BULLDOG FOOTBALL
The Bulldog football team closed out District 2-AAAAA play Saturday in Las Cruces with a 42-28 win over Mayfield.
AHS SOCCER
PICTURED: The Bulldog soccer team poses for a photo before boarding the bus to Albuquerque.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Boys' Soccer Boosters)
PICTURED: The Lady Bulldog soccer team poses for a photo during a pre-quarterfinal lunch at Los Agaves.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Girls' Soccer Boosters)
The Artesia High School soccer teams saw one of the programs' best-ever seasons come to an end this weekend in the Class 4A state playoffs.
The Bulldog soccer team got its week started Tuesday with a home first-round state game as the tournament's No. 8 seed. The 'Dogs welcomed No. 9 Highland to the Mack Chase Athletic Complex, and the two teams proceeded to take their fans on a regulation roller-coaster ride that remained scoreless after 80 minutes of soccer. That brought about the first 10-minute session of sudden-death overtime, and it appeared as though the stalemate would continue. But with under two minutes to go in 1-OT, senior Zane Baize stepped up to punch Artesia's ticket to the 4A quarterfinals on a powerful goal off the assist from Luis Torres.
There, the top-ranked St. Pius Sartans awaited, a team that had handed Artesia a 7-0 loss just two weeks prior. But the Sartans found a much different Bulldog squad opposite them Saturday morning in Albuquerque. The 'Dogs came out hungry, and with senior keeper Sebastian Gonzalez denying Pius' first-half attempts, it remained anyone's game at the break, 0-0. Unfortunately, the Sartans would catch a break nine minutes into the second half, logging a goal out of the scrum in front of the net following a corner kick. Artesia battled ferociously in an attempt to tie the game, but in the 34th minute, the Sartans were able to break behind the Bulldog D and pick up a second goal from point-blank range to round out the 2-0 final.
The fourth-seeded Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, earned a bye through the first round of the playoffs as the champions of District 4-AAAA and found themselves also squaring off against St. Pius, the 5 seed, in their 4A quarterfinal Friday at The Mack. The Lady Sartans proved to be the aggressors through much of the bout, with Artesia senior goalie Kinsley Rodriguez and her defense putting on a fantastic display of holding St. Pius scoreless through 65 minutes of play. With 15 minutes to go in the game, however, Pius was able to find the net after firing several shots out of a mass of confusion in front of the goal. Rodriguez kept it a one-goal game by saving a penalty kick awarded to the Lady Sartans not long after, but the girls in orange were unable to produce a tying shot in the 1-0 loss.
The Lady 'Dogs finished out their 2024 campaign with a record of 13-5-2 and the 'Dogs with a record of 15-7. Congratulations on a great year, AHS soccer!
BULLDOG VOLLEYBALL
PICTURED: Hattie Harrison tips the ball over the net during Artesia's match against Alamogordo Oct. 17 at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The Bulldog volleyball team picked up its second win of District 4-AAAA play this week but also suffered its second loss to Portales as the squad battles through a hotly contested three-team race for the D4 title.
The Artesia netters opened the penultimate week of the second season Tuesday in Lovington with a decisive sweep of the host Wildcats, 25-10, 25-11 and 25-9. The 'Dogs got nine kills from Kailee Padilla and seven from Hattie Harrison in that quick match, along with seven aces from Padilla and 23 assists from Kirklyn Miller.
The Bulldogs then travelled to Portales on Halloween night for a rematch with the Ramettes, to whom they'd fallen 3-2 Oct. 22. Unfortunately, that result would come back to haunt the girls in orange, as they fell once again, this time in four: 25-19, 13-25, 20-25, 22-25. Stat leaders for that match included Harrison and Padilla with 19 and 16 kills, respectively; Carmen Harvey with four aces; Harvey with 19 digs and Padilla with 14; and Miller with 45 assists.
The Artesia girls now enter the final week of D4 play with an overall record of 11-10 and a district mark of 2-2. Goddard, whom the Bulldogs defeated 3-2 Oct. 24, and Portales both stand at 3-1, but the Rockets have a 3-2 win over the Ramettes under their belts. The 'Dogs will host both of their last two D4 matches, starting with Goddard at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, and followed by Lovington at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7.
Make sure to turn out to Bulldog Pit and support your Bulldogs! Tickets for both matches are available for purchase now by following this link.
AHS CROSS COUNTRY
PICTURED: The Lady Bulldog and Bulldog cross country teams pose with their District 4-AAAA championship plaques and individual awards Friday in Portales.
The Bulldog and Lady Bulldog cross country teams quite literally ran away with the district Friday in Portales, bringing home a pair of team championships and a host of impressive individual performances.
The District 4-AAAA event saw the Lady 'Dogs not only win as a team but sweep the top five individual spots as well, with Makaylee Morillon earning an individual title with her time of 20:09, followed by MacKenzie Norton in second (21:50), Sorrel Sheffield in third (22:55), Lexi Devenport in fourth (23:22) and Esmeralda Sorrells in fifth (23:30). Rounding out Artesia's girls' field were Mackenna Drake in 10th (25:14), Annalee Sanchez in 13th (27:22) and Jema Molina in 15th (28:03).
The Bulldogs' top five all finished in the top seven overall to lead that squad to a district championship, with Zane Baize finishing as this year's D4 runner-up with a time of 17:10. AJ Garcia came in third with an 18:12, Parker Jarratt fourth with an 18:19, Cameron Devenport sixth (18:54), Ethan Johnson seventh (19:04), Edwin Villarreal 10th (19:49), DJ Madrid 15th (21:03) and Sterlin Sheffield 22nd (23:56).
The AHS runners are now prepping for the State Meet, set for Saturday, Nov. 9, at Albuquerque Academy. The 4A girls are scheduled to open the day of races at 9 a.m., followed by the 4A boys at 9:45 a.m. Tickets for the event are on sale now and may be purchased by following this link. Go, Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs!