Live updates: Farmington Scorpions face Carlsbad Cavemen in high school football playoffs

2:29 p.m. -- The onside kick is recovered by FHS at midfield. The Scorpions can take time off the clock, but may wind up giving Carlsbad the ball with seconds remaining. FHS will have a fourth down play with 6.6 seconds left. Griego completes a pass to Beck and runs out the clock. 34-33 Scorpions. FINAL

2:23 p.m. -- Carlsbad starts their drive from their 20. Mendoza gains a couple yards on first down. Asay dropped for a loss on second down. On third and 10, Asay broke free of a pair of tacklers behind the line, then found open sailing for an 80-yard score, making it a one-point game. They lined up for a 2-point conversion attempt but called time out. The running play by Mendoza goes nowhere and FHS holds on to a 34-33 lead with 1:38 left to play.

2:17 p.m. -- Farmington starts their drive at the 35. Griego's pass to Jevon Smith complete to the Cavemen 40. Griego lumbers his way for a 17-yard run to the 23. Archuleta gains 2 on first down. Griego avoids the blitz and finds Archuleta approaching the far sideline for a 15-yard gain. Griego burst through the middle for an 8-yard touchdown run. Griego followed that up with a daring 2-point conversion play, and the Scorpions have a 34-27 lead with 3:11 left to play.

2:12 p.m. -- Asay got loose down the far sideline for a gain of 31 yards, then was brought down for a loss of a yard, and again found little running room off the right side of the line. Asay on an end-around picks up a few yards, bringing up 4th and nine. Carlsbad appears to be going for it, but FHS coach Jeff Dalton calls his second timeout of the half with 7:24 left on the clock. Naylor pass to Uriel Mendoza good for 16 yards and a first down to the 19. Asay gets a yard on first down, Asay gets 10 yards and brings up first and goal at the 8. Mendoza gained a yard, Mendoza gains 1 on second down. Carlsbad called a time out with 4:27 left in the game. Naylor finds Uriel Mendoza wide open in the middle of the end zone for a score. Naylor's 2-point try again falls short. Carlsbad 27-26 with 4:24 left to play.

1:59 p.m. -- On the second play from deep in their own territory, Griego threw a duck to Michael Beck which he snagged out of thin air and took to the house for a 94-yard grab. The 2-point play was no good, and FHS retakes the lead 26-21 with 9:03 remaining.

1:56 p.m. -- After a big run by Archuleta put the Scorpions in the red zone, Griego threw his second pick of the day, this one by Saul Ruiz which was run back to the 44. Carlsbad dodged a bullet with that one. Asay gains five on first down, then three more on second down. Carlsbad called for a personal foul and forced to punt. The punt goes all the way to the FHS 3 yard line, an estimated punt of about 80 yards.

1:49 p.m. -- FHS starts their next drive at the 18 yard line. Archuleta gains 2 on short run up the middle. Archuleta drops short pass in the flat, bringing up third and eight. Griego finds Smith for a 16-yard pass completion. Same combination goes for a 2-yard completion, Schake gains 11 to the Cavemen 48. Griego avoids a sack and gains a couple, Schake gains 3 off right tackle. Cayden Halliburton makes a catch from Griego for a 7-yard completion as the third quarter comes to an end.

CARLSBAD 21, Farmington 20

1:44 p.m. -- Carlsbad gets five yards on first down. Asay runs and powers his way for a 19-yard gain. Asay gets 3 more yards on first down. Asay gets six more, bringing up third and short. Naylor keeper for a first down. Mendoza off left tackle down to the 15. Mendoza stopped at the line. Isaac Foutz called for his third unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gives the Cavemen the ball at the 3. First down rushing play to Asay off right tackle down to the 1. Cavemen backed up to the 6 after a procedure penalty. Mendoza gets 1 bringing up third and goal at the 5. Option pitch to Asay loses a couple of yards. Carlsbad gets a field goal and retakes the lead 21-20 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.

1:34 p.m. -- FHS opens the next drive with the ball at the 25 yard line. First down deep pass falls short. Second down pass again comes up incomplete. Griego throw to Smith just a little out of reach, bringing out fourth down. Carlsbad takes over at the 35.

1:30 p.m. -- Schake picks up 13 on first down, Griego pass falls incomplete, Griego pass intercepted by Bryce Owens off a tip and Carlsbad has the ball at the FHS 9-yard line. Asay gets a yard on the left side of the line, Asay breaks a tackle at the line of scrimmage and scores from 8 yards out. The 2-point conversion comes up short, and FHS maintains the lead, with the score 20-18 with 9:06 left in the third quarter.

1:25 p.m. -- Carlsbad will open the second half receiving the kickoff, trailing 20-12. They'll open with the ball at the 35 yard line. Naylor brought down behind the line on first down, Asay loses a yard on second down, third down pass play falls incomplete. Carlsbad punts it away and FHS starts at their own 20.

"We've done a good job controlling their speed, but we have to do a better job capitalizing on mistakes," said FHS coach Jeff Dalton.

1:04 p.m. -- Carlsbad with the ball in the final minute of the half starts at their own 42. Naylor first down pass sails incomplete. Naylor pitches the ball to Asay who fumbles for the fourth time today before it rolls out of bounds. Fourth down and 2 from the 47. Ryan St. John picks up the first down with 18 seconds left in the half. First down pass just a bit out of reach of Asay. Asay gets the catch and down to the 21-yard line with 3.2 seconds left on the clock. Naylor pass to the far corner of the end zone wasn't close and FHS takes a 20-12 lead into the locker room at halftime.

12:55 p.m. -- Michael Beck returns the kick to the 25 yard line as Farmington starts their next drive. Griego finds Smith on the near sideline for a 13-yard pass and catch. First down pass play falls incomplete. Griego to Archuleta for an 11-yard reception. Griego escapes the rush and gains 5. Illegal block in the back penalty negates a good play for the Scorpions. Griego pass to Beck was well short. Defensive offsides gives FHS a first down. Griego keeper gains 5. Griego keeper again gains 6 for a first down. Griego finds Smith down the middle of the field for a Scorpion touchdown. The PAT was no good and FHS extends their lead to 20-12 with 51 seconds remaining in the half.

12:46 p.m. -- Carlsbad starts their next drive at their own 35-yard line. Turnovers have been a critical mess for the Cavemen early on. Asay carries the ball seven yards on first down. Naylor on a keeper gets enough to move the chains. Asay gains four yards on first down before running into a wall on second down for no gain. Naylor found Mendoza for a great catch over the middle and a first down at the Scorpion 35. Asay with a short gain on first down. Asay found room off right tackle for a gain of seven, bringing up third and short. Mendoza pushes the line to a first down inside the 23 yard line. Naylor held onto a low snap and was fortunate to gain a yard. Mendoza got tripped up before a gain of 8 yards, bringing up third and short. Mendoza powers his way through the Scorpion defense and gets the first and goal to the 2. Mendoza brought down at the 1. Naylor keeper get the Cavemen a needed touchdown. Asay comes up just short on the 2-point conversion, keeping FHS in front 14-12 with 3:14 to go in the half.

12:35 p.m. -- Carlsbad opens the second quarter with a first down loss of four yards. Asay made a couple Scorpion tacklers miss as he gains 13 on second down to the 23 yard line. Asay fumbles again and FHS recovers for the second time in the first half. Ethan Pettyjohn with the recovery and FHS has the ball at the Cavemen 22. FHS called for false start on first and ten, then a short pass falls incomplete on first and 15. Griego finds Archuleta splitting defenders across the flat for a 27-yard TD pass. The Tate James extra point kick is good and FHS leads 14-6 with 10:21 left in the first half.

12:30 p.m. -- Carlsbad ball from the 2. Asay powers out to the 10 on first down, then carries again for 4 yards and a first down to the 14 yard line as the first quarter comes to a close.

Farmington leads Carlsbad 7-6.

12:28 p.m. -- Carlsbad starts their next drive at their own 35-yard line. Asay dropped a handoff and lost the ball, turning it over to FHS at the 25. Griego flushed out of the pocket and is pushed out of bounds. Schake loses a yard on second down. Griego threw a nifty pass to Archuleta for what should have been a touchdown, but a holding call negates the play, making it third and 31 from the 46-yard line. Griego finds Smith for a gain of 11, but brings up a fourth and long situation at the 35. A silly pass interference call against Carlsbad moves the ball to the 20 and a more manageable fourth and five. Griego to Beck gets the Scorpions a first down at the 8. Griego on a keeper gets it to the 1. Griego stacked up at the line, bringing up third and goal from the 3 yard line. Griego wide and short to Archuleta falls incomplete and brings up fourth and goal. They're going for it. Griego was about to be tackled but lost the ball, Schake picked it up and fumbled it as well before Carlsbad recovered it on the 3.

12:18 p.m. -- FHS starts their next drive at the 20 and gains four yards on first down run play before a second down play goes nowhere. Griego got to Michael Beck down the far sideline and down to the Carlsbad 35. First down pass play tipped at the line and falls incomplete. Schake gains 4 on an option pitch. Griego sacked for a loss of 5, bringing up fourth down. Griego finds Jevon Smith between defenders for a first down to the 20. Schake gains 8 yards off left tackle. Griego brought down behind the line of scrimmage on a keeper that went nowhere. Griego finds Josiyah Archuleta sprinting across the middle of the field for a 14-yard TD pass. Tate James extra point was good and FHS leads 7-6 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.

12:10 p.m. -- On the first play of the FHS drive, Griego found Jevon Smith for a 20-yard reception. Griego overthrew Michael Beck down the far sideline, then lost a fumble for another FHS turnover. The Cavemen made them pay right away as Eli Asay broke a pair of tackles at the line of scrimmage for a 45-yard score. The extra point was no good, and Carlsbad leads 6-0 with 8:03 left in the first quarter.

12:07 p.m. -- Cavemen get ball at FHS 30. Dane Naylor gains 3 yards off right tackle, followed by a 5 yard run off left tackle, Ulysses Mendoza tackled behind the line brings up fourth and 4. Whatever play the Cavemen were planning ran out of time before they were forced to take their first time out. Mendoza again brought down behind the line of scrimmage and Carlsbad turns the ball over on downs.

12:03 p.m. -- Farmington will start the game with the ball. Michael Beck is brought down at the 20-yard line. Waylon Schake with a 5-yard run, Trel Griego with a designed keeper gains 3, followed by another designed keeper which comes up a half-yard short. Griego comes up short on fourth and inches and turns the ball over to Carlsbad.

Noon -- Carlsbad won the toss and has elected to defer to the second half.

11:45 a.m. -- Live from the Hutchison Stadium press box where we'll have live updates throughout the game.

Pregame activities have just wrapped up and we're less than 15 minutes from kickoff.

In the meantime, check out our coverage from last night's first round games across San Juan County.

FARMINGTON − The first round of the New Mexico Activities Association's state football playoffs gets underway this weekend, and we're live from Farmington High School where the Scorpions open the Class 6A playoffs with a first round home game against Carlsbad.

Players to watch

CARLSBAD: Coached by Oliver Soukup, Carlsbad features several important playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.

Senior running back Eli Asay has rushed for more than 1200 yards this season while junior running back Ulysses Mendoza has scored eight times and rushed for more than 600 yards. Senior quarterback Dane Naylor is a threat inside and outside the pocket, with more than 1000 combined rushing and passing yards.

The Cavemen finished third (behind Hobbs and Centennial) in District 3/4-6A. Both Hobbs and Centennial are on a bye this week in the tournament while Carlsbad (5-5 overall, 3-2 District) are joined by 11th-seeded Alamogordo in first

FARMINGTON: Senior quarterback Trel Griego has thrown for more than 2500 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. Among Griego's top receiving targets have been sophomore receiver Michael Beck, with more than 800 yards and 12 touchdowns, as well as senior Josiyah Archuleta, with 59 catches for 645 yards.

Defensively, Ian Fishburn (91 tackles and four sacks) and Alex Serrano (89 tackles and seven interceptions) have led the Scorpions attack this season.