Kirtland Central Broncos ranked among New Mexico’s top football teams
Kirtland Central’s place in NMPreps’ updated rankings puts Bob Shuttleworth’s Broncos on the statewide watch list as district play approaches.
NMPreps has updated its New Mexico high school football rankings with Kirtland Central in the mix, and the Broncos are drawing attention well before the first district snap. One NMPreps and On3 football headline also used No. 1 alongside Kirtland Central in a 2026 story title, a sign the program remains part of the statewide conversation out of Kirtland, in San Juan County.
That matters in a county where high school football coverage has widened. Kirtland Central High School is listed by MaxPreps and the NFHS Network, giving fans a place to track the Broncos’ schedule and watch game video, while the New Mexico Activities Association, the state’s governing body for high school sports, has overseen the sport since 1921. SanJuanCountySports.com also launched countywide football coverage for the 2025-26 season, and the Tri-City Record has been following rankings across San Juan County prep teams.
For Kirtland Central, the ranking is less a celebration than a benchmark. Head coach Bob Shuttleworth and his staff are carrying the program into a new district, and the Broncos now enter the season with public expectations attached to their name. A 2026 NMPreps game story that highlighted Kirtland Central’s pressure defense in a 61-38 win over Hope Christian showed the kind of style that can push a team into the top tier, but the ranking will only hold if that level of play survives the grind of district football.
That is the reality check for local fans in Kirtland and across San Juan County. The Broncos are not being treated like a team on the fringe; they are being treated like a program that should compete deep into the season. Whether Kirtland Central rises or slides will be decided in the games that matter most once district play starts, when rankings give way to scoreboards and playoff spots.
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