FARMINGTON − The Navajo Prep and Kirtland Central High School boys basketball teams begin their quest for state championships this weekend in first round games of the New Mexico Activities Association's championship tournament.

The Navajo Prep Eagles open at home Saturday at 1 p.m. against Cobre while the Kirtland Central Broncos go on the road to face Hope Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Here's a preview of what to expect in first round state tournament competition.

Class 4A

Kirtland Central at Hope Christian

The eighth-seeded Hope Christian Huskies (18-10 overall) earned a home game in the first round of the NMAA state basketball tournament and will host Kirtland Central for the right to advance into the quarterfinals.

The Huskies finished second in District 6-4A with a record of 5-3. They lost in the district tournament to Albuquerque Academy, who entered the tournament as the top-seeded team in the state in Class 4A.

Hope Christian is coached by 16-time state champion Jim Murphy who guided the Huskies to six state championships from 2013 through 2018. Murphy is currently the third-leading coach in the state with 28 appearances in the state's Elite 8, while the school is ranked 10th in the nation with 16 state championship titles.

"Murphy is a legend, so we know what to expect in terms of the team's preparation," said Kirtland Central head coach Brian Dowdy. "Our home and road records this season are not significantly different this season so we're fine with the traveling."

The winner of the first round game will advance to the state quarterfinals and will face either third-seeded St. Pius or 14th-seeded Silver.

Class 3A

Cobre at Navajo Prep

When these teams met last December in the second round of tournament competition at Hot Springs High School, Navajo Prep had three players score in double figures during a 71-36 rout over the Indians.

Jude Thomas led the way with 19 points, while Xavier Nez scored 16 points and Orion King scored 14 and grabbed seven rebounds.

Since that game, Navajo Prep has recorded a record of 22-2 overall, including 12 straight wins without a loss in District 1-3A. The Eagles come into the Class 3A tournament seeded second overall and haven't lost a game since coming up short against Gallup 54-48 on Jan. 6.

Cobre, which enters the tournament as the 15-seed, has an overall record of 10-18, finishing third in District 3-3A with a record of 2-4 and are coming off a 50-44 loss in district tournament action against Hot Springs.

Making matters even more difficult for Cobre is the decisive home court advantage for the Eagles, which have yet to lose a game at the Eagles Nest this season. Cobre, which will travel nearly 400 miles to face Navajo Prep, is 4-8 on the road this season.

The winner of this matchup will move on to the Class 3A quarterfinals against the winner of the Hot Springs vs. Santa Fe Indian School matchup.

Fans are reminded that tickets can be purchased online for the state tournament through the NMAA's page at gofan.co.

For complete schedules, brackets and more information on the NMAA state basketball tournament, visit NMACT.org.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: NMAA state basketball tournament kicks off this weekend