JT Keith
There was a lot of good to take from Friday’s intrasquad scrimmage, when the public got its first look at the defending Class 5A state champion Artesia Bulldogs.
Scrimmage
The scrimmage matched the weather: cool early, then bursting open with the sun as pads popped, big plays followed, and both teams scored twice in a 14-14 tie.
“These two weeks have been really fun,” Artesia head football coach Jeremy Maupin said. “We tried to divide the teams up evenly, and we saw a lot of good things and a lot of things we need to fix.”
Maupin said he was proud of the way his team attacked the last two weeks of camp.
Maupin said the depth chart is not set, with jobs still open and plenty of competition ahead. The Bulldogs will be off the week of July 20 because of the fair, then return the week of July 27 for conditioning, the state sanctions week of Aug. 3, as the official start of football, and the team will end with another intrasquad scrimmage.
“Everything is still open,” Maupin said. “There are some positions where guys have solidified that they are going to be on the field, but just how much, we are still working through.”
Experienced players
This year’s team will have 35 seniors, but the Bulldogs are still young in game experience. Maupin said one of the best things the coaching staff does is play a lot of players, whether in a rotation or on special teams. He said Jarod Flores played a lot as a sophomore, and Jonah Doporto, Ivan Chavez, Thomas Melendez and Brandon Baeza all played meaningful time.
“We had a lot of guys who played in critical moments, and that is a positive thing,” Maupin said. “This group has surprised me by how focused they have come out.”
At the skill positions, Maupin said several players made plays during the scrimmage. He noted George Blackburn IV and Layton Whitmire at receiver, said Tyler Egeland had a good two weeks and added that sophomores Logan Rodriguez and Kai Greathouse, along with seniors Destin Pacheco and Jaden Fernandez, have put together strong summers.
“Our skill guys, we plan on playing a bunch of guys,” Maupin said. “We have a bunch of weapons that teams are going to have to guard.”
A Srteisa receiver makes a catch during Friday’s scrimmage at the Bulldog Bowl.
Quarterbacks
At quarterback, Maupin said Lucas Atkin and Chance Hocker both showed growth, and the coaching staff is still sorting through the competition.
“Both quarterbacks did some really good things tonight and were really fun to see,” Maupin said. “The game ends in a 14-14 tie, and each one of them throws a touchdown, and each one had a pick.”
Maupin said the quarterbacks also had turnovers the Bulldogs have to clean up. Artesia put together big drives but did not always finish, and Maupin said he will have a better answer on the quarterback battle once the team jells together.
“I think Lucas Atkin has done a really good job as the senior guy coming in,” Maupin said. “He has been putting a lot of work in, and so I kind of continue to see him playing, and Chance is going to be nipping at his heels. He is doing a lot of good things, too. It is going to be fun for those two and how they compete.”
Next scrimmage
The next scrimmage open to the public will be at 5 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Bulldog Bowl. The event will include the band, cheerleaders, and a $5 hamburger fry.
After the scrimmage, the team will host its Friday Night Under the Lights kids camp for kindergarten through sixth grade.