MOST RECENT SPORTS WRAPS
BULLDOG FOOTBALL
PICTURED: Above, Layton Whitmire drags a Hobbs defender into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown as time runs out on Friday's game at Watson Memorial Stadium in Hobbs.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
Only in the second half had Friday's matchup between Artesia and Hobbs begun to feel like the see-saw Bulldog-Eagle battles of old.
The opening quarters had seen the Orange Crush defense shut down a Hobbs offense that hung 60 points on Roswell High in Week One at every turn. In addition to holding the Eagles out of the end zone, the Crush had limited the boys in black and gold to just 88 yards: 71 rushing and 17 passing. The 'Dogs' offense, meanwhile, had continued to stumble a bit, still working to gel as a largely varsity-inexperienced unit. They'd been first on the board, however, carrying a 7-0 lead in at the break.
Then came the third quarter, a showcase of everything both sides of the field have come to expect from the traditional Week Two showdown between a pair of high-powered offenses. But while Hobbs continued to hammer away into the fourth, the Bulldogs lost both their momentum and the lead they'd held since the second quarter. And with 1:32 remaining on the clock, a dramatic finish began to brew.
It started with a pass-interference call on the 'Dogs, an unfortunate outcome that bumped the Eagles from midfield to the Artesia 31-yard line. Following an illegal procedure by Hobbs, the defense was able to wrangle workhorse senior quarterback Junior Medrano for a gain of just one to bring about second and 14. Seconds later, however, the Eagle faithful were on their feet as Medrano found sophomore Zaylyn Sanders splitting a pair of Bulldog defensive backs. Medrano dropped the ball into Sanders' hands just as he pulled ahead of them, a 35-yard touchdown pass that gave Hobbs its first advantage of the night, 28-21, with just 39 seconds to go.
PICTURED: Cristian Pando takes a TD over the goal line from eight yards out during the second quarter.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
A short kick was handled at the Bulldog 27 by Kai Greathouse and returned to the 42 to give Artesia excellent field position, and senior quarterback Lucas Atkins and his offense went straight to work. A quick five-yard run by RB Cristian Pando took the 'Dogs to midfield, and as Atkins went deep on second down, Greathouse was tackled by a Hobbs defender for a pass interference that pushed Artesia to the Eagle 38. Atkins let fly again just prior to being hit in the backfield, and Destin Pacheco was there to haul in the pass at the six to set off the Sea of Orange. The volume found a few more decibels an incompletion later, as Atkins connected with Layton Whitmire at the line of scrimmage. The senior receiver dodged one defender and dragged another over the goal line for the score as the clock hit double-zero.
What happened next was simply the sort of dice-rolling that adds spice to sports. Artesia had a choice: kick the PAT for a tie and overtime or go for a conversion and the win. The coaching staff opted for the latter. As Atkins pitched to Pando, a pair of Eagles were able to slip past their blockers, forcing Pando further into a corner from which there was no escape. What had essentially been a dead heat between the 5A Bulldogs and 6A Eagles ended in a one-point win for the home squad.
The Artesia D had left the door wide open for more than just the team's single score in the opening half, forcing a pair of Hobbs turnovers on downs in the first quarter and two punts in the second. In between those kicks, the special teams had made its mark as well, as Whitmire dove on a fumbled onside kick to give the 'Dogs the ball back at midfield immediately following the TD. A bad snap on second and eight set them back, however, ultimately forcing a punt.
PICTURED: At top, Jonah Doporto closes in on Hobbs quarterback Junior Medrano. Above, Jarod Flores tackles Eagle receiver Zaylyn Sanders.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The third quarter provided an exciting segue for the final-minute finish, as the Eagles charged out of the locker room and directly into the end zone, scoring on a nine-play, 70-yard drive that started with a lucky break -- a deflected pass that landed right in the hands of sophomore back Bradan Dunlap for a gain of 27 -- and ended in a one-yard touchdown push by Medrano that tied the game with 9:08 on the clock. The boys in orange answered back with a 10-play, 62-yard march of their own that saw Pando pick up 18 total yards, Atkins hit Destin Pacheco and Whitmire for gains of 22 and 13 yards, respectively, and Atkins and Pacheco connect again for a nine-yard score that put Artesia back up 14-7.
The duel continued with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Medrano to Dunlap just over a minute later that failed to reinstate the deadlock after the PAT attempt was blocked by sophomore defensive back Derek Ruiz. That, meanwhile, was followed by another TD from the Bulldogs to cap a series that also consisted of 22 yards from Pando and a 29-yard pass from Atkins to Whitmire. Atkins lofted a 21-yarder to the corner of the end zone in the final 1:17 of the third, where Greathouse was waiting to go up and grab it over Eagle DB Uriel Bererra to make it 21-13. Hobbs was able to knot the game again, however, three-and-a-half minutes into the fourth on a seven-yard touchdown run by senior RB Demarcus Hill and a successful PAT fake and conversion pass from holder Conlin McCool to kicker Brandon Almanza.
PICTURED: At top, Kai Greathouse skies to haul in a 21-yard pass from Lucas Atkins in the corner of the end zone late in the third quarter. Above, Destin Pacheco dives over the goal line with a nine-yard TD pass, also in the third.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The Bulldogs finished with 345 total yards of offense on the contest, 245 through the air and 100 on the ground. Despite the lack of scoring in the first two quarters, they were consistent between halves at 169 and 176, respectively. Atkins finished 20 of 30 for 245 yards and three touchdowns, with Pacheco (4-67), Whitmire (5-59) and Pando (6-57) leading the receiving corps. Pando also had 21 carries for 88 yards and a score.
The Eagle offense, meanwhile, delivered a pair of drastically different halves, mustering just 88 yards in the first compared to 314 in the second. Medrano -- who finished with just 17 passing yards in the opening quarters and didn't log his first completion until the second -- stormed back to finish 13 of 24 for 210 and a touchdown. Hill led Hobbs' ground game with 14 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown, with Medrano going 19-65 and a score. Dunlap was 5-115 receiving with a TD.
The Orange Crush had seven tackles for a combined loss of 18 yards on the night, including two in the open field by Ruiz and one for a loss of five by linebacker Corbyn Dominguez. Colt Moziejko also had a big open-field tackle that helped bring about an Eagle TOD, and Flores slapped down a Medrano pass at the goal line late in the fourth quarter to prevent a touchdown.
The Bulldogs (0-2) will now enter a short week, travelling to Las Cruces Thursday, Sept. 3, for a 7 p.m. game against 6A Centennial at the Field of Dreams. Tickets can be purchased online now by clicking here. With the new eight-team district, that will also mark the 'Dogs' final regular-season contest of the year, as they open District 2-AAAAA play Friday, Sept. 11, against Deming at Bulldog Bowl.
STAT BOX
SCORING SUMMARY
SECOND QUARTER
Artesia- Cristian Pando 8-run (Kaden Chavarria kick good), 4:46
THIRD QUARTER
Hobbs- Junior Medrano 1-run (Brandon Almanza kick good), 9:08
Artesia- Destin Pacheco 9-pass from Lucas Atkins (Chavarria kick good), 4:40
Hobbs- Bradan Dunlap 61-pass from Medrano (kick blocked), 3:24
Artesia- Kai Greathouse 21-pass from Atkins (Chavarria kick good), 1:17
FOURTH QUARTER
Hobbs- Demarcus Hill 7-run (Conlin McCool to Almanza pass good), 8:21
Hobbs- Zaylyn Sanders 35-pass from Medrano (Almanza kick good), :39
Artesia- Layton Whitmire 6-pass from Atkins (run failed), :00
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
Artesia- Pando 21-88; Greathouse 2-19; Logan Rodriguez 1-2; Atkins 2-(-9)
Hobbs- Hill 14-121; Medrano 19-65; Dunlap 1-4; Sanders 4-(-2)
PASSING
Artesia- Atkins 20-30-245-3-0
Hobbs- Medrano 13-24-210-2-0; Dunlap 1-1-4-0-0
RECEIVING
Artesia- Pacheco 4-67; Whitmire 5-59; Pando 6-57; Tyler Egeland 2-26; Greathouse 2-24; Jaden Fernandez 1-12
Hobbs- Dunlap 5-115; Sanders 2-31; McCool 2-25; Alijah Jaramillo 2-24; Hill 2-15; Almanza 1-4
TEAM STATISTICS
FIRST DOWNS
Artesia 16; Hobbs 16
RUSHING YARDS
Artesia 26-100; Hobbs 38-188
PASSING YARDS
Artesia 245; Hobbs 214
TOTAL YARDS
Artesia 345; Hobbs 402
PENALTIES
Artesia 6-59; Hobbs 7-75
TURNOVERS
Artesia 1; Hobbs 0
BULLDOG VOLLEYBALL
PICTURED: The Bulldog volleyball team cheers one another on Friday, Aug. 28, during pool play at the Fillie Volleyball Festival in Denver City, Texas.
The Bulldog volleyball team stormed into its 2026 season with a flurry of competition last week, exiting the five-day, six-match fray with a winning mark of 4-2 and an overabundance of valuable experience.
The Artesia girls kicked off their new campaign Tuesday, Aug. 25, against county rival Carlsbad on the road, warring with the Class 5A Cavegirls through a full five games, two of which went into extra points. Unfortunately, the 'Dogs would come up three points and three games short in the end, dropping the fifth set 12-15 for a 2-3 loss. The Bulldogs took an early lead in the hostile confines of the Carlsbad High gym, falling behind 13-9 before battling back to a 21-16 advantage with help from a Gracen Kuykendall ace and timely kills by Avery Frederick and Harper Murray. The girls in blue were able to knot things up at 23, then take a 25-24 lead following an Artesia hit into the net. Kuykendall would step to the service line and deliver two more clutch aces from there, however, to secure the 27-25 win.
Despite an ace apiece in the early goings of Game Two from Kuykendall, Kenzie Padilla and Ellie McGaughy, the 'Dogs were unable to string any points together in the bout. The Cavegirls, meanwhile, rode a four-point service and a pair of three-pointers to an early lead and eventual 25-20 win. Carlsbad then went up 2-1 in the match with a 25-23 victory in Game Three, which saw Frederick very nearly stage a comeback in the final service with help from kills by Harper and Quinley Murray. The girls in orange were able to bounce back in the fourth set, however, doubling up on the Cavegirls in the early goings on three points from service by Quinley Murray and two each by McGaughy and Maegen Martinez. Carlsbad would inch back to take a 25-24 lead late, but a side out and two points by Harper Murray on kills from Quinley Murray ended the game, 27-25.
That sent the squads into the deciding fifth set, where the 'Dogs took a 5-2 lead on three service points -- including an ace -- by Frederick and a Harper Murray kill. Carlsbad was able to go up 8-7 on a pair of missed serves by Artesia, but two points from Murray returned the lead to the Bulldogs, 10-8. The back-and-forth battle continued as the Cavegirls regained the lead, 12-10, before a Kuykendall service point tied things up. The home team would serve it out from there, however, for the 15-12 win and 3-2 victory in the match.
Quinley Murray finished with 12 kills on the evening, followed by Frederick with eight, Kuykendall with six, and Harper Murray with five. McGaughy had 37 assists, Kuykendall four aces, and Martinez 10 digs.
The 'Dogs next headed west to Alamogordo Thursday, Aug. 27, for a bout with the 5A Tigers, and the girls in orange were firmly in control from the get-go in that one. Artesia made quick work of Alamo in the first set, 25-8, before capping the 3-0 shutout with 25-16 and 25-11 victories in Games Two and Three, respectively. The team was aided by Frederick and Martinez with eight kills apiece, Padilla with seven, and Quinley Murray with six. McGaughy finished with 29 assists, Breckyn Miller and Murray with five digs each, and Frederick with a trio of aces.
The following day saw the road-warrior Bulldogs on the bus to Denver City, Texas, for the Fillie Volleyball Festival, a 36-team gamut of pool play and best-of-two-set bracket matches. First on the chopping block for the 'Dogs was Tahoka, Texas, which Artesia handled 25-16 and 25-7. Their next contest would mark their lone loss of the tournament, however, a 15-25, 21-25 defeat at the hands of the Ropes Eagles of Ropesville, Texas, as fatigue began to set in for the Bulldogs. They'd fight through it, taking their next two matches -- 25-19 and 25-15 over Lubbock Christian and a hard-won 24-26, 25-23, 25-23 decision over the Pampa, Texas, Harvesters -- to come away with an impressive fifth-place finish overall.
Artesia fans are now encouraged to head to Bulldog Pit Tuesday, Sept. 1, to cheer on the Bulldog netters in their first home outing of the season at 6 p.m. against 5A Roswell High. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here. The squad is then set to travel to its second major tournament of the season Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4 and 5: the Sweet 16 in Las Cruces. The 'Dogs are set for a rematch with Carlsbad at 9:45 a.m. Friday. Tickets for Day One of the tourney can be purchased by clicking here, and tickets for Day Two can be purchased by clicking here.
BULLDOG SOCCER
PICTURED: Joshua Vazquez sends the ball upfield during the first half against Roswell High Tuesday, Aug. 25, at The Mack.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The Bulldog soccer team opened its second week of the 2026 season with a home outing against Class 5A Roswell High Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the Mack Chase Athletic Complex, coming up short of the Coyotes, 4-0, despite a fairly even, largely defensive battle.
The Artesia boys had the game's first offensive attempt late in the seventh minute on a perfectly placed cross by Angel Vazquez that unfortunately found no one waiting on the other side. After that, Roswell would do most of the shooting, finding the back of the net with two of those attempts in the 23rd and 25th minutes for a 2-0 lead at the break.
Artesia stepped up its game in the second half to match the Coyotes shot for shot but would continue coming up agonizingly short on the scoreboard. A would-be goal by senior captain Samuel Nielson was prevented by a diving save from Roswell keeper Christian Claudio in the game's 47th minute, and senior Stevan Peralta just missed on an attempt in the 52nd as well. The Coyotes, meanwhile, tacked on their third goal with around 25 minutes to go in the game and would round out the 4-0 final with 16 minutes left.
The 'Dogs had an immediate opportunity to bounce back from the loss, heading north to Los Alamos Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, for the 29th Annual Louie Cernicek Memorial. As fate would have it, they'd suffer an even more frustrating defeat in the opening round of that tournament, as -- with Artesia holding a 1-0 lead -- Sandia Prep was able to tie the game in the final four minutes of play with help from a foul call. That sent the contest into sudden-death overtime, where the Sundevils were able to come away with a 2-1 win. With Aztec having backed out of the tourney, Artesia was next paired with Los Alamos' JV and handily shut them out, 6-0, to advance to the fifth-place game against the host Hilltoppers' varsity squad.
The contest was a rematch of last year's Class 4A State Quarterfinal at The Mack that saw the boys in orange come away with a thrilling 2-1 victory in double-overtime. They'd prove a thorn in the 'Toppers' side again Saturday, going up 2-0 in the first half on goals just four minutes in by Peralta and in the 38th minute by Vazquez, then matching Los Alamos 1-1 in the second half with a goal in the 54th minute by Nielson. Jonathan Corza, Nielson, and Paul Miller, respectively, assisted on the three goals in the 'Dogs' 3-1, fifth-place finish.
"We're getting better," head coach Phillip Jowers said Sunday. "Like I told the boys, I'd rather us peak later and do well in the postseason than get all the kinks out now, but we're definitely getting better."
The Bulldogs (3-3) will have the week to prepare for their next road trip Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4 and 5, to this year's New Mexico Challenge Cup at Ruidoso Middle School in Ruidoso. Artesia is slated to open against Bernalillo at 5:15 p.m. Friday, followed by Ruidoso at 9 a.m. and Moriarty at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Class 4A Sartans currently stand at 1-1 on the season, Class 3A Ruidoso at 1-0, and 4A Moriarty at 2-2. Tickets will be available for purchase here.
SPORTS TICKETING
Available online ticketing options for the coming week's scheduled sporting events:
Bulldog Football
vs. Centennial
7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3
Field of Dreams, Las Cruces
Click here to purchase
Bulldog Volleyball
vs. Roswell High
6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1
Bulldog Pit
Click here to purchase
Jane Leupold Sweet 16
Day One
Friday, Sept. 4
Las Cruces
Click here to purchase
Jane Leupold Sweet 16
Day Two
Saturday, Sept. 5
Las Cruces
Click here to purchase
Lady Bulldog Soccer
vs. Ruidoso
5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1
Ruidoso Middle School
Click here to purchase
vs. Alamogordo
5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3
Alamogordo-
Click here to purchase
Bulldog Soccer
New Mexico Challenge Cup
Day One
Friday, Sept. 4
Ruidoso Middle School
Click here to purchase
New Mexico Challenge Cup
Day Two
Saturday, Sept. 5
Ruidoso Middle School
Click here to purchase
JV "A" Football
vs. Roswell High
2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5
Roswell
Click here to purchase
JV "B" Football
vs. Alamogordo
6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3
Bulldog Bowl
Click here to purchase