Roswell defensive back David Fresquez tries to tackle Artesia’s Jack Byers during Friday night action at the Wool Bowl.
Sights of the Artesia vs. Roswell football game
Big plays give Bulldogs win over Roswell
ROSWELL – The one thing Roswell football coach Jeff Lynn said his team must do against Artesia was not let the Bulldogs score on big plays.
That did not happen, as Artesia jumped out to a 21-point lead in the first half en route to a 42-58 victory over Roswell Friday night at the Wool Bowl.
The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-0 District 2-5A) came into the game against Roswell as the Maxpreps No. 1 team in the state, while the Coyotes were No. 2. The showdown between the teams in District 2- 5A.
“I think Roswell has some good pieces,” said Artesia coach Jeremy Maupin. “I thought we came in firing off, we had a good first drive, and we ended up missing a field goal, but our defense just played well in the first half. Our (defense) had three stops, back-to-back-to-back, which allowed us to get a 21-point lead in the first half. We have some things that we need to clean up, but other than that, I am pretty happy.”
Maupin said his team was able to mix and match some things and could move the ball all night.
Artesia converted on two fourth downs on its first series, as Bulldog quarterback Derrick Warren threw a 31-yard pass to running back Bryce Parra for a touchdown. Artesia kicker Corbyn Dominguez added the Point After Touchdown to take a 7-0 lead with one minute to play in the first quarter.
“I trust those guys,” Maupin said about going for fourth down four times in the game. “Those guys are begging me for a play, before I can think of a play. I want that, I trust them (players) and I want them to know they can trust me.”
Roswell (5-3, 4-1) seemed to load up for the run in hopes of stopping Parra, but wide receiver Trent Egeland had a big night with nine catches for 153 yards and scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 10-yard pass from Warren with nine minutes left to play in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a 21-0 lead.
“I think we have five legit targets (wide receivers),” Maupin said. “I don’t look out there to see who is out there. I just trust everybody, and everybody got a call tonight. Unfortunately, we did not get Sawyer (Whitehead) a ball, but we had a call for him, we had some things not go right. Jett (Fuentes) had the big touchdown. Cael (Houghtaling) had some big catches, Jack (Byers) had some outstanding plays, and Egeland had a huge game. The offensive line really protected well, so it was an excellent game.”
Roswell came back with six minutes left in the second quarter when Luke Lynn threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Izaic Gonzales to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 21-6. Roswell held and then came back down and scored a touchdown when Coyote running back Luis Rodriguez dashed in from the 6-yard line to make the score 21-14 with two minutes to play in the half.
Artesia stemmed the momentum when Warren found slotback Jett Fuentes on a 20-yard pass to score a touchdown, making the score 28-14. After half, the Coyotes drove the ball down to the Bulldogs’ 30-yard line, Roswell went for it on fourth down and 2 yards and was stuffed by the Bulldogs’ defense. On the first play from scrimmage, Parra caught a 75-yard pass from Warren to score with less than a minute in the quarter to give the Artesia with the PAT being good a 35-14 lead. Warren once again connected with Egeland on a 10-yard touchdown pass with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter to make the score 42-21.
With under a minute to play in the game, Roswell running back Noah Estrada ran around the left side to score, making it 42-28.
Artesia is home for the final two weeks of the season and will host Goddard at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bulldog Bowl.
“Goddard is on the rise,” Maupin said. “Coach (Art) Bolanos has those guys playing well, so we have to win two good games the next two weeks, to give ourselves a chance in the playoffs. We have to play some excellent football this week.”
Stats of the game
Artesia
Bryce Parra rushed 19 times for 106 yards. Warren passed the ball 19-for-33 for 318 yards and six touchdowns and ran seven times for 28 yards.
Egeland had nine catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and Parra had three receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Byers had four catches for 44 yards. Jett Fuentes had three receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs ran the ball 28 times for 131 yards, 20 receptions for 357 yards passing. Lost one fumble and had eight penalties for 70 yards. The Bulldogs were 4-of-16 on third down conversions and 3-of-4 on fourth down conversions.
Roswell
Roswell ran the ball 33 times for 178 yards and 11 receptions for 207 yards with two touchdowns. Roswell had 11 penalties for 90 yards. 2-for-12 on third down conversions and 2-for-4- on fourth down conversions.
Pear cake for a cool autumn day
Wheeler Cowperthwaite
Every year a different vegetable or fruit takes over the spotlight. Sometimes its apples, usually it’s zucchini.
Every year, the paw paws give up a few fruits and are eaten as-is, innards scooped out with a spoon. I hope next year, I can opine about the wondrous arctic kiwis, vines that grow voraciously after the first couple of years and offer fruit like their New Zealand cousins.
This year, it’s the pears. For the past few years, the trees either haven’t given any fruit, or just a little, but this year, there was enough to actually do something.
So then comes the question: what do you do with a bunch of pears? Aside from jam, there is always one obvious answer: bake them. But how?
I took a nod from my baker friend Olivia (who is responsible for more than a few of these columns) and decided to try a pear cake.
My go-to dessert maker, Claire Saffitz, only had a single recipe I could find for a pear cake and it required chestnuts that were turned into flour, so I had to pivot. Instead, I landed on a recipe for an Italian pear cake, reminiscent of the types of cakes served with coffee when I lived in Germany. Dense, not too sweet, with a little fruit inside.
The Italian pear cake recipe didn’t call for powdering any chestnuts and the most exotic ingredient was yogurt. I was saved, as would be the pears.
This pear cake does double duty. Make it a European afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or serve it as a desert after dinner.
The cake is leavened with baking powder and the rest of the ingredients are simple: flour, sugar, eggs, butter. Like most recipes, I mix together the dry ingredients separately, first, to get the baking powder well combined in the flour, before adding them to the wet mixture.
The cake is baked in a 9.5-inch round baking pan, but it could also be baked in a cast iron pan.
Ingredients
3 large pears, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 cups flour (all purpose)
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk yogurt (unflavored)
½ cup butter, melted and allowed to cool
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line the baking pan with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray.
Using an electric mixer (or stand mixer), in a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar until they are creamy and a little fluffy.
Stir in the yogurt, melted butter and vanilla extract. Combine with a spoon until smooth, don’t use the electric mixer.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Gently combine and stir the mixed flour into the wet batter, stirring gently until combined. Add in the pears, mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into the baking pan or cast iron pan.
Bake for 50 minutes, alternately, until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center.
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Options for serving include whipped cream or ice cream.
Recipe adapted from Cucina by Elena
Vote yes on mill levy
Dr. Joe Salgado
Artesia General Hospital
As a physician, helping people is not just the nature of the job; instead, it’s the driving force with which we approach each day. In my work as CEO of Artesia General Hospital, not only do I get the privilege of helping Artesia families live happier, healthier lives, but I also get the sincere honor of helping to guide our incredibly talented staff in extending that help to our entire community.
That helping spirit isn’t just limited to AGH, though. It is abundant throughout Artesia. Our community is one-of-a-kind, always up for the challenge of rallying around our neighbors and lending a helping hand. The community has regularly shown up and supported the hospital through the Mill Levy, and it is up for renewal this November.
I encourage everyone to celebrate their Artesia pride and head to the polls to vote “yes” on the renewal to keep our healthcare local.
We are fortunate to have a high quality medical facility like AGH here in our small community. Whether you come down with an infection and need a walk-in appointment, need to schedule a cardiologist visit, or want to seek behavioral healthcare services, you’ll find all of that here–without having to drive hours to a larger city. Unfortunately, many of our neighbors throughout the state are not so lucky, with New Mexico facing a lack of medical providers and services in many communities.
To keep our healthcare local and ensure continual operations of all the services Artesia families rely upon daily at AGH, the Mill Levy is crucial.
Not only does it fund improvements, facility upgrades, and new equipment that enable our team to better do our jobs and to better serve our patients, but it also assists in funding current hospital operations and services. The Mill Levy is pivotal in keeping things running as they are, and in ensuring we can continue to advance to meet the changing needs of Artesia families.
Whether it’s you, your family, your friends or your neighbors who need quick, local access to high quality healthcare, it’s your vote that can make the difference. It’s an easy call to make, especially when the Mill Levy will not raise taxes.
I’m proud to call Artesia home, just like I’m proud to represent and work for AGH where each day, I get to see the diverse faces that make up our strong and compassionate community. This November, I ask for your support, so that we can continue to build a happy and thriving community.
Let’s keep healthcare close to home. Vote “Yes” on the mill levy renewal.
Joe Salgado is CEO of Artesia General Hospital.
Scenes of pure joy, just watching the the Bulldogs Dog Pile
The real test begins for Artesia football- Roswell football coach gives three keys to beating the Bulldogs
Editor’s note: This story is exclusive content for our subscribers
All of the talking is done; this is the time in the football season when the pretenders are separated from the contenders. It gets started with the showdown in the Wool Bowl at 7 p.m. Friday, when the No.1 team in the state, Artesia Bulldogs, visits the No. 2 team in the state, the Roswell Coyotes. At stake is top seeding for the playoffs.
Roswell football coach Jeff Lynn said when he was named coach at Roswell in 2014, the team was not very good, finishing 2-8 in his first season. He also mentioned that the rivalry against Artesia is not very long-standing.
Coach Lynn said that Bulldogs did not take Roswell very seriously and that, in his opinion, the rivalry is not as intense as the Goddard rivalry.
“I think the Roswell-Artesia rivalry has been good,” Lynn said when he spoke to Albuquerque Journal sportswriter Jame Yodice on Prep Central. “I think it is a healthy rivalry; it is not a whole lot of fun if Roswell does not have Artesia and vice versa. We kind of need this rivalry, it has been good for both of us and has pushed us both, and I think we are both better because of it.”
When Lynn spoke with Artesia Daily Press sports editor JT Keith on Wednesday, he said this may be the most talented team he has faced at Artesia. The Bulldogs return 22 seniors, and the slot receivers are speedy, along with the two wideouts in Trent Egeland and Jack Byers, who are big. “Those outside receivers are big and can go get a ball,” Lynn said, “they have those slots that are really, really quick, and the running back Bryce Parra is as good a running back in the state. He is fast, and he breaks tackles.”
He said Artesia’s secondary is excellent, with 6-foot-2 defensive back Tootie McNeil, who has the tools to play at the next level.
“Artesia is kind of like us last year,” Lynn said. “We had eight kids sign scholarships to play college football. We are not as talented this year, but we are still pretty good. We are not as good as we have been we have 32 seniors this year.”
Lynn said the Coyotes will have to do these three things to win against Artesia on Friday:
- Limit big plays
“Anytime we play Artesia, it is the same thing,” Lynn said. “We have to limit big plays; they (Artesia) are really explosive on offense, and we can’t give up the big play. If they are going to score on us, they need to do it in eight plays at least. We can’t give up any defensive or special teams scores. If Artesia is going to score, it has to be on offense.”
- Run the football
“We have to run the football,” Lynn said. “We have to keep Artesia’s offense off the field. The way you do that is by being able to run the ball.”
- Play confident
“Artesia preys on unconfident teams,” Lynn said. “They find where you are weak, and they exploit you. We have to be confident in what we are doing and be able to play fast. This is probably the most talented Artesia team I have seen.”
Artesia girls soccer team wins three consecutive District 4-4A titles
The Lovington girls’ soccer team came into Robert Chase Field and played a physical game on Thursday, forcing the Artesia Lady ‘Dogs to get physical as well.
The physical play did not deter the Lady ‘Dogs from achieving their goals and winning the game 7-0. With that victory, Artesia won its third consecutive District 4-4A championship, and fourth in five years.
“I thought the win was huge for us,” Artesia girls soccer coach Tim Trentham said. “I thought it was a pretty big statement win for us, of course, in a district game, you never know what you are going to get. Once the goals started coming, it was like the nail in the coffin.”
The Wildcats held Artesia scoreless until six minutes to play in the first half, when Abigail Jowers scored a goal to give the Lady ‘Dogs a 1-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Mayra Garcia scored a goal, followed by a score by Chloe Aguilar to give Artesia a 3-0 lead at halftime. Aguilar finished with two goals in the match.
“I knew after we scored three goals on them in the first half, they were going to be defeated,” Trentham said. “It is tough to come back from being three goals down.”
Physical game
After halftime, the floodgates opened with Artesia scoring four goals to match the physical play of the Lady Wildcats. The play was so intense that both teams were given yellow cards. Also, Artesia and Lovington had players injured and had to leave the game. Jowers said that the Wildcats played so physically because they knew that if they upset Artesia, Lovington had a chance to have a district playoff game with the Lady ‘Dogs.
“It is a cultural thing,” Trentham said about the physical play by Lovington. “That is why I was trying to tell my girls to settle down. There is no reason to get physical, just play the ball. Be smart with the ball and let them foul. That would slow the game down anyway. Once we got the couple of other goals later on, it shut everything down. The wind wemt out of their sails, and the coach could not do anything.”
Artesia is now 16-3 overall and 5-0 in district. Thursday’ s victory gives Trentham a shot at his first undefeated district season in his 18 years of coaching. The Bulldogs are now on a 10-game winning streak and have confidence going into the playoffs.
The girls will try to make their dream of an unbeaten district season come true with a match at Portales at 6 p.m. on Oct. 23 to close out the regular season.
“We have never had a 6-0 district season before,” Trentham said. “We have had some 4-2 and 5-1 seasons, but never a 6-0 season.”
Seniors
Trentham said the key to his team this season balanced scoring from the entire team, lightening the load for everyone.
Because of that, other teams cannot key on stopping one player. The team is deep enough that any player can score for the Lady ‘Dogs.
Trentham also pointed out the importance of the eight seniors on this year’s squad. The chemistry has been there this season for the seniors, sharing their success.
“Our seniors have been a great group for us this year. They have been a big part of our success,” Trentham said. “During our Pink Out game, we had a lot of great fans out. I was trying to get all of the seniors out on the field together- it was just a great time for them to get some time in.”
Carlsbad Caverns closed during shutdown
Adrian Hedden
Carlsbad Current-Argus
achedden@currentargus.com
Carlsbad’s iconic underground rock formations were left inaccessible for the past two weeks as federal agencies shut down with Congress locked in a partisan stalemate over legislation to fund the government’s operations.
The shutdown means many federal programs will remain unfunded – and employees will be furloughed – until the deadlock is resolved. At the heart of the stalemate is an attempt by Democrats to force Republicans, who control both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, to roll back cuts to a variety of government programs, particularly those that affect funding for health care.
Among Democrats’ major concerns were the scheduled expirations of tax credits to help families pay for health care under the Affordable Care Act and the ACA itself, which is set to expire at the end of 2025.
The Senate failed for the eighth time Tuesday night to pass a continuing resolution passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives on Sept. 19 to partially fund the government through Nov. 21.
At Carlsbad Caverns, the logjam meant the park and Visitors Center was closed during the funding cutoff that began with the Oct. 1 start of the federal fiscal year.
No access was being granted to the Cavern itself, nor were programs such as the bat flight shows being held with the park unstaffed throughout the shutdown.
Most national parks throughout the U.S. were accessible during the shutdown, but areas normally locked outside of business hours or secured for public safety were closed, according to a contingency plan published last month by the U.S. Department of the Interior – the parent agency of the National Parks Service.
Carlsbad Caverns is usually open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but all park access and services were shut down until Congress votes to reopen the government, according to an Oct. 1 Facebook post from the park.
Interrupted services included entry into the caverns, through the natural entrance of elevators, access to the visitors center, bat flight shows and all roads leading into the park.
Most park staff were furloughed. Those needed for security and critical functions such as water treatment were still working but were not receiving paychecks during the shutdown.
All park regulations remained in effect during the shutdown, despite limited enforcement staff.
The Facebook post also noted the park service would provide “critical information” about park access and safety, but that “services may be limited.”
“We will provide updates when we are able to reopen,” read the post.
Nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park remained unstaffed but accessible during the shutdown, according to its website, with the gated access to McKittrick Canyon closed.
White Sands National Park near Alamogordo was partially reopened on Saturday, Oct. 11 until Friday, Oct. 17, according to that park’s website, with the Visitors Center open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and several hiking trails accessible. It was unclear if the park will remain open should the shutdown continue into next week.
Federal oil and gas operations continue
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Land Management’s Carlsbad Field Office was partially shuttered, along with all bureau offices across the U.S.
This agency, also within the Interior Department, manages federal public land around the country, and in southeast New Mexico is responsible for 3.5 million acres of federal land and 7 million acres of mineral estate.
That means the agency oversees permitting for oil and gas drilling and operations in New Mexico’s booming Permian Basin oilfields.
Those activities continued during the shutdown, the contingency plan read, even as the Interior Department estimated 2,400 bureau employees would be furloughed. Before the plan was implemented, the agency estimated 9,250 workers were active across the Bureau of Land Management.
Throughout the lapse in funding, the bureau would continue its law enforcement and border security operations, read the plan, along with emergency response and inspections and enforcement of oil and gas operations.
Permitting also was expected to continue, including for transmission lines and rights of way where such activities could be funded by fee collections, the plan read, along with “activities necessary to protect life and property that are not otherwise exempted.”
Processing of oil and gas, coal or any other energy permit or documentation will be excepted by staff on an “on call” basis, read the plan “to the extent such plans are necessary to protect human life and federal property.”
Bureau of Land Management staff did not respond to a request for comment.
Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
Forgiveness wins?
Ty Houghtaling
In the early fourth century, a sect of the Christian church known as the Donatists emerged in North Africa. They became distinguished by their strict views on the purity of the Church and its clergy. The Donatists believed that the validity of sacraments depended on the moral character of the ministers administering them. They argued that priests who had fallen away or betrayed their faith during periods of persecution could not legitimately perform sacred rites, particularly baptism. This stance led to their rejection of the broader Church’s authority and sacraments performed by compromised clergy, creating a significant schism within Christianity that persisted for centuries. This division prompted ongoing debates about forgiveness, church unity, and the nature of Christian leadership.
Consider this scenario: What if you were baptized by a priest or pastor, and many years later, that priest or pastor was removed from their position due to some sin, rendering your baptism null and void? Would you get rebaptized? Reflect on 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. I wonder if this passage is applicable to the Donatists’ insistence on creating division due to fallen Christian leaders. Nowhere in Scripture does it say Jesus baptized anyone. His disciples were involved in this physical act of confessing sin and faith in Christ, and it is reasonable to believe that Jesus taught His disciples how to baptize, or perhaps they learned from John the Baptist. However, it doesn’t say that Jesus baptized anyone. Can you imagine the pride one might have felt if they had been baptized by Jesus?
In my own denomination, we do not believe that baptism is a sacrament or that it is necessary for salvation. Instead, we view it as a symbolic physical act of confession, an outward expression of what has happened inside a person when they trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the receiving of grace and God’s Holy Spirit. Baptism has been a topic of much debate throughout the history of the Christian church, and it is a topic that divides Christian denominations. That’s unfortunate.
Do you think that 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 could apply to the topic of worship music written by Christian leaders who later have some sort of moral failing or veer away from orthodox positions, thus making the songs illegitimate? I’d like to know your thoughts. Feel free to email me at ty@fbcartesia.org
There is significant context to the following verse, but I thought it worth including in this article (food for thought): “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14<n><n>
Artesia Lady ‘Dogs win their third District championship at home
The Lovington girls’ soccer team came into Robert Chase Field and played a physical game on Thursday, forcing the Artesia Lady ‘Dogs to get physical as well. The physical play did not deter the Lady ‘Dogs from achieving their goals and winning the game 7-0. And with that, it’s third consecutive District 4-4A championship, and fourth in five years.
“I thought the win was huge for us,” Artesia girls soccer coach Tim Trentham said. “I thought it was a pretty big statement win for us, of course, in a district game, you never know what you are going to get. Once the goals started coming, it was like the nail in the coffin.”
The Wildcats held Artesia scoreless until six minutes to play in the half, when Abigail Jowers scored a goal to give the Lady ‘Dogs a 1-0 lead. In less than two minutes, Mayra Garcia scored a goal, and then right before halftime, Chloe Aguilar scored the first of her two goals to give Artesia a 3-0 lead at halftime.
“I knew after we scored three goals on them in the first half, they were going to be defeated,” Trentham said. “It is tough to come back from being three goals down.
Physical game
After halftime, the scoring gates opened with Artesia scoring four goals to match the physical play of the Lady Wildcats. The play was so intense that both teams were given a yellow card. Also, Artesia and Lovington had players injured and had to leave the game. Jowers said that the Wildcats played so physically because they knew that if they upset Artesia, Lovington had a chance to have a district playoff game with the Lady ‘Dogs, having to play at Portales at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23.
“It is a cultural thing,” Trentham said about the physical play from Lovington. “That is what I was trying to tell my girls to ‘settle down, there is no reason to be getting physical, just play the ball. Be smart with the ball and let them foul. That would slow the game down anyway. Once we got the couple of other goals later on, it shut everything down. The winds came out of their sails, and the coach could not do anything.”
Artesia is 16-3 overall and 5-0 in District 4-4A. The win gives Trentham his first undefeated district season in his 18th year. He said the key to the team this season is that they have received scoring from everyone, so they haven’t had to depend on one or two people to carry the scoring load, making the team an imposing threat. Because of that, other teams cannot key on stopping one player. The team is deep enough that any player can score for the Lady ‘Dogs.
Seniors
“Our seniors have been a great group for us this year,” Trentham said. “They have been a big part of our success this year. During our Pink Out game, we had a lot of great fans out. I was trying to get all of the seniors out on the field together- it was just a great time for them to get some time in. The seniors knew it was going to be an emotional game; luckily, it wasn’t too emotional during a Pink Out game. I think they played very well for us.”
Trentham said the seniors believe in each other and are clicking together. The chemistry has been there this season for the seniors, and they have jelled well together. The seniors have wanted to play well every game, play together, and have success together. Artesia is on a 10-game winning streak and has confidence going into the playoffs.
Undefeated in District
“We have never had a 6-0 district season before,” Trentham said. “We have had some 4-2 and 5-1 seasons, but never a 6-0 season.”