NMAA Football: West Mesa Holds Off Valley 41-39 in Tight Contest

Mustangs Hold On To Beat Vikings

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August 29, 2026 – MILNE STADIUM, Albuquerque, NM

ALBUQUERQUE — West Mesa survived a second-half surge from Valley to earn a 41-39 victory at Milne Stadium. The Mustangs never trailed in the first half, but the Vikings battled back to take a fourth-quarter lead before West Mesa answered with the decisive touchdown and sealed the game with a late interception.

West Mesa controlled the scoreboard throughout the first half and carried a two-possession advantage into halftime, though Valley remained within striking distance. The Vikings came out firing after the break, scoring to cut the deficit to one possession before their defense forced a fumble on West Mesa’s ensuing drive. Valley capitalized when quarterback Jeremiah Garcia found Gabriel Gonzales for a short touchdown pass, tying the game at 27.

The tie lasted only seconds. Noah Jackson returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, immediately swinging momentum back to West Mesa and giving the Mustangs a 34-27 advantage. Valley responded with another sustained drive, capped by a Zachary Perez-Verdeja rushing touchdown. A missed extra point left West Mesa narrowly ahead, 34-33. The Vikings’ defense then forced a three-and-out to close the third quarter and gave the offense another opportunity.

HQ SPORTS / Noah Padilla

Valley quickly took advantage in the fourth. Garcia connected with Gonzales for their second touchdown of the half, putting the Vikings in front 39-34. West Mesa responded with a methodical, run-heavy drive that moved the Mustangs down the field before Christopher Martinez punched in a goal-line touchdown to reclaim the lead, 41-39.

The Mustangs’ defense took over from there. Valley turned the ball over on downs, but its defense returned the favor to give the Vikings one final opportunity. With little time remaining, Valley took consecutive shots downfield but could not connect. On its next attempt, West Mesa intercepted Garcia to seal the victory as time expired.

The win moves West Mesa to 1-1 ahead of a Sept. 5 matchup against 2-0 Highland. Valley falls to 0-2 and will look for its first victory when the Vikings face 0-2 Rio Grande on Sept. 4.