Memorial Stadium in Aztec.

Reunion of sorts to open District 1-4A

Shiprock will host Aztec at 7 p.m. Oct. 1. That particular game will be the first time Aztec coach Eric Stovall will walk those very sidelines since his final home game coaching Shiprock back on Oct. 28, 2017.

Stovall spent three years at Shiprock (2015-2017), two seasons at Newcomb (2018 and 2019) and will enter his second season at Aztec.

Matt Hollinshead covers sports and business for the Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4577, mhollinshead@daily-times.com and on Twitter at @MattH_717.

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