BULLDOG BASKETBALL

PICTURED: Charlie Campbell goes in for a layup following a first-quarter steal.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

PICTURED: Clay Kincaid slams home a dunk during Artesia's game against Lovington Friday at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

As the rest of District 4-AAAA keeps on gunning for the Class 4A top-ranked Bulldogs, the 'Dogs keep finding another gear.

Following an exciting first half that saw the No. 9 Lovington Wildcats leading their hosts 24-19 at the break, the boys in orange kicked it into hyperdrive in the final 16 minutes, outscoring the 'Cats 18-6 in the third quarter and 20-12 in the fourth en route to a 57-42 win before a massive Pack the Pit Night crowd.

The opening quarter was a low-scoring one for both teams. An early offensive putback and a trey from Charlie Campbell would be it for Artesia offensively until the latter stages, but Lovington was only able to build a one-point lead during that stretch, 6-5. A turn-around jumper by Clay Kincaid and an old-fashioned three-point play from Campbell put the 'Dogs up 10-6, though that lead would be trimmed to one on a last-second three from Lovington's Mika Pando.

PICTURED: Steven Williams puts a shot off the glass in the second quarter.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Pando would open the second quarter the same way he closed the first to return the lead to the Wildcats. Cael Houghtaling and Steven Williams sandwiched another Lovington bucket to tie things up at 14-all, but treys from Pando, Braxtyn Valenzuela and Payton Hernandez would ultimately boost the 'Cats to a 24-19 lead at the half.

But to say the Bulldogs' halftime adjustments were effective would be an understatement. Lovington wasn't left open again from beyond the arc on the night, and Artesia was able to hold the Wildcats to just six points in the third quarter, with the third of those baskets coming on a long two by Danny Criswell in the final seconds of the period. Two buckets in the paint from Trent Egeland and a shot off the glass by Kincaid put the 'Dogs back up by two, 28-26, before Campbell went off, sinking a pair of jumpers, a layup, and a successful and-one to send Artesia into the fourth with a seven-point edge, 37-30.

PICTURED: Trent Egeland goes up for a basket and draws a foul.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Kincaid kicked off the final eight with a bang, throwing down a slam dunk that had the crowd on their feet. Braylon Vega delivered back-to-back baskets, and those combined with an Egeland offensive putback and a pair from the free-throw line by Campbell finally put the Bulldogs' lead in double digits, 47-36, with 1:17 to go. Campbell would deliver four more from the stripe in the final minute, and after Vega hit two of his own with 11 seconds left to make it 54-42, a chanted request from the crowd was granted and Aaron Aguilar was put into the game.

After receiving the inbound pass from Lovington's Pando, Aguilar began firing off NBA-range three-point attempts as time ticked away. Rebounds of two close misses were sent quickly back to him by Campbel and Pando, and Aguilar released his third attempt with one second remaining on the clock. With all the buzzer-beating drama that every hoopster dreams of, the ball hit the back of the rim and fell through the net, sending every fan and athlete in the building -- regardless of whether they were clad in orange or blue -- into a frenzy. Wildcats joined Bulldogs in surrounding Aguilar in celebration as the district bout became one of those rare moments that transcends wins and losses and left all who witnessed it with a memory they'll carry with them for a lifetime.

Campbell led all scorers on the night with 26 points, followed by Vega with 11. Kayle Covington finished with 15 for the 'Cats.

The Runnin' 'Dogs (16-7, 4-0) will now prepare to close out their regular district schedule on the road as they vie for an unbeaten run through D4. They'll trave to Portales for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday, Feb. 18, before heading to Ground Zero in Roswell Friday, Feb. 21, to take on the Rockets. Goddard stands at 10-13, 2-2, having thus far split with Portales, defeated Lovington, and lost to Artesia. The Rams are 11-12, 1-3 with the Goddard split and losses to both Lovington and Artesia, and Lovington is 14-10, 1-3 with two losses to Artesia, one to Goddard, and a win over Portales.

Click here to watch Aaron Aguilar's buzzer-beater!

STAT BOX

Artesia 57
Lovington 42

Artesia (16-7, 4-0): Charlie Campbell 8, 9-10 26; Braylon Vega 4, 2-2 11; Trent Egeland 3, 0-3 6; Clay Kincaid 3, 0-0 6; Aaron Aguilar 1, 0-0 3; Cael Houghtaling 1, 0-4 2; Steven Williams 1, 0-0 2; Tootie McNeil 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 21, 12-21 57

Lovington (14-10, 1-3): Kayle Covington 6, 2-6 15; Mika Pando 3, 0-0 9; Danny Criswell 2, 0-0 4; Jojo Perez 2, 0-0 4; Payton Hernandez 1, 0-0 3; Braxtyn Valenzuela 1, 0-0 3; Ondalis Cardenas 1, 0-2 2; Elijah Rivero 0, 2-2 2
Totals: 16, 4-10 42

Field Goals: Artesia 21; Lovington 16
Three-Pointers: Artesia 3 (Aguilar 1, Campbell 1, Vega 1); Lovington 6 (Pando 3, Covington 1, Hernandez 1, Valenzuela 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 12-21 (57%); Lovington 4-10 (40%)
Turnovers: Artesia 10; Lovington 12
Fouls: Artesia 9; Lovington 16
Fouled Out: Artesia 0; Lovington 1 (Covington, :11-4Q)

LADY BULLDOGS

PICTURED: Kailee Padilla goes in for a layup during the first quarter Friday at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

For three quarters Friday at Bulldog Pit, the Lady Bulldogs seemed on the verge of finding their footing against a Class 4A No. 8 Lovington team they defeated in their District 4-AAAA opener back on Jan. 31. But with the Lady Wildcats leading by eight, 40-32, going into the fourth quarter, Artesia was able to maintain that margin until the time to foul began. Once that happened, the Lady 'Cats needed only cap off a perfect night from the free-throw line to pull away for a 62-41 win.

The Lady 'Dogs struggled to get on the board early in their final home regular district game. A Hattie Harrison free throw at the 5:33 mark allowed the crowd to be seated, but the first quarter would be nearly half over before the Artesia girls hit their first field goal: a breakaway transition layup by Jenna Whitmire, who went coast to coast after blocking a shot and nabbing the ball. Kailee Padilla would answer a Carli Knapp three-pointer in kind, but Lovington would post four from beyond the arc in the period -- three of those by Knapp -- to lead 18-12 going into the second despite a fast-paced final two minutes that included buckets from Padilla, Avery Frederick and Gracen Kuykendall.

The Lady Bulldogs would hold Lovington to just seven points in the second, but unfortunately, they were unable to make up needed ground, scoring only eight points of their own. An offensive putback from Frederick was followed by treys from Lady 'Cats Malaiya Castro and Ashelynn Borunda, and a drive to the hoop by Ashton Craft and longball from Carmen Harvey could only bring the girls in orange within seven at the break, 26-19.

PICTURED: Jenna Whitmire drains a three during the second half.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The two squads were evenly matched in the third. Lovington continued to do the bulk of its damage from three-point range -- from whence they hit a total of 10 in the game -- but the Lady 'Dogs got a pair of treys from Padilla and Whitmire. Both players then added a field goal and Padilla two from the stripe to stay within eight of the Lady Wildcats, 40-32, going into the fourth.

Despite baskets from Whitmire, Craft, Kuykendall and Brookelyn Thacker, Artesia could only maintain that deficit through the first four minutes of the quarter, thanks to a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays by the 'Cats. Kuykendall's bucket would also prove to be the last for the Lady Bulldogs. Misses on the offensive end forced the team to begin fouling, and Lovington would close out a 14-14 performance from the line on the night with 10 of those free throws in the final four minutes, pulling away for the 21-point win, 62-41.

Padilla finished with 12 points to lead the Lady 'Dogs on the night, followed by Whitmire with nine. Four players did all of Lovington's scoring in the contest: Borunda with 20, Castro with 17, Knapp with 14, and Aubrey Aranda with 11.

The Lady Bulldogs (9-14, 1-3) will head to Portales Tuesday, Feb. 18, for a 5:30 p.m. game against the Ramettes. Portales (14-9) currently leads the district with a 4-0 showing thus far, followed by Lovington (14-10, 2-2) and Goddard (13-11, 1-3).

STAT BOX

Lovington 62
Artesia 41

Artesia (9-14, 1-3): Kailee Padilla 4, 2-3 12; Jenna Whitmire 4, 0-2 9; Gracen Kuykendall 2, 1-4 5; Ashton Craft 2, 0-0 4; Avery Frederick 2, 0-0 4; Carmen Harvey 1, 0-0 3; Hattie Harrison 0, 2-4 2; Brookelyn Thacker 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 16, 5-13 41

Lovington (14-10, 2-2): Ashelynn Borunda 6, 6-6 20; Malaiya Castro 4, 7-7 17; Carli Knapp 5, 0-0 14; Aubrey Aranda 4, 1-1 11
Totals: 19, 14-14 62

Field Goals: Artesia 16; Lovington 19
Three-Pointers: Artesia 4 (Padilla 2, Harvey 1, Whitmire 1); Lovington 10 (Knapp 4, Aranda 2, Borunda 2, Castro 2)
Free Throws: Artesia 5-13 (38%); Lovington 14-14 (100%)
Turnovers: Artesia 13; Lovington 8
Fouls: Artesia 14; Lovington 16
Fouled Out: Artesia 1 (Frederick, 4:18-4Q); Lovington 2 (JBree Rios-3Q; Borunda, :40-4Q)

AHS WRESTLING

As the Class 1A-4A State Wrestling Tournament swiftly approaches, the Artesia High School wrestlers have been closing out their 2024-25 seasons with impressive results at the Region 2 competitions.

In the girls' 100-pound weight class, senior Isabel Irvin once again had an impressive run through the bracket Feb. 7 in Belen, finishing as the Region 2 runner-up. Irvin battled her way through Carlsbad's Andrea Ramirez in the quarterfinals and Eden Cordero of Silver in the semis before coming up short of Albuquerque High's Vanessa Ramos by way of a 4-3 decision in the championship match.

The Artesia boys, meanwhile, headed to Albuquerque Feb. 15 for their Region 2 tournament. The squad logged a trio of sixth-place finishes at the meet, courtesy of Hagan Crockett in the 139-pound weight class, who fell by medical forfeit to Legacy Academy's Jerome Salazar; Rylee Kelley in the 160-pound class, who fell to Valley's Carlos Anaya by major decision, 16-8; and Edel Villa in the 172-pound class, who came up short of Highland's Shawn Wherepapa by fall at 4:24. The 'Dogs also had a win in the seventh-place match of the 215-pound class by Alejandro Ontiveros, who topped Grants' Antonio DeVargas by fall at 3:45.

The Artesia wrestlers are now preparing to head to the Rio Rancho Events Center Friday, Feb. 21, for the state championships. Tickets are on sale now at a cost of $12 for adults (no re-entry); $17 for a day pass (grants re-entry); and $7 for students in grades K-12, seniors ages 65 and up, and military (no re-entry). Click here to purchase.

Full results from the Region 2 tournaments included:

• Girls' 100-Pound
- Isabel Irvin
def. Candy Casas (Chaparral), 1:55)
def. Mia Lozoya (Highland), 4:56
def. Andrea Ramirez (Carlsbad), :59 (Quarterfinals)
def. Eden Cordero (Silver), 2:38 (Semifinals)
fell to Vanessa Ramos (Albuquerque High), DEC 4-3 (Championship)
• Girls' 107-Pound
- Anna Lee Sorrells
fell to Emberlyn Atma (Las Cruces High), 1:19
fell to Marisol Garcia (Valley), SV (10-7) (Consolation Round 2)
• Girls' 120-Pound
- Esmeralda Sorrells
bye
fell to Olyvia Sanchez (Belen), MD 24-10
def. Emmaline DeAguero (Hobbs), 2:57 (Consolation Round 2)
fell to Madelyn Tellez (Cobre), DEC 16-9 (Consolation Round 3)
• Girls' 126-Pound
- Peyton Stone
def. Karen Solis (Valley), :53
fell to Ellianna Campos (Carlsbad), TF (25-7), 6:00
def. Adriana Solis (West Mesa), 1:00 (Consolation Round 2)
def. Isabella Marquez (Albuquerque High), 3:43 (Consolation Round 3)
fell to Linsey Sanchez (Belen), 1:49 (Consolation Round 4)
• Girls' 145-Pound
- Taylor Kennedy
bye
fell to Roxana Aguirre (Gadsden), :36
bye (Consolation Round 2)
def. Syndie Valdez (Legacy Academy), :55 (Consolation Round 3)
fell to Lorelei Troncoso (Valley), 1:25 (Consolation Round 4)
• Girls' 165-Pound
- Mattie Smith
fell to Paige Jorge (Centennial), :32
bye (Consolation Round 1)
def. Claudia Puga (Clovis), 1:00 (Consolation Round 2)
fell to Abby Hoskins (Highland), :30 (Consolation Round 3)

• Boys' 127-Pound
- Colt Moziejko
fell to Matthew Longdon (St. Pius), :32
bye (Consolation Round 1)
fell to Isaac Herrera (Chaparral), DEC 11-6 (Consolation Round 2)
• Boys' 133-Pound
- Jaedon Smith
fell to Lance Yarbrough (St. Pius), TF (15-0), 2:28
bye (Consolation Round 1)
fell to Evan Graham (Albuquerque Academy), 2:57 (Consolation Round 2)
• Boys' 139-Pound
- Hagan Crockett
bye
def. Ashdyn Urban (Ruidoso), DEC 7-3 (Quarterfinals)
fell to Mycah Gachupin (St. Pius), TF (18-3), 4:20 (Semifinals)
fell to Ansel Salaz (Belen), 2:41 (Consolation Round 4)
fell to Jerome Salazar (Legacy Academy), Medical Forfeit (Fifth-Place Match)
• Boys' 145-Pound
- Samuel Fodge
bye
fell to Mario Gutierrez (Belen), 3:15
• Boys' 160-Pound
- Rylee Kelley
def. Josiah Washington (Bernalillo), 2:43
fell to Edward Freeman (Belen), 3:08
def. Adrian Benavidez (Cobre), 1:00 (Consolation Round 2)
def. TJ Maldonado (St. Pius), 2:59 (Consolation Round 3)
fell to Eric Cohn (Silver), DEC 7-5 (Consolation Round 4)
fell to Carlos Anaya (Valley), MD 16-8 (Fifth-Place Match)
• Boys' 172-Pound
- Edel Villa
def. Estevan Dominguez (Tierra Encantada), 4:27
fell to Donald Wofford (Cobre), MD 16-7 (Quarterfinals)
def. Jason Pacheco (Bernalillo), TF (17-0), 3:48 (Consolation Round 2)
def. Jule May (Chaparral), DEC 10-8 (Consolation Round 3)
fell to Santiago Aragon-Roybal (St. Pius), DEC 8-1 (Consolation Round 4)
fell to Shawn Wherepapa (Highland), 4:24 (Fifth-Place Match)
• Boys' 215-Pound
- Alejandro Ontiveros
def. Raes Nunez (Goddard), 1:53
fell to Daniel Chilimidos (Belen), DEC 4-3 (Quarterfinals)
def. Noah Mora (Chaparral), DEC 7-6 (Consolation Round 2)
fell to Julian Aldrich (Socorro), DEC 6-4 (Consolation Round 3)
def. Antonio DeVargas (Grants), 3:45 (Seventh-Place Match)
• Boys' 285-Pound
- Ethan Shannon
bye
fell to Isaac Ledezma (Deming), 4:18 (Quarterfinals)
fell to Roberto Mendez (Highland), 2:24 (Consolation Round 2)

LADY BULLDOG SOFTBALL

PICTURED: Lady Bulldog softball players pose with some of their campers Saturday at The Mack.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Lady Bulldog Softball)

The 2025 Lady Bulldog softball team completed Day One of their kids' camp Saturday at the Mack Chase Athletic Complex, enjoying plenty of drills, skills and fun with girls in grades K-5.

Click here to view a photo album from the first day of camp.

Day Two for girls in grades 6-8 will run from 10-12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17. Cost is $50 for the first camper and $40 for each additional camper registered by the same person. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Monday. Campers should bring water, a glove and helmet, tennis shoes or rubber cleats, softball pants or sweats, and a bat, if possible.

The Lady 'Dogs will open their 2025 season next month.