Artesia entered Friday night’s rivalry showdown with Roswell hoping to make a statement at Bulldog Bowl. Instead, the Bulldogs spent the night trying to overcome another slow start.
The No. 1-ranked Coyotes raced to a 21-point lead and handed the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs a 62-36 District 2-5A loss.
“We got whipped,” Artesia football coach Jeremy Maupin said. “I did not have us prepared to play.”
The Bulldogs (4-4, 4-1 District 2-5A) have started slowly in three of their losses. They spotted Carlsbad a 20-point lead and allowed Centennial to score 31 points before they got on the board. Against Roswell (7-1, 5-0), Artesia trailed 21-0 before scoring a touchdown with 6:33 left in the second quarter.
“They (Roswell) built a 21-point lead, and we could not cut into it,” Maupin said. “By the time we started getting after it, we could not get stops. We had a couple of turnovers early that could have gotten us back into the game.”
Maupin said that by the time the offense found its rhythm, it was too late. Despite the score, he believed the defense played well early, but the offense could not capitalize.
Leading up to the game, Maupin said the Bulldogs had a good week of practice and did some things well at times Friday.
“We just could not put it together for four quarters,” Maupin said. “You have to do that against really good football teams, and I think Roswell is a really good football team.”
With two games left in the regular season, Maupin has turned his attention to preparing the Bulldogs to face the Goddard Rockets at 7 p.m. Friday at the Wool Bowl.
Despite the loss, Maupin told his players their goals remain. The ultimate goal is a state championship.
“There are six weeks until the championship,” Maupin said. “We’ll talk about Roswell when we get there, but right now it is Goddard and then Mayfield and finishing the season with some momentum.”
Last year’s game against Goddard was closer than the 24-14 final score indicated. The teams were tied 7-7 at halftime.
“Hopefully, we will get another chance at them (Roswell) in the championship game and play better football,” Maupin said. “The goal is to be the best football team we can be by the end of the season, and we still have time to make that right.”
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