Peter Stein
Hobbs News-Sun

ARTESIA – All Artesia’s 4A boys soccer team had to do Tuesday night was open its new season against defending state 5A champion Hobbs, a team that was on a 23-game winning streak.

But no pressure or anything.

The Bulldogs, though, made a go of it, and almost pulled off the win before the Eagles rallied for a 2-1 victory at Artesia’s Robert Chase Field.

“I think that our boys are ready to go no matter who they play,” Artesia head coach Phillip Jowers said. “The first game is difficult. You never know what to expect, and our boys showed up and competed.”

And played great defense against one of the state’s best teams, perhaps the best team.

“He does a phenomenal job with defenses,” said Hobbs head coach Reyes Marquez, who notched his 100th career victory Tuesday night.

Reyes’ Eagles, meanwhile, kept their win streak alive, and did so in dramatic fashion. By rallying to edge Artesia, the Eagles not only opened their 2024 season with a victory, they notched their 24th consecutive win in the process.

Not a bad night’s work.

The 2023 Eagles soared along on a 23-0 ride to the program’s first state championship in 26 years. Tuesday kept the win streak going while indicating that 2024 might have the same promise, that it might be another special season.

“We’re going to be in some matches this year, and they know it. They’re going to have to show some heart,” Marquez said. “The good thing is, we saw some maturity from some young guys, which means they’re patient and they work the ball.”

“Keeping the streak alive means a lot, because coming off an undefeated state championship means a lot,” said Hobbs senior Alexis Sanchez, who scored what held up as the game-winner on a late-second-half penalty kick and provided an assist on the Eagles’ first goal. “I’m hoping to keep it going, keep it alive, and my teammates are hoping the same thing.”

“It’s great, coming from last season to this season,” said Eagles junior Juan Camacho, who scored the game-tying goal. “It’s really good.”

“We only needed seven more minutes and we would’ve beaten them,” Jowers said. “Coach Reyes is a great coach. It’s always fun when I get to play him.”

After the game rolled scoreless through the first half and well into the second, Jowers’ 4A Bulldogs grabbed the lead against the defending state 5A champs. Roughly 17-1/2 minutes into the second half, Artesia junior Adan Rojas lined up to attempt an indirect kick. It arced toward the Hobbs goal and in, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Sanchez had an indirect kick of his own roughly two minutes later, and it was a pretty good strike. But Artesia goalie Sebastian Gonzalez leapt, then tipped the ball with one hand backward and over the goal to preserve the Bulldogs’ narrow lead.

A state championship team, though, is used to showing character, relentlessness, and that’s what the Eagles did. The clock was marching toward the nine-minute mark when Sanchez sent a pass through to Camacho. It was a play they had worked on in practice, and this was a chance to utilize it at a crucial juncture of a game.

“It’s just a habit,” Sanchez said. “It just happened. I saw Camacho, sent the ball.”

Camacho booted it while still running from around 25 yards out, and it went in to tie the game.

“As soon as I let it off my foot, Camacho recalled, “I knew it was in.”

That 1-all tie still stood as the second-half time snuck under the four-minute mark. But then Sanchez absorbed contact on the end line to the right of Artesia’s goal, injuring his right ankle and drawing a referee’s whistle.

“Just saw the opportunity to take the ball,” Sanchez said, “and it ended up being a foul.”

With 3:39 remaining in the second half, Sanchez calmly lined up to attempt the penalty kick with a chance to give Hobbs the lead.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” he said, “but I just think about the ball going in and I leave it up to God.”

Sanchez’s kick did go in, and the Eagles had their first lead of the new season.

Artesia’s best chance in the remaining time came when senior Luis Torres fired a diagonal shot from the right side of Hobbs’ goal. But it was deflected out of bounds, and Torres’ resulting corner kick did not lead to a scoring opportunity for the Bulldogs.

Soon, the Eagles had prevailed, along with their winning streak. And with the victory, Hobbs picked up a confidence boost to carry forward.

“This comeback win was great,” Camacho said, “we needed this to start the season. I’m really glad we got this win.”

“We’ll get a lot of confidence on opening night, getting a win like this,” Sanchez said. “It was a hard-fought game, and we know it’s going to be like this the rest of the season.”

With the opening-night rally and the win streak continuing, Marquez’s 100th career victory was like gravy. Seems like it should be 1000, considering that he guided the Lovington boys soccer team to three consecutive state championships and a 2022 state title before leading Hobbs to last year’s undefeated state crown.

“People think I’ve been coaching a lot longer,” Marquez said. “I haven’t. We’ve had success, it’s been like bam-bam-bam. So it’s good.”