Class AAAA (new and improved ... But still a mess)

So, take four teams and have them lose games you didn't expect in the final week of the season. Now mix on one team that's on a roll but plays in a weak district. Add drama and include a dash of debate and what do you have?
Well, being that this is a family newspaper, I can't say it. But if I were play Charades, I'd say the term sounds like "dumspter truck."
Either way, I will endeavor to do my best to sift through the morass that is AAAA seeding.
Well, here goes nothing ...

1. Espanola Valley (19-8). Yes, the loss to the bottom team in 2AAAA was bad. But when you look at their overall resume, it is better than the other four in the running. The Sundevils have beaten the most district champions (Class AAA Las Vegas Robertson, Gallup, Santa Teresa, Class AAAAA Manzano) and have four wins over district runners-up (Capital twice, AAA Taos, AAA St. Michael's). The downside are the losses to Rio Rancho and bernalillo, but the other teams have blemishes as well. Their flaws stand out more than the Sundevils'.
3. Gallup (19-7). The Bengals were motoring right along - 10 straight wins - when the Jaguars of Valencia knocked them off their perch. And that, as much as anything, left them exposed to their overall work. Gallup beat 5AAAA champ St. Pius and 6AAAA runner-up Grants twice, but lost to Las Cruces Oñate by only two, Española in the season opener and Hope Christian. They also own a win over Sandia Prep, which was third in 5AAA, and a pair of losses to Rio Rancho Cleveland (third in 1AAAAA). Good, but not good enough.
2. Santa Teresa (17-8). The Desert Warriors are on a roll - a big one. Winners of 12 in a row, they are the hottest team in AAAA. Still, they have only beaten one district champion (Roswell of 3AAAA) and have a loss to the Sundevils, a Gadsden team that was 0-8 in 3AAAAA, a fourth-place Mayfield team twice, and a 6-18 Carlsbad team. To boot, Deming (11-14) and Chaparral (6-20) were district fodder. Santa Teresa might be able to move up a spot if Gallup loses, but but that's it.
4. Roswell (20-5). The Coyotes have a gaudy record, but don't let first appearances fool you. Roswell beat one district champion (4AAA's Portales, which also beat them), but also Carlsbad three times, plus Deming (1-3 in a weak 3AAAA) and Ruidoso (0-4 in 4AAAA) twice. That isn't championship caliber scheduling.
5. St. Pius X (17-8). A 1-7 start is never good, but consider: three of the losses were to district champions (Gallup, AAAAA's West Mesa and Cibola) and two runners-up (the Horsemen and Grants). Since then, the Sartans have gone 15-1. Still, their best win was over Albuquerque Academy and they missed a shot to play Capital because of the wacky weather.
6. Capital (16-7). Throw out the loss to Pueblo Central at the Capital City Invite, and the Jaguars are 16-6. Of the six losses, all but one were to district runners-up (Valley, Taos, Albuquerque Academy or district champions (Española twice). They beat St. Michael's and Grants, plus Del Norte. Now if they could have beaten St. Pius, they might have a claim to a 5-seed.
7. Grants (19-4). The Pirates have a win over St. Pius plus losses to Gallup and Capital. The loss to Sandia Prep doesn't look as bad either, considering how tough 5AAA is overall. Grants also avoided trap games against Los Lunas and Valencia to be ranked ahead of ...
8. Piedra Vista (22-3). Again, records can be decieving. The Panthers beat a grand total of three in-state teams with winning records - Aztec, AAA Shiprock and Kirtland Central. Two of them are district teams, the other just left last year. They also beat Albuquerque Academy, which was tied for second in 5AAAA, but they don't have much else to bank on other than a nice record.
9. Roswell Goddard (16-10). The Rockets are a victim of a rough start turned good. Despite beating Roswell, they started off 4-4 with losses to Taos (not bad), SFIS (started out good, then went REALLY bad) and Lovington (not bad, 4AAA runner-up). The win over Piedra Vista helps, but 10 losses is hard to overcome three, especially when there are no other ones to support it - other than Roswell.
10. Aztec (15-6). The seed might say 10, but the Tigers should be 11. The win over Piedra Vista is the highlight on a schedule that didn't have many. The biggest nondistrict win? Try Shiprock? Bad losses? How about Santa Fe Indian School and Deming and Kirtland Central. However you look at it, Aztec hasn't done much to warrant respect.
11. Valencia (14-13). The Jaguars made quite a leap with a win over Gallup, which allowed them to wrap up third place in perhaps the most competitive district in the state. Valencia was helped by a win over Del Norte (tied for runner-up in 5AAAA), Socorro (3AAA champion) and Hot Springs (3AAA runner up). The bad is a loss to Atrisco Heritage and to Bernalillo when it was healthy.
12. Los Lunas (13-13). The Tigers are the fourth - and last team - from 6AAAA to get in. They do it on the strength of wins over Roswell, Del Norte and Valencia and near misses against Grants and Gallup twice. The loss to SFIS wasn't good, neither did Los Lunas look good against AAAAA competition (signature win was over Valley). But the Tigers did enough.
13. Albuquerque Academy (10-15). The Chargers tied Del Norte for second in 5AAAA, but they have more style points over the Knights. Oh, and a win over Capital (which Del Norte failed to do) and Highland. Academy also improved as the season went along, losing by 10 to Manzano and by single digits to St. Pius X.
14. Del Norte (10-13). Yeah, the Knights split with Academy and also played two close games with the Sartans, but they failed to seal the deal on Capital. It's just enough to get them here.
15. Santa Fe High (10-15). Matt King called the Demons "the most dangerous 10-15 team in the state." Ain't that the truth. Santa Fe High has wins over Volcano Vista, Valencia and two over the hated Horsemen, and it's just enough to get this spot. The only way they miss out is if Kirtland Central makes a run ... Of course, if they win the 2AAAA Tournament, forget what I just said.
16. Artesia (12-13). The Bulldogs have no signature AAAA win, but they did a number on 3AAA, beating Lovington and Ruidoso twice, and Portales as well. Artesia also managed a win over Silver (runner-up, 3AAA) and came oh-so-close to beating Santa Teresa. Close is good in this case, so add close losses to Roswell (at home) and Goddard in district play.