November Madness: Class 5A Championship Game Preview

CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW   Who: No. 1 Artesia (11-1) vs. No. 2 Roswell (9-3)   What: Class 5 State Championship Game   Where: Bulldog Bowl, Artesia, NM   When: Sat., Nov. 29, 1 p.m.   The epicenter of the corridor of power in Class 5A extends along Route 285 in southeastern New Mexico from Roswell to Artesia. For the third straight year, the Coyotes and Bulldogs will clash for the Class 5A state championship. Artesia won in 2023 before Roswell emerged victorious in 2024. So, this is the rubber match in the best-of-three series.   While we saw signs this season of teams like Goddard, Lovington and Gadsden possibly closing the gap, Roswell and Artesia remain the top two programs in 5A until somebody finally beats them. Lovington and Gadsden mounted laudable challenges in the semifinals but ultimately fell short, while Goddard was competitive in both regular season games against them.   In their first meeting in October, Artesia relied on an explosive offense to best the Coyotes at the Wool Bowl, 42-28, as the Bulldogs amassed 445 yards in total offense. About 71 percent of those yards came through the air. Artesia outgained Roswell by 155 yards.   “Offensively, we have to be more consistent (than the first meeting),” Roswell head coach Jeff Lynn told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We fell asleep for a couple of series in that game and turned the ball over. When we were consistent, we did what we were supposed to be doing and we moved the ball and scored. Defensively, we gave up too many big plays. We would play good defense for four or five plays and then give up a big play. We also have to do a better job on special teams. We have to cover kicks.”      Saturday's clash will mark the sixth time Artesia and Roswell have met in the last three seasons. As a result, there are very few secrets left between the two teams. Basically, it comes down to execution, fundamentals and determination.   “They know what we do and we know what they do,” Artesia head coach Jeremy Maupin told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “It‘s going to come down to who executes the best and who comes out and plays the best. We need to establish the run a little better. We had some big runs (in the first meeting), but we weren't consistent running the ball. We need to keep them off-balance and give them some different looks. Both teams are healthier now. That changes some of the matchups.”   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">State Championship week! 🏆 <a href="https://t.co/f9YTBVl8B8">pic.twitter.com/f9YTBVl8B8</a>— BulldogFootball 🏈🏆x32 (@artesiafootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1992973787822694530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>   WHEN ROSWELL HAS THE BALL   The Coyotes rely on a balanced offense led by senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1750685' first='Luke' last='Lynn'] and speedy sophomore running back [player_tooltip player_id='1826036' first='Luis' last='Rodriguez']. The mobile Lynn is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds with a rocket throwing arm. He's thrown for about 2,000 yards this season. His favorite targets in the passing game include Izaic Gonzales, [player_tooltip player_id='1599539' first='Noah' last='Estrada'], [player_tooltip player_id='1750777' first='Kolby' last='Sanchez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1750809' first='Olin' last='Ingram'].   “Luke has done a great job,” Jeff Lynn said. “He was hampered by an injury in the first meeting against Artesia. He turned his ankle in the previous game. So, we didn't run him at all against Artesia. He does a lot of stuff at the line of scrimmage. He's very smart. If there's an RPO there, he'll take it. He knows what he's doing and he's a very good athlete.”         Rodriguez began the season on the JV roster but soon earned a promotion to the varsity. Possessing impressive speed, he's been nothing short of sensational, amassing over 1,000 rushing yards. In last week's come-from-behind win at Gadsden, Rodriguez rushed for 219 yards and 1 TD on 17 carries. His speed getting to the perimeter and then turning the corner along with his change of direction skills troubles opposing defenses.   “What Luis brings to the lineup is what we were missing earlier in the season,” Lynn said. “We were throwing the ball well but we weren't consistent in the run game. He has really come on. He's not very big, but he is explosive. I think he'll be a sub-11 (under 11 seconds in the 100 meters) in the spring. He can make you miss too. I'm super excited for Luis as he moves forward in his career.”     Roswell's offensive line is the strength of the offense, and has been most of the season. Physically, most are about 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds, so their size won't overwhelm you. But they are tenacious.   “Offensive line is our best position group,” Lynn said. “They're hungry and they like to get after it. Since the first Artesia game, that group has really come together and made a lot of progress.”   The Artesia defense is led by ILB Marco Soro Jr., who has 105 tackles and 7.0 TFL. Behind him, the defense is balanced with six players totaling between 45 and 54 tackles. Second leading tackler [player_tooltip player_id='1266504' first='Edel' last='Villa'] can play cornerback or outside linebacker. CB [player_tooltip player_id='1266497' first='Tootie' last='McNeil'] has four interceptions and multiple Pick-6s for touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='1599561' first='Chris' last='Aguilar'] is solid at defensive tackle.   “Marco has definitely been the anchor of our defense,” Maupin said. “He's played through injuries, he's played through everything. He's fast. He's on the track team running relays. He's every bit of 225, 230. He's a great kid and a great football player. Tootie has been a lock down corner for us.”   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Semifinal Game vs. Gadsden HS - 17 car , 219 rush yds , 1 TD <a href="https://twitter.com/CoyotesRising?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoyotesRising</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzone</a> State bound ‼️ <a href="https://t.co/H2p2wAyKim">pic.twitter.com/H2p2wAyKim</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1826036' first='Luis' last='Rodriguez'] (@luis__3521) <a href="https://twitter.com/luis__3521/status/1993189962511269958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>   WHEN ARTESIA HAS THE BALL   The right arm and high football IQ of senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1672571' first='Derrick' last='Warren'], the elite speed of running back [player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'], a balanced and talented receiver corps and an underrated offensive line have carried the Artesia most of the season.   Warren has made the most of his opportunity to lead the Artesia offense for one season, throwing for 2,605 yards and 37 TD while completing 63.6 percent of his passes.   “Derrick is a great leader,” Maupin said. “He's smart . He can make every throw. He can make adjustments along the way. All season, I've told him this is his time and he's really taking hold and embraced that role.”   Parra's speed is impressive. He's also a special teams demon, returning three kicks for touchdowns in the past two games. He's rushed for 1,217 yards and 17 TD on 128 carries. In the semifinal win over Lovington, Parra rushed for 128 yards and 1 TD and returned a kickoff for another score.   “Bryce has had a great season,” Maupin said. “When he gets the ball in space, he's hard to bring down. He'll run away from you. But he also runs very physical. He's going to be a big part of our game plan on Saturday.”   Receivers [player_tooltip player_id='1600893' first='Trent' last='Egeland'] (47 receptions; standout hoops player) and [player_tooltip player_id='1750200' first='Jack' last='Byers'] (38 receptions; elite baseball prospect committed to Arizona) are big, strong and athletic. Both can leap over defenders as they did on multiple occasions during the first game against Roswell this season.   “We have a very good wide receiver group, and Egeland and Byers lead the way,” Maupin said. “The other receivers play the slot. They cans stretch the field and are possession receivers. It's a fun group.”   Artesia offensive line had just one returning starter going into the season, but the quintet has molded into a formidable unit. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1750240' first='Steven' last='Williams'] is the leader.   The linebacker trio of [player_tooltip player_id='1266509' first='Kannon' last='Ramage'], [player_tooltip player_id='1788700' first='Jonathan' last='Ellis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1750954' first='Joaquin' last='Bolanos'] are the top tacklers on the Coyotes defense. Ultra-strong [player_tooltip player_id='1750906' first='Daniel' last='Borrego'], an elite power lifter, sparks the defensive line. Six-foot-4 DE [player_tooltip player_id='1750924' first='David' last='Gaumond'] has next level ability. Free safety [player_tooltip player_id='1750988' first='Nick' last='Anaya'] headlines the secondary. [player_tooltip player_id='1751010' first='Isaiah' last='Aranda'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1788731' first='David' last='Fresquez'] are solid cornerbacks.          “Joaquin is definitely the leader of our defense,” Lynn said. “He's a great player. He'll play in college. He flies around the field. Kannon is the silent assassin. He's a great kid. He doesn't say much but he shows up on Friday nights and gets it done. Our secondary is going to have to play well on Saturday. We're not big. Artesia's top two receivers are around 6-foot-3. We have to cover.”   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Next Stop 🛑 State Title Game 🏆 Artesia will play in a Bulldog record 5th State Title game in a row. <a href="https://t.co/lY6ya4Uf8U">pic.twitter.com/lY6ya4Uf8U</a>— BulldogFootball 🏈🏆x32 (@artesiafootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/artesiafootball/status/1992391442346709165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Who's up for a re-rematch? Bulldogs will be taking on #2 Roswell High for the Class 5A State Championship next weekend at Bulldog Bowl. Coyotes defeated #6 Gadsden 35-17. Time TBA. <a href="https://t.co/dh6D4nuQR8">pic.twitter.com/dh6D4nuQR8</a>— 🏈 Brienne Green 🐾 (@ArtesiaSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtesiaSports/status/1992376978335477901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2025</a></blockquote>

CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW