PICTURED: Tootie McNeil keeps up the Orange Crush's scoring streak with his second pick six of the season from 34 yards out against Lovington Sept. 26 at Bulldog Bowl.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
As the sun sank Sept. 26 on a day of nonstop activity in the City of Champions, the Bulldog football team arrived at the top of the championship ramp to an electric scene at Bulldog Bowl.
With October closing in and night falling faster, the stadium lights add a special sort of glow to the twilight kickoff atmosphere. The stands were packed on both sides of the field as throngs of Artesia fans overflowed into the visitors' bleachers and along the railings ringing the concourse. Sixty years' worth of Artesia High School alumni were in attendance, many of them members of past state championship teams, and the Sea of Orange was filled with the soft clanking of cow bells and other trinkets dangling from mums.
Artesia does Homecoming like no other, with dress-up days, decorating parties, parades, court crownings, and enchilada suppers culminating in the explosion of the Bulldogs onto the field and into the Dog Pile amidst a wall of sound from the crowd, the Victory Lane, the Victory Bell, and the Pride of the Pecos Valley launching into "Onward, Bulldogs!"
It's a fanfare of everything that uniquely defines the City of Champs, and the accompanying marathon of a District 2-AAAAA contest between the Bulldogs and Lovington Wildcats only added to the excitement. Final score: 56-23 Artesia. And the celebration went on all weekend long.
PICTURED: Bryce Parra sets off the Homecoming crowd at Bulldog Bowl with the first touchdown of the night, going in untouched on a seven-yard run.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The 'Dogs themselves aren't immune to the sensory overload of the occasion, so they can be forgiven for a few hiccups early in the night. A trio of first-half turnovers -- including two in as many possessions to start the game -- and a scoreless second quarter were well compensated for by a stellar showing from the Orange Crush defense. The Crush forced a pair of turnovers -- one for a pick six -- in the opening half while forcing five three-and-outs. The offense then rebounded in the second half to score on all but one of its six drives, turning too-close-for-comfort into a near clock-runner by game's end.
Artesia's opening series started out well but would end abruptly in an interception at midfield by Lovington's Chase Terrell, setting the Wildcats up at the Bulldog 41-yard line. The Bulldog secondary would prove a hindrance of its own, forcing a quick punt on consecutive incomplete passes, but Lovington would find itself with excellent field position once again one play later when a fumble returned the ball to the 'Cats at their own 42.
After another three-and-out, however, the 'Dogs would settle in for the game's first score, riding senior and junior running backs Bryce Parra and Cristian Pando -- with a 24-yard keeper from quarterback Derrick Warren in between -- from their own 21 to the Lovington seven, from which Parra took a pitch from Warren and sprinted untouched to the near corner of the end zone to make it 7-0 with 4:42 to go in the first. The Bulldogs would make that 14-0 just over a minute later when, on the Wildcats' third play from scrimmage, Tootie McNeil picked a Jayden Gutierrez pass and hustled up the Lovington sideline for the 34-yard score to continue Artesia's three-week streak of defensive touchdowns.
The Bulldogs would be back in the end zone one more time before quarter's end when Juju Baeza blocked Lovington's next punt and it was recovered at the Wildcat 20 by Diego Morales. A four-yard run by Warren later, the QB connected with Jack Byers, who cut inside and brushed off a pair of Wildcats en route to the goal line from the 16.
PICTURED: Juju Baeza blocks a Caleb Aranda punt on Lovington's final drive of the first quarter.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
PICTURED: Jack Byers steps into the end zone after brushing off a pair of would-be tacklers on a 16-yard touchdown throw from Derrick Warren.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
Suddenly down 21-0 going into the second, the 'Cats overcame their shell shock, securing their inaugural first down in a drive that saw Gutierrez open up the offense on his way to a one-yard touchdown toss to Elijah Rivero. Rivero then took his own conversion run up the middle on a direct snap to make it 21-8 with 7:57 remaining in the half. That would be the extent of the scoring for both teams in the second quarter, however. A pair of holding calls on the Bulldogs in their next possession brought about a punt, and although McNeil would return the ball to the offense on the Wildcats' first play with his second interception of the night and a 28-yard return, a turnover on downs at the Lovington 35 ended that opportunity. Two Wildcat three-and-outs then sandwiched one from Artesia, and the half would end on a fumbled hook-and-ladder/option attempt by the Bulldogs.
The Crush would start the second half the same way they ended the first, forcing a swift Lovington punt. And with Parra going over 100 yards rushing in Artesia's first drive of the third, the 'Dogs were able to convert on fourth down with a four-yard touchdown pass from Warren to Trent Egeland. Jett Fuentes tacked on the conversion, initially losing a side pitch before picking the ball up and charging in to make it 29-8. Another Wildcat punt later, Warren would find Parra from the 29 to put Artesia up 35-8 after the failed conversion pass.
PICTURED: Trent Egeland dives over the goal line with a four-yard Derrick Warren pass for Artesia's first score of the second half.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
PICTURED: Bryce Parra speeds into the corner of the end zone with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Derrick Warren.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
The boys in blue were able to notch their second TD in the final minutes of the third on a 23-yard pass from Kylan Spencer to a wide-open Jude Madrid in the end zone. But the 'Dogs ushered in the fourth quarter with another touchdown of their own, this time on an 11-yard scamper by Parra nine seconds in. Another score just over two minutes later on a 23-yard pass from Warren to Egeland took the Bulldogs a point away from starting the mercy-rule clock with 9:43 to go in the game, 49-15. Lovington was able to take that off the table with a six-yard touchdown pass from Spencer to Joaquin Vasquez, but that would mark their final points of the night.
The 'Cats recovered the subsequent onside kick but would fumble out the back of the end zone on their first offensive play, and although Lovington was able to force a punt as the Bulldog backups entered the contest, the Crush would force a turnover on downs at midfield. Following a pair of runs by Stevan Peralta, one from Ray Ray Cano, and a 13-yard pass from Lucas Atkins to George Blackburn, Atkins hit Destin Pacheco on a screen from the Wildcat 23 to round out the final score with 2:21 to go, 56-23.
The Bulldogs closed out the lengthy bout with a whopping 476 yards of offense, 278 passing and 198 rushing. Parra led the ground game with 136 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, while Warren finished 19 of 31 for 242 passing yards and four TDs. Cael Houghtaling was 2-54 receiving on the night, followed by Byers (4-52-1), Whitehead (3-45), Parra (4-40-1), and Egeland (3-38-2). Corbyn Dominguez was 6-6 on PAT. Lovington finished with 340 total yards, 54 rushing and 286 passing. Spencer was nine of 20 for 165 yards passing and two touchdowns, while Madrid was 3-77 receiving.
With the win, the 'Dogs improved to 5-1 on the season as they prepared to close out the first half of District 2-AAAAA play against Santa Teresa Oct. 3 at the Bowl.
PICTURED: Bryce Parra cruises through the end zone with his third TD of the night on an 11-yard run.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
PICTURED: Trent Egeland looks a 23-yard touchdown pass from Derrick Warren into his hands.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)
STAT BOX
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
Artesia- Bryce Parra 7-run (Corbyn Dominguez kick good), 4:42
Artesia- Tootie McNeil 34-interception return (Dominguez kick good), 3:16
Artesia- Jack Byers 16-pass from Derrick Warren (Dominguez kick good), 1:19
SECOND QUARTER
Lovington- Elijah Rivero 1-pass from Jayden Gutierrez (Rivero run good), 7:51
THIRD QUARTER
Artesia- Trent Egeland 4-pass from Warren (Jett Fuentes run good), 7:14
Artesia- Parra 29-pass from Warren (pass failed), 2:43
Lovington- Jude Madrid 23-pass from Kylan Spencer (Caleb Aranda kick good), 1:35
FOURTH QUARTER
Artesia- Parra 11-run (Dominguez kick good), 11:51
Artesia- Egeland 23-pass from Warren (Dominguez kick good), 9:43
Lovington- Joaquin Vasquez 6-pass from Spencer (Rivero run good), 7:10
Artesia- Destin Pacheco 23-pass from Lucas Atkins (Dominguez kick good), 2:21
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
Artesia- Parra 21-136; Cristian Pando 4-25; Warren 4-15; Sawyer Whitehead 1-11; Stevan Peralta 2-10; Ray Ray Cano 3-3; Byers 1-(-2)
Lovington- Rivero 4-39; Gutierrez 5-8; Aidan Ortiz 1-3; Miguel Perez 3-3; Jonathan Mendivil 1-1; Zachary Diaz 8-0
PASSING
Artesia- Warren 19-31-242-4-1; Atkins 2-5-36-1-0; Byers 0-1-0-0-0
Lovington- Spencer 9-20-165-2-0; Gutierrez 7-16-79-1-2; Perez 2-2-42-0-0; Rivero 0-1-0-0-0
RECEIVING
Artesia- Cael Houghtaling 2-54; Byers 4-52; Whitehead 3-45; Parra 4-40; Egeland 3-38; Pacheco 1-23; George Blackburn 1-13; Fuentes 3-13
Lovington- Madrid 3-77; Rivero 6-69; Chase Terrell 1-48; Perez 2-34; Vasquez 2-28; Pedro Munoz 1-14; Paul Sanchez 1-8; Kyler Reaves 2-8
TEAM STATISTICS
FIRST DOWNS
Artesia 18; Lovington 11
RUSHING YARDS
Artesia 36-198; Lovington 22-54
PASSING YARDS
Artesia 278; Lovington 286
TOTAL YARDS
Artesia 476; Lovington 340
PENALTIES
Artesia 6-51.5; Lovington 9-80
TURNOVERS
Artesia 3; Lovington 3