A teen boy in a black and orange football uniform dives into an orange end zone as opponents in silver and blue attempt to tackle him. A teammate standing near the goal line signals the touchdown.

Sports Wrap: 'Dogs come up a shot short in Eddy County War; Lady 'Dog soccer places second at Alien City Invite; Bulldog soccer picks up first win

Brienne Green

August 23, 2026

BULLDOG FOOTBALL

A teen boy in a black and orange football uniform cradles the ball in his right elbow as he runs past a host of defenders in silver and blue.

PICTURED: At top, Cristian Pando dives into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown during the third quarter Friday at Bulldog Bowl. Above, Pando turns the corner on the Carlsbad defense.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The 2026 installment of the Eddy County War was unquestionably one of those proverbial "tales of two halves". Sadly, the Bulldogs experienced more than their fair share of bad luck in both of them. But while the always-anticipated Artesia-Carlsbad opener before a packed house and then some Friday, Aug. 21, at Bulldog Bowl didn't end the way anyone on the west half of the field had hoped, plenty of signs were present to indicate what this year's 'Dogs are more than capable of becoming.

It isn't common for an Artesia squad to return to the gridiron without at least a few starters in tow. But having graduated a whopping 35 seniors in May, that's exactly the position in which this year's Bulldogs find themselves. It was expected, therefore, that youth and inexperience rear their heads here and there Friday, and so they did, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. To say the Artesia offense's first-half showing was uncharacteristic would be a decided understatement. The 'Dogs managed just two first downs amid 41 total yards in the opening quarters, failing to breach the Carlsbad end zone and subsequently trailing the Class 6A Cavemen 20-0 at the break.

Where bright spots are concerned, however, the Orange Crush defense had a solid outing against the essentially four-legged Carlsbad offense. Of the Cavemen's 266 total yards on the night, 173 of those were earned by the turf-churning duo of 6', 195-pound senior running back Brock Wright and 6', 180-pound senior quarterback Marley Munoz. The pair earned the bulk of those yards in the first half, however, which was also from whence came all of Carlsbad's points. The Artesia defense held the boys in blue fully at bay in the latter quarters, allowing no touchdowns and just 63 yards compared to 203 in the first.

That effort left the door wide open for a Bulldog comeback in the contest. But although the offense ended its drought midway through the third quarter, they continued to struggle to find their rhythm. Their third turnover on downs and fourth three-and-out punt of the night, plus a turnover early in the fourth, would all precede Artesia's second and final TD in the waning moments of the game as Carlsbad celebrated its first county-rivalry win since 2021, 20-6.

A teen boy in a black and orange football uniform tackles a ball carrier in silver and blue.

A teen boy in a black and orange football uniform leaps into the air in front of a receiver in silver and blue to break up a pass.

PICTURED: At top, Ivan Chavez works to take down Caveman quarterback Marley Munoz. Above, Ulises Montanez breaks up a Munoz pass attempt.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The Cavemen were able to successfully accomplish every team's goal against Artesia as the contest kicked off at raucous Bulldog Bowl: Keep the Bulldog offense off the field. Over the course of 13 plays covering 63 yards, Carlsbad was able to remove just under eight minutes from the first-quarter clock. Only once did the ball touch the hands of someone other than Wright and Munoz -- on a five-yard pass late in the series from Munoz to sophomore back Jaxson Duarte. The series would end on a three-yard touchdown charge by Wright, but the score was left at 6-0 following a bad snap during the PAT attempt.

Artesia's lone drive of the opening quarter began well enough, with a pass interference violation by Carlsbad propelling the 'Dogs to midfield. But from there, it would stall. And although the D ushered in the sudden arrival of the second quarter with the recovery of a fumbled Caveman snap by junior defensive lineman Ethan Valencia, a 20-yard, first-down pass from senior QB Lucas Atkins to Layton Whitmire would mark the offense's only progress as the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs again at the Carlsbad 25. From there, Wright and Munoz orchestrated their second scoring drive of the night, which ended with an untouched 18-yard sprint up the middle by the former to make it 13-0 with 4:27 to go in the half.

A teen boy in a black and orange football uniform leaps into the air to catch a pass as an opponent in silver and blue looks on.

PICTURED: Destin Pacheco skies for a reception near the Bulldog sideline.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The 'Dogs' final two series of the second quarter would both be three and out, giving Carlsbad time to shoehorn a third TD -- this time a lob over the Bulldog defense from Munoz to Jaden Harper for a 59-yard score -- between them to round out the 20-0 halftime advantage.

Artesia punted away its first possession of the second half as well. But after the Crush forced a turnover on downs near midfield, the boys in orange were finally able to put something together, albeit with assistance from two more instances of pass interference by the Cavemen. In between, Atkins would tuck and run for a gain of six and senior running back Cristian Pando picked up 13 on a pitch out to help facilitate Artesia's inaugural first and goal at the six. Pando took it from there, sprinting around the edge of the line and right through his would-be tacklers to put the Bulldogs on the board, 20-6. That score would stand with 5:28 to go in the third following a failed conversion attempt.

The Sea of Orange were back on their feet moments later, when a well-executed onside kick by Kaden Chavarria was pounced upon by Whitmire at the Carlsbad 45-yard line. But unfortunately, despite converting on fourth and seven with a nine-yard pass to Whitmire and advancing to the Carlsbad 18 on a 15-yard toss to Destin Pacheco, Atkins and his offense were unable to capitalize. Hindered by a false start on fourth and two, they'd turn the ball over on downs at the 15, and the two teams then traded punts as the third quarter came to a close.

With 12 minutes left in which to right the ship, the Bulldogs were able to force another quick punt but were pinned at their own one-yard line. One play later, a leaping interception by Carlsbad's Damian Valencia ended the drive regardless, and by the time Artesia got the ball back following another punt, the contest had fallen under six minutes. Passes from Atkins to Pando, Whitmire and Tyler Egeland helped push the offense from their own 28 to the Caveman 42, and the senior found Pando wide open on fourth and 21 from the 48. The latter made two defenders miss en route to the 29 and would cover 13 more yards a few plays later to set up first and goal. Atkins hit Kai Greathouse in the end zone from there to make it 20-13 -- but with just 2:01 remaining. Two first downs later, Carlsbad was able to take a knee and run out the clock.

A teen boy in a black and orange football uniform comes down with a catch as a teammate blocks an opponent in silver and blue.

Three teen boys in black and orange football uniforms tackle a running back in silver and blue.

PICTURED: At top, Kai Greathouse prepares to bring in a Lucas Atkins pass in the end zone. Above, the Orange Crush defense makes a tackle on Carlsbad's Brock Wright during the first half.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Atkins finished 18 of 33 for 140 yards and one touchdown on the night. Leading the receiving corps were Whitmire (5-48), Egeland (5-30) and Pando (2-29), and Pando was also 13-45 rushing to statistically comprise all of the 'Dogs' ground yards on the evening. Wright carried the ball 25 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Munoz 18 times for 55 yards. Munoz was seven of 12 passing for 93 yards, 59 of those coming on his second-quarter touchdown pass to Harper.

The Crush sacked Munoz once for a loss of three, with Elijah Carrasco and Zeke Robles combining for that takedown. The Artesia D had eight tackles for a combined loss of 13 yards and three tackles for no gain while recovering one fumble.

The 'Dogs (0-1) will have no time to dwell on the loss as they prepare for what has become a traditional Week Two shootout with Class 6A Hobbs in their first road test of the season. The Eagles already ran one marathon Friday in Roswell, taking a 60-57 lead into the final minutes against Roswell High at Wool Bowl before losing 64-60 on a late Coyote touchdown and a flub on the ensuing kickoff. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Watson Memorial Stadium. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here.

STAT BOX

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER
Carlsbad- Brock Wright 3-run (run failed), 4:13
SECOND QUARTER
Carlsbad- Wright 18-run (Lennon Ananins kick good), 4:27
Carlsbad- Jaden Harper 59-pass from Marley Munoz (Ananins kick good), 2:18
THIRD QUARTER
Artesia- Cristian Pando 6-run (pass failed), 5:28
FOURTH QUARTER
Artesia- Kai Greathouse 5-pass from Lucas Atkins (Kaden Chavarria kick good), 2:01

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING
Artesia- Pando 13-45; Atkins 7-(-1)
Carlsbad- Wright 25-117; Munoz 18-55; Jaxson Duarte 1-2; Harper 1-(-1)
PASSING
Artesia- Atkins 18-33-140-1-1
Carlsbad- Munoz 7-12-93-1-0
RECEIVING
Artesia- Layton Whitmire 5-48; Tyler Egeland 5-30; Pando 2-29; Greathouse 4-21; Destin Pacheco 2-12
Carlsbad- Harper 2-67; Ian Wilson 3-16; Duarte 2-10

TEAM STATISTICS

FIRST DOWNS
Artesia 12; Carlsbad 16
RUSHING YARDS
Artesia 20-44; Carlsbad 45-173
PASSING YARDS
Artesia 140; Carlsbad 93
TOTAL YARDS
Artesia 184; Carlsbad 266
PENALTIES
Artesia 7-70; Carlsbad 9-78
TURNOVERS
Artesia 1; Carlsbad 1

LADY BULLDOG SOCCER

A girls' soccer team in orange uniforms and three male coaches in white and black pose for a photo in front of a goal with a trophy.

PICTURED: The 2026 Lady Bulldog soccer team and its coaches pose with the Alien City Invitational runner-up trophy Saturday, Aug. 22, in Roswell.
(Photo by Cari Jowers)

There was no rest for the weary at the Alien City Invitational. After kicking off their 2026 season last weekend with a long road trip to Silver City, the Lady Bulldog soccer team hit the highway again Friday, albeit for a shorter trek up 285 to Roswell. There, they'd find themselves running an exhausting gamut of Class 5A opponents over the course of the two-day tournament. And while they'd come up short of the last one, the girls in orange ultimately had an excellent showing, heading home Saturday afternoon with two more wins under their belts and a runner-up trophy.

The Lady 'Dogs opened Friday afternoon against a Las Cruces High team just entering its 2026 season. The two teams would go scoreless through the half before Artesia was able to break it open in the second, outscoring the Lady Bulldawgs 2-1 for the win. That advanced the girls in orange into a Saturday-morning semifinal against former district rival and host Roswell High, which had opened its season Friday with a cross-town showdown against Goddard, blanking the Lady Rockets 8-0. Reminiscent of those D4 battles of old, the Lady 'Dogs and Lady Coyotes battled to a 0-0 deadlock through regulation play, sending the game into a shootout to determine who would move on to the tournament championship. In thrilling fashion, Artesia came out on top 3-1 in penalty kicks, with seniors Estrella Gutierrez and Abigail Jowers and junior Marlyn Corza hammering the PKs home. Sophomore keeper Leila Irvin, meanwhile, saved two Roswell High attempts to seal the deal and send the Lady 'Dogs into the title tilt.

A girls' soccer team in white and orange uniforms jumps, smiles, and hugs one another after winning a game.

A teen girl in a white and orange soccer uniform takes a penalty kick with her left foot.

A teen girl in a white and orange soccer uniform takes a penalty kick with her right foot.

A teen girl in a white and orange soccer uniform takes a penalty kick with her right foot as a referee in blue looks on.

A teen girl in an orange goalie jersey and black pants dives to her right to block a penalty kick.

PICTURED: At top, the Lady 'Dogs celebrate their 1-0 (3-1) victory over Roswell High in the Alien City Invite semifinals Saturday. Second, third and fourth from top, respectively, Estrella Gutierrez, Abigail Jowers and Marlyn Corza send their PKs into the back of the net during the shootout. Above, keeper Leila Irvin saves a Lady Coyote penalty kick.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Unfortunately, that semifinal whirlwind and the weekend's extreme heat seemed to catch up with the Lady Bulldogs in the championship game against Organ Mountain. The weary Lady 'Dogs struggled to breach the Lady Knights' half of the field in the contest, managing just one scoring opportunity -- off the foot of Kaylee Berdoza, pictured below -- in the opening 40 minutes. Organ Mountain would subsequently take a 2-0 lead in at the half before completing a 5-0 shutout with three more goals in the second. The Lady Knights had also opened their season in Roswell, defeating Gadsden 2-1 and Silver 7-0 on their way to the overall win.

With the 2-1, second-place showing, the Lady Bulldogs improved to 3-2-1 overall on the season and will now, due to a schedule change, have a well-deserved week off. Artesia's home opener against Clovis, originally scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Mack Chase Athletic Complex, was moved to Thursday, Sept. 10. That means fans will have to wait a bit longer for the Lady 'Dogs' first appearance on their home turf. They'll next head to Ruidoso Tuesday, Sept. 1, for a 5 p.m. game against the Lady Warriors, then to Alamogordo Thursday, Sept. 3, for a 5 p.m. road bout before finally competing at The Mack at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Santa Teresa. Tickets to the Sept. 1 game in Ruidoso can be purchased here

A teen girl in an orange soccer uniform takes a shot as a goalie in pink and black moves to block it.

PICTURED: Kaylee Berdoza just misses an attempt at the net during the first half.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The Lady Bulldogs had gotten their new campaign off to a winning start Saturday, Aug. 15, bringing home a 3-0 win over Silver and a 2-2 tie with Miyamura from the Silver City Round Robin Tournament.

The Artesia girls headed west Friday in preparation for a bright-and-early start to their weekend, which saw them taking on the host Lady Colts at 8 a.m. The Lady 'Dogs showed no signs of grogginess, however, jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead on a goal by senior Chloe Aguilar. Artesia made it 2-0 prior to the break on a shot by junior Kaylee Berdoza and saw their third and final goal hit the net off the foot of eighth-grader Sophia Banda in the waning minutes of the contest. Notching assists were sophomore Jazlene Tovar and seniors Abigail Jowers and Mykaila Garcia. The Lady Bulldogs maintained control of the ball for the bulk of the game, finishing with 12 shots on goal to Silver's two. Both of those attempts were saved by sophomore keeper Leila Irvin.

The Lady Bulldogs headed back to the field Saturday afternoon to take on Miyamura and came away deadlocked with the Lady Patriots following a hotly contested bout. Tied 1-1 at the half, the teams would log one more goal apiece in the final 40 minutes, with neither able to punch in a deciding shot. Artesia's goals came courtesy of Jowers and junior Marlyn Corza, with the former assisting the latter's score and senior Ayerim Alvidrez assisting Jowers'. The Lady 'Dogs and Lady Pats were also even in shots on goal at nine apiece, with Irvin picking up seven saves.

Overall, it was a strong start against a pair of fellow Class 4A opponents and provided the Artesia girls with a burst of momentum heading into their challenging first full week of action, which began Tuesday, Aug. 18, in Hobbs. There, the Lady Bulldogs trailed the 5A Lady Eagles 2-0 at intermission following goals by Madelyn Gonzalez and Yareni Trevizo. Artesia was able to cut Hobbs' lead to one in the second half on a shot off the foot of Jowers but were unable to produce a tying effort, falling 2-1. Brooklyn Chase logged the assist on Jowers' goal, and Irvin saved three of the Eagles' four shots on goal out of seven total attempts.

BULLDOG SOCCER

A teen boy in a white and orange soccer uniform kicks the ball as two teammates look on and an opponent in green and gold runs in to try to steal the ball.

PICTURED: Senior Jayden Soto moves to dribble away from an incoming West Las Vegas midfielder Saturday in Las Vegas.
(Photo by Shannon S. Aragon)

While the Bulldog soccer team's season opener Tuesday, Aug. 18, against Hobbs at The Mack wasn't quite what the squad was hoping for in terms of result, signs of improvement and things to come were already visible as the 4-0 loss wore on. The team was able to continue to build on that momentum Saturday, Aug. 22, when they notched their first win of 2026 on the road, 3-0 over the Dons of West Las Vegas.

Whereas the 'Dogs struggled to gain possession offensively against the Class 5A Eagles, they'd completely turn the tables Saturday in Las Vegas, preventing the 3A Dons from getting off a single shot in the contest. The boys in orange, meanwhile, launched plenty of their own, notching 14 attempts in the first half and seven in the second. Of those two dozen shots in the opening 40 minutes, two found the mark off the feet of senior Samuel Nielson and sophomore Jonathan Corza in the 22nd and 27th minutes, respectively.

The Artesia boys continued to dominate in the final 40 but were unable to add to their tally despite several near-misses. Dons senior keeper Aric Johnson added three saves in the second half to bring his total to seven, and the 'Dogs had one goal in the 28th minute negated due to an offsides call. With just seconds remaining in the game, however, senior Stevan Peralta was able to fire one in off a cross to round out the 3-0 final.

A teen boy in a black and orange soccer uniform heads the ball away from an opponent in white as teammates look on.

A teen boy in a black and orange soccer uniform lunges to kick the ball with his right foot away from an opponent in white.

A teen boy in a black and orange soccer uniform taps the ball with his right foot past an opponent in white.

A teen boy in a black and orange soccer uniform kicks the ball as a teammate looks on.

PICTURED: At top, Stevan Peralta heads the ball over Hobbs' Orlando Galindo. Second from top, Angel Vazquez lunges around Hobbs defender Bryan Hodge. Third from top, Samuel Nielson works around Hobbs' Fabian Segovia. Above, Alejandro Bahena clears the ball.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Versus Hobbs Tuesday, the Bulldogs were unable to produce any offensive opportunities in the first half of play and started quickly from behind, as Eagle junior Joel Gamez and freshman Nathan Flores both found the net from point-blank range in the sixth and ninth minutes for a 2-0 halftime lead. Senior goalie Ryker Hays was able to save a trio of Hobbs shots in the first 40, and the defense settled in as the half wore on to prevent further damage. Hobbs made good on two more early in the second half, however -- just one and seven-and-a-half minutes in -- to go up 4-0.

The 'Dogs were again able to hold the Eagles scoreless for the remainder of the bout, as well as finally craft a trio of shots on goal of their own. They'll now have the chance to continue to find their rhythm on offense as they return to The Mack to host 5A Roswell High at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. The Coyotes currently stand at 2-0 following wins last week over NMMI, 5-0, and Goddard, 12-2. The boys in orange will then hit the road again Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, for the 29th Annual Louie Cernicek Memorial Tournament in Los Alamos, where they'll open at noon Friday, Aug. 28, against Sandia Prep. Tickets to Tuesday's game against Roswell can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets to Friday's action at the Cernicek in Los Alamos can be purchased here, and tickets for Saturday tourney admission can be purchased here.

A teen boy in a black and orange soccer uniform kicks the ball as an opponent in white looks on.

A teen boy in a black and orange soccer uniform taps the ball backward away from an opponent in white.

PICTURED: At top, Joshua Vazquez gets the ball out of the box. Above, Nathan Perez uses some fancy footwork against Hobbs' Kevin Rodriguez.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

SPORTS TICKETING

Available online ticketing options for the coming week's scheduled sporting events:

Bulldog Football
vs. Hobbs
7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
Watson Memorial Stadium, Hobbs
Click here to purchase

Bulldog Volleyball
vs. Carlsbad (JV/V)
5 / 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25
Carlsbad
Click here to purchase

vs. Alamogordo (JV/V)
5 / 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27
Alamogordo
Click here to purchase

Fillie Volleyball Festival
vs. Tahoka, TX
12:45 p.m. (MDT) Friday, Aug. 28
Denver City, TX
Click here to purchase

Fillie Volleyball Festival
Saturday, Aug. 29
TBD
Denver City, TX
Click here to purchase

Bulldog Soccer
vs. Roswell High (JV/V)
4 / 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25
Mack Chase Athletic Complex
Click here to purchase

29th Annual Louie Cernicek Memorial Tournament
vs. Sandia Prep
12 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
Los Alamos
Click here to purchase

29th Annual Louis Cernicek Memorial Tournament
Saturday, Aug. 29
TBD
Los Alamos
Click here to purchase

AHS Cross Country
Cloudcroft Invitational
4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
No admission charge

JV "A" Football
vs. Goddard
2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29
Bulldog Bowl
Click here to purchase