Artesia prepares for Carlsbad with a clear plan and a familiar mindset
On Friday at 7 p.m., two teams will enter Bulldog Bowl from two different ramps. The Artesia Bulldogs will come down the Winner’s Ramp, and the Carlsbad Cavemen will walk the opponent’s ramp. It has been 266 days since Artesia won the 5A state championship, and now the 2026 season begins with baptism by fire.
On the eve of the opener, Bulldogs head coach Jeremy Maupin weighed in on what he expects from his team and what Carlsbad brings to the table.
“This is the beginning of our journey”
Artesia opens with three straight 6A opponents — Carlsbad, Hobbs and Centennial — a stretch Maupin believes will define the Bulldogs early.
“People don’t like to hear this, but it’s the first step on the journey to getting better,” Maupin said. “We don’t think of anybody as a rivalry. We just want to play good football. Carlsbad isn’t any different from the other teams we play. Whether we win or lose, it’s a 6A opponent, and we know we’re going to get better playing these guys.”
For Maupin, the opener is about building, not peaking.
“We don’t want to peak on Friday, August 21,” he said. “We want this to be the beginning of our journey.”
Finishing drives and protecting the football
Carlsbad enters the season with a new defensive coordinator, which means Artesia will have to adjust quickly. The Cavemen didn’t show much in their scrimmages, leaving Maupin and his staff preparing for multiple looks.
“We saw the scrimmage,” Maupin said. “But we don’t really know if that’s what they’re going to be in or not.”
Carlsbad showed an even front with four down linemen and played a deep quarter shell designed to keep everything in front of them. Maupin said that means Artesia must finish drives and avoid turnovers — especially after last year’s game, when Bryce Parra broke loose for multiple long touchdown runs.
“We have to finish drives,” Maupin said. “And we can’t turn the ball over.”
Stopping the run and creating turnovers
Carlsbad will start sophomore quarterback Noah Sneathen, and Maupin said the Bulldogs must stop the run first. The Cavemen return their tight end and running back, though neither played in the scrimmage.
Like last season, Maupin wants his defense to be opportunistic.
“We have to tackle,” Maupin said. “I think Carlsbad is going to be good this year. I think we’re both two different teams than we were last year.”
Last season, Marco Soto returned an 80‑yard fumble for a touchdown — the kind of momentum-changing play Maupin wants again.
Containing McKibben will be critical
One player Maupin singled out is UCLA signee Colton McKibben, Carlsbad’s standout linebacker.
“He’s a stud and really good,” Maupin said. “We have to make sure we contain him. I think you have to run right at him and make him make some plays.”