PICTURED: The 2024 Bulldog football team poses for a photo with the red trophy Saturday at Wool Bowl in Roswell.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Only two teams out of 16 in Class 5A were still lacing up their pads on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Only two communities in Southeast New Mexico were donning their school colors and packing their game-day bags. Just two head coaches were breaking their final pre-game huddles of 2024 and watching this year's athletes take the field one more time.

Only one sunny Saturday of playoff football remained, and Artesia and Roswell High were the last squads standing. That's plenty to be thankful for.

As it happened, the Bulldogs came up short, 41-22, in their third consecutive title-game appearance and missed out on the threepeat they'd been chasing. In a reversal of last year's championship game, it was Roswell High's turn to hoist the blue trophy, their third since 2018.

Sometimes stories don't end the way we'd choose. But that doesn't mean they weren't still good ones. The boys in orange delivered an incredible season, full of excitement, success and overcoming adversity. They were forced into the latter situation Saturday, particularly when the second half found them competing without starting senior quarterback Izac Cazares, who suffered an injury late in the second quarter.

Junior Derrick Warren stepped into the role, the next man up, and the 'Dogs were still within 13 as the final quarter began. But a touchdown in the opening seconds of the fourth sealed the deal for Roswell.

PICTURED: Izac Cazares caps off an 80-yard touchdown run.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

That final score came with 10:46 to go in the game -- the same time that was on the first-quarter clock when the Coyotes logged the game's opening TD, a 62-yard run by QB Jacob Palomino. But Cazares would do him one better in the Quarterback 100-Yard Dash 23 seconds later, sprinting to the end zone from 80 out. Artesia's PAT attempt was blocked, however, keeping Roswell in front by one, 7-6.

The Bulldog defense had trouble corralling Palomino in the teams' first meeting in October and struggled to do so again Saturday. The senior led a long march upfield on Roswell's second offensive series, capping it with a six-yard touchdown run. And though the 'Dogs were able to respond in kind, the Orange Crush stepped up to force a turnover on the Coyotes' next possession.

Defensive end Kaden Grantham was able to strip the ball out of Palomino's hands near midfield, and safety Haden Harcrow was there to pounce on it, setting up the Bulldogs' next score: a four-yard run that saw Cazares sidestep a would-be tackler before pushing into the end zone. The conversion attempt, however, was unsuccessful, increasing Artesia's deficit to two, 14-12, with two minutes to go in the first.

PICTURED: Izac Cazares celebrates following his four-yard TD run.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Roswell would score again midway through the second quarter on a six-yard pass from Palomino to Mason Greathouse, but this time, the 'Dogs were unable to match them. They settled instead for a 32-yard field goal attempt, which was successfully delivered by Corbyn Dominguez with 4:07 left in the half.

That would have seen Artesia trailing by just six at the break, but the Coyotes were able to put together one more scoring drive prior to the horn, which ended in a one-yard Palomino plunge that made it 28-15.

Roswell needed just one minute to strike again as the second half began, with Palomino handing off to Abey Toscano on the end-around, who then delivered a 40-yard pass to Kolby Sanchez for the score. That bumped the Coyotes' lead to 20, 35-15, but Artesia was able to trim it back to 13 with seven minutes still remaining in the third on a powerful 51-yard touchdown run by Frankie Galindo.

PICTURED: Frankie Galindo strides into the end zone following a 51-yard touchdown run.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The Bulldogs had a chance to cut it back to a one-touchdown game when Roswell missed a field-goal attempt wide right on their next series, but a Greathouse interception on Artesia's first play from scrimmage took the ball back out of the Bulldog offense's hands as the third quarter came to a close.

The Coyotes were also able to convert the turnover to points when Toscano scored from the 10. And though nearly 11 minutes remained on the clock at that point, that would be it for the 5A championship. As the 'Dogs struggled to find a rhythm offensively, Roswell was able to simply run off time en route to their 41-22 win.

The Bulldogs wrapped up their 2024 campaign with a record of 9-4 and will bid farewell this season to 37 seniors. And while the disappointment that accompanies coming up short of a goal is inevitable, the larger outcome remained the same as the sun set on November: The City of Champions is thankful for -- and proud of -- its Bulldogs.

PICTURED: Artesia fans pack into the visitors' stands at Wool Bowl prior to Saturday's title game.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER
• Roswell - Jacob Palomino 62-run (Francisco Guzman kick good), 10:46
• Artesia - Izac Cazares 80-run (kick blocked), 10:23
• Roswell - Palomino 6-run (Guzman kick good), 6:54
• Artesia - Cazares 4-run (run failed), 2:08
SECOND QUARTER
• Roswell - Mason Greathouse 6-pass from Palomino (Guzman kick good), 6:26
• Artesia - Corbyn Dominguez 32-field goal, 4:07
• Roswell - Palomino 1-run (Guzman kick good), :33
THIRD QUARTER
• Roswell - Kolby Sanchez 40-pass from Abey Toscano (Guzman kick good), 10:59
• Artesia - Frankie Galindo 51-run (Dominguez kick good), 7:01
FOURTH QUARTER
• Roswell - Toscano 10-run (run failed), 10:46