November Madness: Class 5A Championship Game Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who</strong>: Artesia Bulldogs (9-3) vs. Roswell Coyotes (10-1);</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What</strong>: Class 5A State Championship Football Game;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Where</strong>: Wool Bowl, Roswell, NM</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>When</strong>: Sat., Nov. 30, 1 p.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artesia and Roswell square off in the Class 5A championship game for the second consecutive year, another sign of their dominance over the classification. But seeing one or both of these teams competing in the final game of the year is nothing new. Since the NMAA added Class 6A in 2014, at least one of these two teams has appeared in the 5A championship game every year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artesia seeks the three-peat while Roswell hopes to lift the blue trophy for the first time since capturing back-to-back titles in 2018-19. Together, they've won five of the last six Class 5A championships. When Saturday's clash is complete, it will be six of seven. The gap between Artesia/Roswell and the rest of 5A remains significant &nbsp;although some results this season suggest that gap has narrowed slightly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roswell has won eight straight games after losing their only game of the season to Lovington in Week 4. Two of Artesia's three losses were to 6A schools – Hobbs and Centennial. Their other setback was a 44-40 shootout loss to Roswell at the Bulldog Bowl on Oct. 18.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our season has unfolded pretty much the way I thought it would,” Roswell head coach Jeff Lynn told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We lost all our starters on offense from last season and our first game got cancelled. When we played Lovington, we were still trying to figure out who we were offensively. That Lovington game was probably a wake-up call. We knew we were a good football team. It probably lit a fire under us.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artesia and Roswell are such intense rivals that there are few secrets. Saturday's title game marks the fourth time they've met on the gridiron in the last 14 months. As a result, execution and fundamentals will likely determine the winner. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This is definitely a different team from what we've had, but the guys have bought in and gotten better every week,” Artesia head coach Jeremy Maupin told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “That's what you want going into the last game of the year. I'm really proud of this team. Roswell is a little different this year because they have a new defensive coordinator.” </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Championship Week! <a href="https://t.co/c1dxJ2f6Go">pic.twitter.com/c1dxJ2f6Go</a></p>&mdash; BulldogFootball 🏈🏆x32 (@artesiafootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1861037750394437808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WHEN ARTESIA HAS THE BALL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maupin bleeds Bulldog Orange, so it would have been easy for him to say that the school has a long and proud history of elite pocket passers and we're not going to deviate from that. Instead, Maupin boldly inserted dual threat QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1432984' first='Izac' last='Cazares']</strong> into the starting job at the beginning of the season, a decision that has paid off handsomely. Through 12 games, Cazares has passed for 2,827 yards and 38 TD while rushing for 765 yards on 95 carries (4 games of 100+ yards rushing). In all, Cazares has accounted for 53 touchdowns. Dynamic only begins to describe his skill set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Izac has had a great year,” Maupin said. “He's a great leader. He's done everything we asked him to do. He makes it hard on defenses because he can run and throw. It has progressed to where we are now. Early in the year, we were trying to figure things out. Now, we're settled in on what makes him tick. It's definitely different from what we've been, but he throws the ball well enough where we can spread it out and throw it down the field or go with heavier packages and let him run. It makes it fun as a play caller.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118283' first='Frankie' last='Galindo']</strong> sparks the ground game. Galindo has been a touchdown machine since the beginning of last season and now he has the record books to prove it – he recently became Artesia's all-time leader in career TDs with 43. He has rushed for over 2,100 yards the last two seasons, including 933 in 2024, putting him just 67 yards away from back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Frankie can run and catch the ball out of the backfield,” Maupin said. “He's a dangerous runner. He puts his shoulder down. And he's a great lead blocker in our two-back package. He's a difference maker wherever and however we play him.” &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artesia's wide receiver corps is talented and deep. Slot WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118257' first='Ethan' last='Conn']</strong> has 112 receptions and over 2,000 receiving yards with 31 TD in the last two seasons. This season, he has 54 receptions for 1,156 yards and 17 TD. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600893' first='Trent' last='Egeland']</strong>, the speedy <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1750200' first='Jack' last='Byers']</strong> are all capable receivers as well, combining for 58 receptions and 17 TD.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Ethan is a very good route runner,” Maupin said. “He has great hands and catches the ball at the high point. He's a vertical threat. And he can do a lot of things underneath. We line him up at a variety of spots around the field to take advantage of the matchups. [player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'] is probably the fastest guy on our team. Trent has great size (6-foot-4) and runs well. He can stretch the field. He has really emerged in the last few weeks. Both he and Jack are big, physical receivers.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Artesia moved three defensive linemen over to the offensive line in the summer and the move has worked out. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594158' first='Devyn' last='Velasquez']</strong> anchors the group along with LT <strong>Edgar Carillo </strong>and <strong>Myka Aguirre</strong>. The Bulldogs have rotated six or seven guys on the O-Line all season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The matchup between Artesia's prolific offense and Roswell's rugged defense led by first-year defensive coordinator Joe Forchtner will be fun to watch. The Coyotes' defensive line featuring <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118051' first='Mason' last='Greathouse']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259013' first='Aidan' last='Rutley']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613759' first='Noah' last='Lynn']</strong> – all next level prospects - is widely regarded as the best in the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='836944' first='Keegan' last='Nichols']</strong> is one of the top linebackers anywhere. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118273' first='Xai' last='Carrasco']</strong> is a talented defensive back with several Pick-6 interceptions this season. He flies to the football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It's hard for people to run the football with our defensive front,” Lynn said. “They're big and long. At this point, there are no secrets between the teams. Artesia is so explosive offensively, we can't give up big plays. We've talked with our team about that. We have to be tied in the big play category. We have to play with confidence. One way to do that is keep their offense off the field. Another way is not give up any non-offensive touchdowns like kickoff returns.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id='1432984' first='Izac' last='Cazares'] hits the end zone to cap his 89-yard run.<br><br>📸 TJ Palma - Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints <a href="https://t.co/2lq6Eywnu8">pic.twitter.com/2lq6Eywnu8</a></p>&mdash; 🏈 Brienne Green 🐾 (@ArtesiaSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtesiaSports/status/1860421867590586780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WHEN ROSWELL HAS THE BALL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior <strong>Jacob Palomino</strong>, arguably the top athlete at Roswell High, directs a Coyote offense that has scored 37 or more points in eight of 11 games this season. His 30+ yards TD run against Gadsden in last Saturday's semifinal victory impeccably showcased his skills and what he has brought to the Coyotes offense this season. He has been offered by hometown NMMI.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our offense has really come together,” Lynn said. “We said this is Jacob's skill set and we need to design the offense around that. From that point on, we're tried to get him the ball more in the run game and roll him out and give him more options. He's not really a pocket passer. We tailored the offense to his skill set and started scoring a bunch of points. He's very good athlete. He's a three-sport guy.&nbsp; We knew he was athletic and a leader and great guy. He just&nbsp; hadn't played a lot of quarterback. He has done a great job. He's the type of guy you want at quarterback. Our players respond to him.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When stud RB Bryce Sanchez graduated in May, Roswell decided to utilize a running back-by-committee approach this season. So far, it's worked after overcoming some injuries. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594192' first='Jaylon' last='Cloud']</strong>, who has returned from a dislocated shoulder injury suffered at Lovington, leads the unit. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='836951' first='Luis' last='Godoy']</strong> missed some time with torn ligaments but has returned to the field. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258088' first='Abey' last='Toscano']</strong> was moved to RB due to the injuries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We've had to mash things together at running back.” Lynn said. “We've lost two other running backs to season ending injuries. It's been in and out at that position. Right now, we're as healthy at that position as we've been all season heading into Saturday. Jaylon and Abey are both healthy. Hopefully, they can get it cranked up.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118051' first='Mason' last='Greathouse']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='836944' first='Keegan' last='Nichols']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118273' first='Xai' last='Carrasco']</strong> have all emerged as legitimate passing targets this season along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1750777' first='Kolby' last='Sanchez']</strong>. Last Saturday, Greathouse caught 3 TD passes as he took full advantage of his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame and elite athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Mason has great size, great hands and he can run,” Lynn said. “I think he'll be a perfect H-Back, tight end or fullback at the next level. He's been very good for us at wide receiver. Mason, Keegan and Xai have played well. We don't have just one dude in the passing game that we look to.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roswell had to rebuild its offensive line after graduation depleted the position and the new look unit has emerged as a strength. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594165' first='Daniel' last='Chavez-Gonzales']</strong> is the anchor and has been the most consistent O-Linemen. Junior OT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266452' first='Ethan' last='Lopez']</strong> is extremely athletic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our offensive line is the strength of our offense,” Lynn said. “Those kids have really come together. This might be the best offensive line we've had at Roswell. We get them all back next season. They get after it. They played together on JV last season. They have played well. They are all good athletes with good feet. And they all have a mean streak to them.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Because Artesia's offense piles on the points with an exciting and entertaining style, the Bulldogs' defense is often under appreciated. But the unit has enjoyed a solid season, particularly in the second half when they've helped spark Artesia's current 4-game winning streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Inside linebackers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258081' first='Ayden' last='Huffman']</strong> (70 tackles) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258077' first='Grant' last='Johnson']</strong> (69 with 14 TFL) lead the impressively balanced defense. Seven players have between 50 and 70 tackles. Six-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118370' first='Kaden' last='Grantham']</strong> (55 tackles, 9.0 TFL, team high 5.0 sacks) is a next level talent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258069' first='Rafael' last='Orozco']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599561' first='Chris' last='Aguilar']</strong> hold down the two DT spots. Identical twins <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672821' first='Miguel' last='Soto']</strong> (DB) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672806' first='Marco' last='Soto Jr.']</strong> (LB/DE) have combined for 122 tackles. Marco is the reigning 4A champion in the shot put. Hybrid DB/OLB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258085' first='Haden' last='Harcrow']</strong> has 10 TFL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Ayden and Grant are really the anchors of our defense,” Maupin said. “As those guys go, our defense goes. [player_tooltip player_id='1118370' first='Kaden' last='Grantham'] is big and athletic. [player_tooltip player_id='1599561' first='Chris' last='Aguilar'] just makes plays. He forces team to double team him. The Soto twins are extremely fast. They move very well.”   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Roswell head coach Jeff Lynn talking to the Coyote players. Says last year&#039;s loss to Artesia in 5A title game has been eating at him for an entire year. Wants redemption. <a href="https://t.co/syWhAJR7qO">pic.twitter.com/syWhAJR7qO</a></p>&mdash; Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1860455229528924214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SIGHTS &amp; SOUNDS: We have the comprehensive recap &amp; extensive video from Saturday&#039;s Class 5A semifinal between Gadsden &amp; Roswell at the iconic Wool Bowl.<br> <a href="https://t.co/UD2XT7jASf">https://t.co/UD2XT7jASf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoyotesRising?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoyotesRising</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MasonGr8house?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MasonGr8house</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GadsdenPanthers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobPalomino21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacobPalomino21</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrascoXai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CarrascoXai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeganNichols_7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KeeganNichols_7</a> <a href="https://t.co/woxSYduRcK">pic.twitter.com/woxSYduRcK</a></p>&mdash; Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1860581387549454791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Made it to the last game! <a href="https://t.co/PYAieqKkM4">pic.twitter.com/PYAieqKkM4</a></p>&mdash; BulldogFootball 🏈🏆x32 (@artesiafootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1860460189411082289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final: Roswell 49, Gadsden 21.<br><br>Artesia vs. Roswell next Sat. at the Wool Bowl in the Class 5A state championship game. Rematches in 6A and 5A. <a href="https://t.co/GY5xI908Xz">pic.twitter.com/GY5xI908Xz</a></p>&mdash; Prep Redzone New Mexico (@PrepRedzoneNM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM/status/1860452826381423024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->