PICTURED: The 2025 Bulldog football team hoists the program's 33rd blue trophy following Saturday's 25-24 Class 5A State Championship win over Roswell High at Bulldog Bowl.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Every great story has a hero. Whether they succeed or fail, they're what make you truly invested in the outcome. Someone with a pure goal and a purer heart, who fights to the bitter end and inspires all around them to keep going even when the situation seems at its bleakest.

When the story of the 2025 Class 5A State Championship is told -- and it will be, many times, by everyone who witnessed it and everyone who wishes they had -- a host of names will be among the cast of characters. A nigh on unbelievable series of feats will be recounted, each of which comprised a comeback that many would have deemed impossible. Rewritten record books will be cited. Most of the tales, including this one, will begin at the end: four minutes of football that will go down in the annals of New Mexico history.

And will songs be sung of it? Well, there's already one that springs to mind: "Onward, Bulldogs, into the fight. We will back you with all our might. Fearless, peerless, hear us shout out. You're just the kind of team that sets off the crowd. Onward, Bulldogs, into the game. You will win it; you'll bring us fame -- fame and honor in every way. You'll be the heroes of the day."

Now, about those four minutes...

PICTURED: Bulldog Bowl is pictured from field level prior to the start of Saturday's Class 5A State Championship.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The clock on the LG Henderson Field House read 4:01 when Roswell High lined up for its second field-goal attempt of the afternoon, leading 24-11. To that point, the story had read more like the work of Edward A. Murphy or Lemony Snicket for the Bulldogs. It started with the Coyotes' recovery of their own opening kick, progressed through a series of punts and turnovers on downs, and had resulted in just one touchdown through 44 minutes of play. In short, nothing had gone according to plan. But sometimes plans change. What matters then is our ability to change with them.

"Man, today definitely wasn't our best game," head coach Jeremy Maupin said following the contest. "But these guys never gave up, and I'm just so proud of them. That comeback's probably one of the best I've ever been a part of and ever seen."

Things had fared better for the Bulldog defense. Apart from a touchdown to start the third quarter, the 'Dogs hadn't given up a score on a drive that started from beyond midfield, forcing three punts, a TOD, and an interception between. With time running out and Roswell having made a meal of the clock for the bulk of the game, it was imperative that the Coyotes be gotten off the field. The Twin Terrors of Artesia's linebacker corps, Miguel and Marco Soto, took that task in hand. The former ran down Roswell running back Nathaniel Lujan from behind on a potentially dangerous first-down play, while the latter followed with a big tackle of sophomore RB Luis Rodriguez -- who'd amassed nearly 150 rushing yards up till then -- for a loss of two. That forced Roswell into a field-goal try on fourth down, a 27-yard attempt that would've been a chip shot for Coyote kicker Benjamin Vera. But as the snap went back, safety Charlie Campbell came darting around the corner before laying out and blocking the kick for what would be the first of several game-deciding efforts in the final four.

Three minutes and 57 seconds remained when the Bulldog offense lined up at the Coyote 20-yard line. Artesia's air game had been out of sync for much of the day, but none would've known as the unit went quickly and efficiently to work. Senior quarterback Derrick Warren opened by dropping a precision pass into the waiting arms of Sawyer Whitehead, going over the 200 mark on the day with the 34-yard throw. From there, he dealt to the opposite side of the field, where Trent Egeland was waiting to use his height to get above his defender and make the 33-yard catch to set Artesia up at the Coyote 13-yard line before the capacity-plus crowd had scarcely blinked. As the volume rose from both sides of the field, Warren connected with Whitehead again for a gain of five. And on third down from the eight came the next man up: junior back Cristian Pando, who'd stepped into the backfield for phenom RB Bryce Parra after the senior was thrice injured in the game. Pando headed for the outside before spying a hole and cutting back, bursting into the end zone for the touchdown with 3:08 to go. Corbyn Dominguez, whose massive 48-yard field goal had prevented Roswell from pitching a shutout in the first half, tacked on the PAT to make it 24-18.

Everyone in the state knew what was coming next, and that was down to Dominguez as well. His dangerously rolling onside kick covered the distance before careening off a Coyote. Before Roswell could recover, senior corner and return specialist Edel Villa was on the ball. And although a small pile formed, Villa wasn't waiting for the officials to unpack it, exploding off the turf and to the home sideline, the ball held triumphantly aloft.

What ensued was a gauntlet of a drive, as if the 'Dogs were being required to prove themselves worthy of the sudden turn of events. Spoiler alert: They were.

The first trial was the most nerve-racking. A nine-yard toss from Warren to Jett Fuentes and a pair of incomplete passes brought about fourth and one from the Roswell 39. Warren called his own number, pushing around the line and diving for what appeared to be a clear-cut first down. The ball was placed significantly further back, however, creating a tense few minutes as the officiating crew called the chain gang onto the field. Fortunately, the spot was still within first-down territory... by an inch.

As the series continued, another nine-yard play -- this time a run by Pando, who shot through the gap to the Coyote 29 -- preceded a second fourth and short, and Warren left no room for doubt this time, going seven yards up the gut to start afresh at the Coyote 22. A seven-yarder to Jack Byers and a one-yard toss to Pando, however, brought about the possession's third fourth-down situation. And this time, it was Byers' turn to put his brothers on his back. The senior wide out doubled back on his defender and dove to make a crucial five-yard catch that gave Artesia one final set of downs from the nine. And on first and goal, Warren lofted a pass as Byers bolted for the end zone. There was a moment of quiet as everyone in Artesia's legendary stadium held their breath. But as Byers crossed the goal line, he twisted his upper body back toward the middle of the field, plucking the ball out of the air and pulling it back into his body to secure a nine-yard touchdown pass that became an instant television and social media highlight.

PICTURED: Jack Byers is shown making the game-winning nine-yard touchdown catch of a pass from Derrick Warren in the above series of photos.
(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Confetti flew into the air as a roar that could potentially have been heard from Roswell rose from the home stands, where the Sea of Orange, celebrating beneath the lengthening shadow of the Bulldog Bowl press box, began envisioning the start of a new row of numbered footballs on its face. As Byers walked away from the football spinning in the end zone and into the waiting arms of his teammates, the Coyotes and their fans were clearly in shock. It had taken the 'Dogs just three-and-a-half minutes to undo a game's worth of work by the boys in red. But down 25-24 with 24 seconds left in the season, they had one last shot -- and the Orange Crush defense one last goal to complete.

As Noah Stinson attempted to add positive yards to Dominguez's squib kick, Marco Soto and Layton Whitmire were there to plant him at the Coyote 32-yard line. From there, Roswell senior quarterback Luke Lynn's first passing attempt was underthrown as Soto bore down on him. The second fell incomplete as well, its intended target swarmed by the Bulldog secondary. A delay of game set the Coyotes back five yards further, and as the final seconds ticked away and a chant of "defense" pressed down from the stands, the ball was snapped and Lynn began to scramble, looking for anything. All he saw was the number 52. Soto closed in on him again, preventing any hope of a pass as Ivan Chavez fought hard through a hold to help finish the sack.

And with that, what happened before simply didn't matter anymore. All the Bulldogs needed in the end was four minutes and belief.

"It feels great," said Villa. "We've done a lot this year, a lot of adversity faced, and we just pulled through. We kept our faith in our offense and defense, never getting down on each other and just staying 100."

"To go out with a win... just to win and be here with my brothers," said Campbell. "It got scary for a little while, but we legged it out, and it feels awesome."

"It's just an amazing feeling," said Marco Soto. "We came out here and we wanted to win this game. Yes, during the game it didn't go the way we expected it to, but I'm just glad we were able to pull through together and be able to win the game today."

It was a sign of things to come Saturday when the Coyotes' opening pooch kick eluded a pair of Bulldogs before bouncing into the waiting arms of Stinson. With help from a sack of Lynn by Soto for a loss of 10 and a bad snap, the Crush was able to force a punt on Roswell's first possession, but following an Artesia three and out, the Coyotes would find the end zone on fourth and goal from the three via a sprint to the corner of the end zone by Olin Ingram. Parra's initial injury came on a tackle that saw his helmet ripped off for Roswell's first of six personal fouls on the afternoon, but the 'Dogs were able to breach the Coyote red zone before turning the ball over on downs.

After the teams traded punts, Villa stepped up to end Roswell's next series, snagging a Lynn pass at the Bulldog 30 and returning it 21 yards. Artesia was unable to capitalize, however, quickly turning it over on downs again at midfield. That facilitated the Coyotes' second scoring drive of the day, which culminated in a one-yard plunge by Lynn, and with 28 seconds remaining in the half, it looked as though the 'Dogs might be heading up the ramp scoreless. But an 18-yard pass from Warren to Parra and a pair of throws to Byers took the ball to the Coyote 31, from which Dominguez hammered home what turned out to be a game-changing 48-yard field goal -- which had the distance and then some -- to make it 14-3 at the break.

Roswell scored out of the gate to kick off the third on a 32-yard run by Rodriguez, taking four minutes off the clock in the process. But the Bulldogs were able to respond with their first touchdown drive of the day, as Warren completed a 28-yard pass to Byers, who was then targeted to advance the ball to the Coyote nine. From there, Warren hit Parra on a screen pass, who sped past one block and took the final two defenders with him into the end zone to bring the 'Dogs within 10, 21-11, with 6:30 left in the quarter following the Warren-to-Egeland conversion pass. The Orange Crush put the ball swiftly back in Artesia's hands with a turnover on downs, but the Bulldogs' next drive ended in kind, and the Coyotes were able to open the fourth with a 34-yard field goal by Vera that made it 24-11.

PICTURED: Bryce Parra drags a pair of Coyote defenders over the goal line on a nine-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

It looked as though the game might be escaping Artesia's reach when, with 10 minutes to go in the game, defensive tackle Gaberial Villegas was able to punch the ball out of Warren's hand from behind and Kannon Ramage recovered it at the Coyote 37. But the Bulldog D was able to once again hold Roswell High at bay, forcing a punt from the 50. One last TOD by the 'Dogs was followed by the huge defensive stand that led to Campbell's field-goal block, a drive that started at the Artesia 17-yard line but ended as quickly as it had.

It was a devastating loss for the defending-champion Coyotes, who'd been seeking their ninth title, and was by no means a pretty win for the boys in orange. But the big picture couldn't have been more beautiful for the City of Champions, as the 'Dogs hoisted the program's 33rd blue trophy on their home turf, a dusky orange sunset and a wall of screaming fans providing their backdrop. The evening ended with 35 seniors who'd given their all to their team, both Saturday and throughout their high school careers, raising the "1" atop the press box, together.

"It was just so much fun to see these guys never give up," Maupin said. "We're all so proud of what they accomplished this season. This group of seniors is one of the best I've ever had, and we're gonna miss 'em. But I'm so proud of them and know they're gonna be successful in life."

The Bulldogs (12-1) finished with 326 yards of offense on the day to Roswell's 310, relying heavily on their passing game. Warren was 22 of 44 for 264 yards and two touchdowns, one apiece to Byers -- who led the receiving corps with nine catches for 94 yards -- and Parra. Whitehead had four receptions for 53 yards in the contest, while Fuentes was 4-51. Parra, who came into the bout with more than 1,200 rushing yards and 17 TDs on the season, and who delivered Artesia's initial touchdown in the second half, still contributed heavily to the win despite his unfortunate exit. Without his services, the 'Dogs posted just 46 ground yards, the remaining 264 coming by air mail. Rodriguez closed out with 23 carries for 142 yards rushing for the Coyotes, with Lynn going six of 12 for 112 yards passing and Kolby Sanchez 4-74 receiving.

Their 33rd title in 40 state game appearances adds to the 'Dogs' New Mexico record for most state championships won but also gives the program sole possession of second place on the National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFHS) list of teams with the most titles won in the nation. Little Rock Central, Ark., which won its last championship in 2004, remains in third. As has been frequently pointed out, the Bulldogs are first on that list in the modern era, as the team listed in first with 41 titles -- Sioux Falls Washington, S.D. -- won its last championship in 2017 but has been counting since 1905, when many state championships in the country were decided in largely unofficial fashions. Artesia's 33 titles have all come since 1957.

This most recent was one of the most emotional in recent memory for the Bulldogs, but in the end, they earned their happily ever after.

"It feels awesome," said Warren. "I feel like we worked all year for this, and I'm just so happy and excited. I thank everybody -- all the coaches and all the players."

"It's unbelievable," said senior back Cael Houghtaling. "We've been working so hard, and it finally came through. It was a little rough, but we figured it out, so that's all that matters."

"Last year, we obviously didn't play our best game, so coming back this year and redeeming ourselves, fighting back in the second half -- it just shows you the kind of team we were," said Byers. "It's an amazing feeling."

"It was a dog fight, you know," Miguel Soto said. "From the first quarter to the fourth quarter. We just continued to get stops, the offense had to come back and score a touchdown at the last second -- it was a dog fight. But it's great to be a Bulldog."

PICTURED: The Bulldog football team poses with their trophy, banner and bracket following Saturday's Class 5A State Championship at Bulldog Bowl.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

PICTURED: The 2025 Bulldog seniors can be seen atop the press box at Bulldog Bowl after raising the "1".
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER
Roswell High- Olin Ingram 3-run (Benjamin Vera kick good), 3:22
SECOND QUARTER
Roswell High- Luke Lynn 1-run (Vera kick good), :28
Artesia- Corbyn Dominguez 48-field goal, :00
THIRD QUARTER
Roswell High- Luis Rodriguez 32-run (Vera kick good), 7:54
Artesia- Bryce Parra 9-pass from Derrick Warren (Warren to Trent Egeland pass good), 6:03
FOURTH QUARTER
Roswell High- Vera 34-field goal, 10:56
Artesia- Cristian Pando 8-run (Dominguez kick good), 3:08
Artesia- Jack Byers 9-pass from Warren (Dominguez kick good), :24

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING
Artesia- Warren 8-18; Pando 2-17; Parra 5-11; Cael Houghtaling 1-0
Roswell High- Rodriguez 23-142; Nathaniel Lujan 13-41; Lynn 13-20; Ingram 2-8; Rendon Duran 1-3
PASSING
Artesia- Warren 22-44-264-2-0
Roswell High- Lynn 6-12-112-0-1
RECEIVING
Artesia- Byers 9-94; Sawyer Whitehead 4-53; Jett Fuentes 4-51; Egeland 1-33; Parra 2-27; Houghtaling 1-5; Pando 1-1
Roswell High- Kolby Sanchez 4-74; Izaic Gonzales 1-38; Ingram 1-0

TEAM STATISTICS

FIRST DOWNS
Artesia 14; Roswell High 14
RUSHING YARDS
Artesia 16-46; Roswell High 52-214
PASSING YARDS
Artesia 264; Roswell High 112
TOTAL YARDS
Artesia 310; Roswell High 326
PENALTIES
Artesia 8-65; Roswell High 12-125
TURNOVERS
Artesia 1; Roswell High 1

RED-GREEN ALL-STARS

(Graphics by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Green Team Defense
• Chris Aguilar, defensive lineman
• Marco Soto, inside linebacker
• Edel Villa, defensive end/outside linebacker
• Tootie McNeil, secondary
Red Team Offense
• Derrick Warren, quarterback
• Bryce Parra, running back
• Jack Byers, receiver
Red Team Defense
• Charlie Campbell, secondary