Hot Springs will head north to open the Class 3A football playoffs after earning the No. 10 seed in the 2026 Nusenda Credit Union State Football Championships.

The Tigers will face No. 7 West Las Vegas in the first round, with the game currently listed for noon Saturday, Nov. 7, at West Las Vegas High School.

Hot Springs finished the regular season 5–5 overall and fifth in District 2 at 3–4 following a 34–20 loss to Ruidoso on Friday. The postseason gives the Tigers a fresh opportunity, but advancing will require a road win against a West Las Vegas team that finished 7–3 overall and fifth in District 1 with a 4–3 district record.

The winner will advance to the quarterfinals Nov. 13–14 to face No. 2 Hope Christian. For Hot Springs, that would mean another meeting with the Huskies, who defeated the Tigers 55–19 at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 22.

Hope Christian finished the regular season 9–1 overall and atop the District 2 standings at 6–1. The Huskies received a first-round bye alongside No. 1 St. Michael’s, No. 3 Silver and No. 4 Moriarty.

District 2 fills half the field

Six of District 2’s eight teams earned postseason berths, with three claiming first-round byes.

Behind Hope Christian, Silver finished 8–2 overall and 6–1 in district play to earn the No. 3 seed. Moriarty also finished 8–2, with a 5–2 district record, and enters as the No. 4 seed.

Ruidoso’s win over Hot Springs gave the Warriors a 4–6 overall record and a 4–3 district finish. Seeded ninth, Ruidoso will travel to No. 8 Pojoaque Valley, which finished 5–5 overall and 4–3 in District 1.

No. 11 Hatch Valley rounds out District 2’s playoff representatives. The Bears finished 4–6 overall and 3–4 in district play and will visit No. 6 Kirtland Central.

The remaining first-round matchup sends No. 12 Gallup to No. 5 Robertson.

The road ahead

Top-seeded St. Michael’s enters the postseason unbeaten at 9–0 after going 7–0 in District 1. The Horsemen await the winner of Pojoaque Valley and Ruidoso, while Moriarty will face the winner of Robertson and Gallup.

Silver awaits the winner of Kirtland Central and Hatch Valley on the same side of the bracket as Hot Springs, West Las Vegas and Hope Christian.

The Class 3A semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 20–21, with the state championship game set for Nov. 28.