The Class A state football playoffs are still a week away.

Somebody forgot to tell McCurdy and Escalante.

The two bitter rivals are approaching Saturday's regular-season finale at McCurdy School's Martinez Field as a win-or-go-home scenario.

"I think both teams are good enough to be in the playoffs," Escalante coach Diego Brusuelas said. "But I always tell my kids, if they want to control their own destiny, they need to win and not leave decisions like who gets into the playoffs in the hands of others."

McCurdy head coach Eric Vigil said his staff is taking the same approach.

"We're making our kids aware of the possibility that this is their last weekend of football if we don't take care of business, even though I know both teams are good enough to be in the playoffs," Vigil said.

Despite Escalante boasting an impressive 7-2 overall record (1-1 in District 1A) and McCurdy coming in at 5-3 (1-1), neither are assured a spot in the 1A state playoffs unless they win Saturday.

According to New Mexico Activities Association bylaws, the Class A playoffs automatically take the two district champions, district runners-up and two at large teams determined by a seeding/selection committee, which meets Saturday night.

Since Clayton has already clinched the District 1A title, Saturday's winner gets the second automatic berth as 1A runner-up. The loser will hope its regular-season résumé is impressive enough for a postseason invitation anyway.

"They're our rival and we're theirs, and the playoff picture just sort of adds to it this year," Vigil said. "I know both teams are good enough to get in the playoffs and make some noise, but at this time of year, nobody really knows for sure what's going to happen."

The loser will battle with three other teams for an at-large bid — Mesilla Valley Christian (an independent team with a 4-4 overall record), Jal (4-4 overall, 1-2 in District 2A) and Carrizozo (4-5 overall, 1-2 2A). Neither Escalante nor McCurdy have played any of the other three teams.

"That's why we just need to try and take care of business this week and not have to worry about it," Vigil said.

In the past four years, the district rivalry has been a stalemate, with the schools splitting 2-2.

It wasn't always that way.

"I think we (Escalante) beat them like 20-some years in a row until the year after I graduated," said Brusuelas, who was a five-year varsity running back/linebacker before graduating in 2001 (McCurdy won that fall). "It wasn't all blowouts, though. They were always tight games, and I think they've been real good lately because they've had some stability their with an excellent coach there for like seven years now. That's helped them a lot, and Eric will have them ready to play."

Vigil was just as quick to shower praise on his team's rival.

"They didn't lose a senior off last year's team and it shows," Vigil said. "They're a great team and we're going to have our work cut out for us. They're more physical and more athletic than some of the teams we've played. I'm looking forward to this one because it's not just a rivalry game, this year it's a rivalry game with two real good teams going at it."

Brusuelas, the first-year head coach, is hoping the recent trend of the rivalry being even swings back to the way it was when he played for the Lobos.

"I never lost to them and I hope we don't start now," Brusuelas said. "These are two playoff-caliber teams who could be done if they don't win this week, so as far as we're concerned, the playoffs have already started up here."

Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3060 or ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com. Read his blog at grammerschoolblog.com.