BULLDOG FOOTBALL
PICTURED: The 2024 Bulldog seniors take the field Saturday at Wool Bowl for the coin toss as captains of the Class 5A state championship game.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The 2024 season of Bulldog football came to an end Saturday in Roswell, with the 'Dogs finishing as this year's Class 5A state runners-up.
The Bulldogs will hold their end-of-season banquet at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at Harvest Fellowship. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased in the athletic office at Bulldog Pit or at Forrest Tire through Dec. 6.
AHS BASKETBALL
The Lady Bulldog basketball team tipped off its 2024-25 season Tuesday on the road, getting out on the right foot with a 54-26 win over Santa Teresa!
The Lady 'Dogs will now join the Bulldogs in ushering in the new hoops campaign with the City of Champions Classic tournament Thursday through Saturday at Bulldog Pit. Three days of non-stop basketball action will open at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and continue through 1 p.m. Saturday.
Artesia's tourney openers Thursday will feature the Bulldogs against Kirtland Central at 10 a.m. and the Lady Bulldogs vs. Goddard at 11:30 a.m. in buy-out games for the AHS student body. On Friday and Saturday, the Artesia squads will compete in the late games -- 5:30 and 7 p.m. Friday, and 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday -- regardless of their positions in the brackets.
Also, Saturday's 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. games will be played throwback-style in the old boys' gym! Come reminisce in the 'Dogs' old digs as the boys' program honors the 1995 state championship team.
Come out and cheer on the Runnin' 'Dogs and Lady 'Dogs as they open a new year! And since it's going to be chilly outside, why not spend the whole weekend warm in the gym? See the brackets below for all the great matchups that will be going on!
AHS BOWLING
PICTURED: The collective Artesia High School bowling team poses for a photo after sweeping the West Texas High School Shootout in Lubbock, Texas.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bowling Team)
Artesia High School bowling took an early outing to Lubbock, Texas, last weekend, where they made clear that they will once again be a force to be reckoned with in New Mexico high school bowling. Dividing their squad into two groups, the Bulldogs proceeded to sweep the first- and second-place spots at the 24-team West Texas High School Shootout at Whitewood Lanes.
The excitement had already begun to build even in the offseason, with Brenden Depew bowling a 300 game during a practice session Nov. 11 at Artesia Lanes. On Nov. 23, the bowlers headed to Lubbock. Competing in a double-elimination bracket, Artesia 2 worked its way through John Paul Stevens High School (209-151, 246-223), Lubbock Central (170-148, 177-164) and Warren High School (211-148, 175-189, 265) to meet up with Artesia 1 in the winners' bracket final. Artesia 1, which had drawn a bye through the opening round of bracket play, had reached the final by way of wins over Canyon (204-152, 188-172) and Frenship (227-210, 216-177).
Artesia 2 was able to take the first game against their fellow Bulldogs, 226-160, but Artesia 1 delivered 10 consecutive strikes to take the second game, 257-208, before closing out the win in the third, 180-165. That forced the previously unbeaten Artesia 2 team to take on the losers' bracket winner for the right to tangle with their teammates again in the championship, and they dispatched Warren High for a second time on the legs of two perfect strikes by Depew in the 10th frame.
At that point completely on a roll -- pun intended -- Artesia 2 then took the tournament over Artesia 1 with games of 201 and 235. Earning All-Tournament Team honors were Payton DeMerritt and Kambry Collins. The 'Dogs will kick off their New Mexico High School Bowling Association season this Saturday, Dec. 7, at Big Rock Bowling Center in Espanola.
PICTURED: Payton DeMerritt and Kambry Collins show off their All-Tournament Team certificates.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bowling Team)