MORIARTY, N.M. — Coming off a tough loss that halted an eight-game home winning streak, the Moriarty Pintos take to the road Friday night with significant Class 3A state playoff seeding on the line.

Moriarty (5-2, 2-2 District 2-3A) travels to Lincoln County to face the Ruidoso Warriors (2-5, 2-2) in a 7 p.m. kickoff. For head coach Gabriel Romero’s squad, Friday’s contest is a vital rebound opportunity following a 26-7 setback to Hope Christian.

With the New Mexico Activities Association postseason bracket approaching in November, every district outing directly impacts the 12-team Class 3A playoff picture. The Pintos, currently holding a top-four position in Class 3A rankings, need a clean performance on the road to protect their positioning for an opening-round bye or home-field advantage. Ruidoso, which fell 28-7 to Silver last week after stringing together consecutive wins over NMMI and Hatch Valley, is fighting to secure an at-large postseason berth.

Offenses and Running Games

Moriarty’s identity remains firmly entrenched in its high-volume ground game. The Pintos enter the contest averaging nearly 350 rushing yards per game behind a disciplined, physical front line anchored by linemen Judah Sloan, Tanner Denomme, and Angel Holguin. Senior running back Mario Romero serves as the engine of the attack, posting 131.5 rushing yards per game and 13 touchdowns on the ground. The Pintos complement Romero with a multifaceted backfield rotation featuring seniors Mateo Manley-Griego (76.8 yards per game, eight rushing scores) and Royce Dennisson (72.8 yards per game, five rushing scores).

Ruidoso counters with a dynamic, quarterback-centric ground scheme. Junior quarterback Mason Fikany leads the Warriors’ offensive output, generating 122.3 rushing yards per game and 13 touchdowns this season. Ruidoso relies heavily on Fikany’s ability to pull down the ball on read-options and designed sweeps, with senior Anthony McAlister supplying complementary carries.

Quarterbacks and Passing Game

Under center, Moriarty junior quarterback Devin Ortiz operates an offense tailored around efficiency and play-action. Ortiz has completed 62.5% of his passes with four touchdowns while averaging 26.8 yards through the air in limited attempts, keeping opposing safeties honest when defenses crowd eight men in the box.

For Ruidoso, Fikany provides a dual-threat presence. While his primary damage comes on scrambles and option keepers, he averages 62 passing yards per game, giving the Warriors a more frequent aerial dimension than the run-heavy Pintos.

Receivers and Tight Ends

Moriarty rarely airs it out, distributing targets among hybrid skill positions. Dennisson leads the Pintos with 10.4 receiving yards per game, followed by junior Rylan Thackerson (7.2 yards per game), with tight ends Brigham Schmutz and freshman Frankie Romero each hauling in touchdown receptions this season.

Ruidoso leans on junior wideout Xavier Ramos, who averages 42.6 receiving yards per contest and serves as Fikany’s primary downfield target. Samuel Sanchez and tight end Dallas Shendo provide secondary options in intermediate passing situations.

Defense and Matchup Keys

The matchup hinges on whether Moriarty’s defense can contain Fikany inside the tackles and prevent broken-play explosive gains.

Mario Romero spearheads the Pintos’ defensive unit from inside linebacker, tallying a team-leading 7.5 tackles per game. Moriarty’s edge rushers and linebackers—featuring Judah Sloan, Trey Denomme, and Schmutz, who have recorded three sacks apiece—will be tasked with keeping containment. In the secondary, Dennisson and freshman cornerback Cash Carpenter (two interceptions each) will look to capitalize on any errant throws.

Ruidoso’s defense will face the challenge of enduring four quarters of Moriarty’s heavy run sets. The Warriors are led by junior outside linebacker Dallas Shendo, who averages 9.7 tackles per game. Defensive end Jacob Robertson leads Ruidoso’s front in disruption, while McAlister anchors the secondary with three interceptions on the year.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Ruidoso High School.