There has been plenty of debate about who wears the crown in Class 4A basketball. The answer may come down to a familiar showdown.

Defending champion Artesia and Highland — last year’s state finalist — are on a collision course once again. The Bulldogs edged the Hornets 55-48 for the title a year ago, and to keep their crown, they’ll likely have to go through Highland one more time.

Artesia enters with something to prove.

The Bulldogs opened the season ranked No. 1 and held that spot until a 64-63 loss to Portales on a last-second buzzer-beater Feb. 3. That remains Artesia’s only loss to a Class 4A opponent this season, but it was enough to shift the narrative — and the top seed.

Artesia guard Braylon Vega has been shooting the lights out of the basketball. He lit up Gallup with 40 points on Wednesday.

Fight over No. 1

Since that night, Highland has taken over the No. 1 ranking and enters the tournament as the top seed.

Artesia coach Michael Mondragon said the matchup feels like déjà vu.

“Playing Highland is like looking in a mirror,” Mondragon said.

The Hornets are veteran-heavy, led by five seniors and a group back from last season’s championship run.

“It’s going to take our best game of the season,” Highland coach Justin Woody said. “We’ve played all the best teams in the state. Sometimes you’re successful, sometimes you’re not, but we’re as prepared as we can be.”

Same team, different jersey

When the Bulldogs and Hornets line up, there won’t be many surprises.

Highland’s offense runs through four guards, led by senior Nico Sanchez, who averages 19.9 points per game. Sanchez can score at all three levels — attacking the rim, drawing fouls or pulling up from deep. He’s shooting 34% from 3-point range, second on the team behind Fede Nunez, who connects at 38%.

“They’re tough,” Mondragon said. “They’ve got shooters, good guards, and No. 2 is their best player. It’s a tough challenge, but I like where we’re at.”

Mondragon said Highland wants to play fast and push the tempo — much like his Bulldogs. Highland thrives off mistakes, turning live-ball turnovers into quick points before defenses can get set.

Big man in the middle

Highland’s defensive identity starts inside.

The Hornets gamble for steals, confident they have a safety net in junior Jerry Moody, the team’s primary rim protector. Moody has 50 blocks this season and was a difference-maker in last year’s meeting, even though he scored just one point in 21 minutes.

His impact showed up everywhere else — altering shots, deterring drives, and erasing easy looks at the rim.

“He’s their last line of defense,” Mondragon said. “That changes everything.”

Mondragon sees plenty of similarities between the two teams.

“They’re very similar to us,” he said. “We have a big presence inside, but they’re good — and they’re ranked No. 1 for a reason.”

For Artesia, the formula is simple and familiar: take care of the ball, defend, and rebound.

Do that, and the Bulldogs give themselves a chance.

The winner won’t just claim a trophy — they’ll have captured four of the past five Class 4A state championships, further cementing a rivalry that has defined the division.

Artesia basketball coach does his pregame handshake with his two team trainers before the game.

The Artesia Bulldogs have relished being the hunted. With a championship berth on the line, they turned hunter into prey once again, dispatching Hope Christian 71-52 in the semifinals of the Nusenda Credit Union 4A Boys basketball state championship.

Hope Christian had no answer for the Bulldogs’ center, Clay Kincaid. And Artesia’s interior game, as the Bulldogs controlled the paint from the opening possession.

 On that first trip down the floor, Artesia went straight to Kincaid. He scored on an inside jumper, drew a foul and, normally stoic, erupted with emotion, slapping hands with teammates as he walked to the line. The moment set the tone.

“It was a little more emotional than usual,” Kincaid said. “I normally play with a straight face. I thought it might be contagious and get everyone fired up.”

Kincaid led all scorers with 24 points. Forward Trent Egeland added 16 points, doing most of his damage in the paint, and shooting guard Braylon Vega chipped in 14.

The Bulldogs started slowly and appeared momentarily unsettled by the Huskies’ defensive looks, but still carried a 33-27 lead into halftime.

“I thought we did a great job at halftime making some adjustments,” Bulldogs coach Michael Mondragon said. “I did not think we executed very well in the first half. The efficiency- I really want to make sure we executed. We felt we had a huge advantage in multiple spots, but we were playing a little too fast.”

Hope Christian coach Jim Murphy credited Artesia’s significant experience, depth, and senior leadership.

“We tried to start pressing them and got out of our game plan,” Murphy said. “I am proud of our guys; they did not quit, but today we fell a little short.”

His team briefly cut the deficit to two points, but couldn’t convert when their opportunities came.

Mondragon said he told his team after the game how proud of them he was of them and how much he loves them.

Artesia (25-5) will play one final game at 4 p.m. Saturday, facing the No. 1 seed Highland Hornets, which defeated Taos 71-55.

Highland (26-4) and Artesia met in last year’s championship game, as the Bulldogs won 55-48.

After watching his team suffer an 80–19 loss to Artesia in the state tournament, Gallup boys’ basketball coach Ryan Becenti didn’t dwell on the score. Instead, he talked about what the Bulldogs represent — and what he wants his own program to become.

In an era of debate over whether high school athletes should specialize in one sport or compete year-round in multiple sports, the Artesia Bulldogs are prompting coaches to think the team is on to something.

“That is a veteran team,” Becenti said. “Artesia’s coaching staff is excellent, and the team has very skilled athletes. We had a game plan, but we didn’t execute it very well. To be honest, a lot of intimidation was a big factor.”

The stage mattered, too. Playing at The Pit in Albuquerque proved too much for his group, which was seeing Artesia in the postseason for the second straight year.

Last season, the Bulldogs eliminated Gallup in the opening round with a 91–57 win at the Bulldog Pit — a game that was competitive until the third quarter, when Artesia pulled away. This time, the result came quicker.

Gallup couldn’t contain Artesia shooting guard Braylon Vega, who hit 9 of 11 from 3‑point range and finished with a game‑high 40 points.

“You can’t lose sight of ball and man,” Becenti said. “For our kids, being in The Pit — something they hadn’t experienced — the moment got a little too big. We got excited, and we were frustrated on defense.”

Becenti said Artesia’s roster looks largely unchanged from last season, only more refined.

“They’ve put more work in,” he said. “They look in shape. They look strong. It’s the same team. They’ve played together and spent a lot of time together in the summer. I know they went to some big team camps. It’s a veteran group with veteran coaches.”

Artesia guard Braylon Vega scores on a three-point shot as the Bulldogs win 80-19 at the Pit in Albuquerque on Wednesday night.

Gallup’s plan was to wear the Bulldogs down. Instead, Artesia’s length and athleticism flipped the script, and the Bengals couldn’t get out and run — the part that hurt most, Becenti said.

“That’s the competition we want to play,” he said. “We want to be at Artesia’s level, and we have to work toward that.”

For Becenti, the lesson extends beyond basketball.

“Our kids need to play other sports,” he said. “They need to run track and play football and do the things their kids do.”

He pointed to Artesia standout Charlie Campbell IV — an all-state football and baseball player — as an example of the multi-sport model Gallup hopes to develop.

Asked whether Gallup’s preseason schedule prepared his team for Artesia, Becenti said it did not. He plans to pursue tougher competition in the metro, teams from southern New Mexico, and top 4A and 5A programs going forward.