You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with Jim.

A lot of quarterbacks that face the Artesia Bulldogs defense ought to know the Jim Croce song, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.” There’s another sentence that could be added to that chorus.

You don’t throw the ball on Tootie McNeil.

All McNeil did was intercept two passes and return one to the house for a 35-yard touchdown, as the Bulldogs defeated Lovington 56-23 Friday night at the Bulldog Bowl for their 24th consecutive win over the Wildcats. The defense has scored five touchdowns in six games for the ’Dogs.

“Our defense played really well tonight,” said Artesia coach Jeremy Maupin. “Our defense scored another touchdown tonight, and we got turnovers. Our defense kept us in the game in the first half. “

The Bulldogs (5-1 overall, 3-0 in District 2-5A) seemed to start the game in a Homecoming hangover. On the first two Bulldog possessions, the team threw an interception and fumbled the ball. 

“I don’t know what it was,” Maupin said. “We threw a pick on the first one, and what we had called. I think we got a little antsy in the pocket. We came back and ran that same play in the second half for a 30-yard gain. It wasn’t something they stopped; it’s just that we got a little zealous and tried to throw a route that we shouldn’t have. If you look at the other one, we had a big play and Bryce (Parra) is breaking it up the field for a touchdown, and they (Lovington) started stripping the ball on him from behind. We came back and responded in the second half, but we have to clean those up (turnovers).”

Once the Bulldog offense got going, Parra ran for 152 yards and scored twice carrying the ball and once receiving the ball. Quarterback Derrick Warren was 19-of-30 for 251 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, and reserve quarterback Lucas Atkins was 2-of-5 for 36 yards and threw one touchdown to Destin Pacheco. Sawyer Whitehead had four receptions for 57 yards, Cael Houghtaling grabbed two receptions for 47 yards, Jack Byers caught three passes for 40 yards and one touchdown. Trent Egeland had three receptions and scored twice for 39 yards. Jett Fuentes grabbed three passes for 28 yards, and George Blackburn caught one pass for 13 yards.

The Bulldogs had 481 yards in total offense; running the ball 34 times for 194 yards and throwing the ball for 287 yards.

Lovington (2-4, 1-2) lost quarterback Jayden Gutierrez in the game and also had to play without its backup quarterback, Justin Allen, relying on Kyler Reaves, who led the ’Cats to a couple of scores in the second half.

“I’m not going to make any excuse that losing Jayden (Gutierrez) was why we lost the game,” said Wildcats coach Josh Bailey. I felt like our defense played really, really strongly. We had two quick turnovers and takeaways, and if our offense had been grooving earlier, it could have been a different story. At the end of the day, you cannot do anything like that against the Artesia Bulldogs, because they are good and coached well. I just think you have to put all of the pieces together.”

Bailey said that his defense has played well all year, and the game came down to depth. While the Wildcats got two turnovers, key players had to turn around and play offense. The coach stated that until Lovington reaches a point where it no longer has to do that, it will be tough to beat Roswell and Artesia.

“Winning those games against those teams, Roswell and Artesia, is going to be hard,” Bailey said. “We have beaten Hobbs, Carlsbad, and Roswell until we get to that point; winning those games is going to be hard. It’s not impossible, but hard. As we went, our guys kept trying harder, but they are also tired.”

The Bulldogs will face the Santa Teresa Desert Warriors at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bulldog Bowl. The Desert Warriors are (0-5, 0-2) winless on the season, losing to Roswell 54-0 on Friday night.

This story has not been released until kickoff. It is a bonus to our readers and subscribers. The Artesia Daily Press will update the score and football coverage at halftime of the Lovington football game.

For Lovington football coach Josh Bailey, the Wildcats’ game against the Artesia Bulldogs has ties that cross. at 7 p.m. at the Bulldog Bowl. This game – kicking off tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bulldog Bowl – is not only about beating their rivals down the road. It’s also about breaking a 23-game losing streak to the Bulldogs that includes Bailey’s time as a player for the Wildcats, a 49-27 loss in his senior year. 

“We were playing them pretty tough,” Bailey said about playing Artesia in 2009. “We were at the top of our class (3A), and they were at the top of their class (4A), and we played them the first game of the season at Lovington. Artesia was the measuring stick for where we were as a program. We always felt like we wished we could have played them later in the year. Now we get to. It is a district opponent, and there is a lot more at stake than when we were playing. I think coach Maupin has continued the great legacy that the Hendersons (L.G., Cooper, and Rex) have done.”

3 keys for Lovington to win

Bailey said the three keys to breaking the losing streak will be: 1. The Wildcats need to control the football on offense. 2. Limit the Bulldogs’ explosive plays in all three phases of the game (offense, defense, and special teams.) 3. Play fearlessly. Forget about not beating Artesia in 23 years – just play football. 

The Henderson factor

Bailey parlayed a successful high school career into a scholarship to Wayland Baptist, where he spent five years as a player and then coached under Butch Henderson – brother to Cooper. Bailey was part of Wayland’s inaugural season in 2012, when the college revived its football program after a 72-year hiatus.

“Butch is a powerful Christian man,” Bailey said, “he does things the right way. He taught me a great deal about organization. He was very organized and very prepared. I liked the way that he led by example. Coach Henderson would always jog everywhere that he went. He lived his life by example rather than speaking his mind. I always appreciated that about him. There is a lot of pressure in our job, and he always kept his composure, and that is a lesson that I learned from him for sure.”

Complex offense

Bailey said Artesia does so much stuff, and they want to kill opponents on the preparation side of things, starting with the kickoff and starburst.

“I think their aggressiveness starts with the kickoff,” Bailey said. “They are trying to recover the football most of the time. They try to get you to make mistakes on your kickoff return. On the starburst, you have to be creative unless you can kick the ball out of the end zone every time.”

Bailey said that on offense, the Bulldogs have an answer for everything, and defensively, Artesia moves around all the time and give offenses different looks, which makes teams overanalyze and overprepare. Bailey said Artesia does that by design to try to get teams to slow down and think too much instead of just playing. 

“You have to prepare for everything Artesia does or could do,” Bailey said, “and that’s a tall task. Artesia has one of the best coaching staffs in the state, and I have to tip my hat to them.”

Rough district start

The Wildcats come into the game at 2-3 overall, 1-1 in 2-5A after beating Goddard 44-26 at home on Sept. 19. 

“We feel like we let a couple of games get away from us,” Bailey said. “We did not play very well against Hobbs, obviously. That game was not close. In the other two, we let Roswell and Carlsbad get away from us. We have to make the plays to win the games. We think our football team is pretty good, and we are getting better.”

Bailey said the Wildcats have all the respect for Artesia and that they do it right and have done it right forever. One of the key things Bailey said he is looking for is fearless play and hard work.

Replace quarterback

The Wildcats have put Jayden Gutierrez in at quarterback, replacing starter Justin Allen. Bailey said he made the move because he felt that Gutierrez is explosive and gives Lovington the ability to put more stress on defenses.

“He is capable of making plays with his legs and throws a perfect deep ball,” Bailey said of Gutierrez. 

Due to his athletic ability, Gutierrez was moved to safety as a sophomore, as the team had other quarterbacks who could effectively get the ball to him. Gutierrez ended up an All-State selection at receiver and safety that year. 

“We always want our offense to be super complex to the teams that we play,” Bailey said. “But we want it to be super-easy for our kids. We have to be coaching it simple, because those kids are playing super-fast.”

This game is the 80^th meeting between Lovington and Artesia. The two teams met at Brainard Park in 1932 and have played every year since 1974, excluding the 2020 COVID year. The last Lovington win over the Bulldogs was a 34-28 decision in 2001 at Wildcat Stadium, now known as Brian Urlacher Field. 

“I have all the respect for Artesia, but I want to get our kids to stop looking at the pressure of not beating them in 22 years. I told our team that the Lovington team that just goes and plays our game will be the first Lovington team that gets it done,” Bailey said. “I don’t know if that will be this year, but we have to get over the thought that this will be special, and the town will burn down if we win. We just have to go play football.”

According to New Mexico Activities Association records, Lovington has the second-most state championships in the state with 20 and trails only the Bulldogs (32). 

Artesia holds the series lead with 60 wins, 15 losses, and three ties, including a scoreless affair in the Class 3A state title game in 1987 which went into overtime before the teams were declared co-champions.

The No. 1-ranked Artesia football team in 4-4A has been on a taking care of business tour. The Bulldogs have had two road trips to Deming and Gadsden over the past two weeks. Artesia football coach Jeremy Maupin needs the Bulldogs to continue taking care of business until the end of the football season. The road trip ends Friday with their Homecoming game against Lovington at 7 p.m. at the Bulldog Bowl.

“The reality is that everybody gets involved this week regarding homecoming,” Maupin said. “There is some good to that, and there is some bad to that. I told my team, ‘Guys, don’t forget that we have a football game on Friday night.’ There are many distractions in front of you. I hope the guys enjoy the bonfire and all the festivities, but they must remember that we have an excellent football team coming in. We need to play well, and what better way to do that than in front of a packed house? It is going to be a big crowd and a fun environment. We just have to make sure we play good football.”

Maupin is hoping the distractions will be minimal, as this is district game number three with a lot riding on the outcome – possible playoff seedings and implications for a District 4-4A title.

One of the players that Artesia (4-1, 2-0 district) will have to slow down is Wildcats receiver Elijah Rivero. Against Goddard last week, he caught a touchdown pass, returned a punt for a touchdown – his third this year – and intercepted a pass. Last week, Lovington (2-3, 1-1) was ranked No. 5 in the latest 5A coaches’ poll. 

Lovington quarterback Jayden Gutierrez told Peter Stein of Hobbs News-Sun, “We haven’t beaten them in a very long time, and it is always a goal of mine to beat the Bulldogs in the Bowl. I think we just need to come with even more intentionality and execute at the highest level. And I believe we can do that; we’re a very good football team.”

Lovington coach Josh Bailey, in his second year as coach, told Stein, “They’re No.1 for a reason. There’s a reason we haven’t beaten them in a long time, and it’s also why people tend to avoid attending the Bulldog Bowl. There are several reasons why we shouldn’t be able to perform well over there. But the main reason we should is that this team (Lovington) has turned it around, and they love each other; they are going to play hard. Artesia is good; they’re very good, skilled at every position, and coached well. But I feel like our team is capable of getting it done.”

Maupin said the scouting reports show Lovington is a spread team on offense and runs the ball 50-50 with the pass. If counting Gutierrez’s scrambles, that ratio is 60-40. Gutierrez will look at his read, and if it is not open, he will take off and run. Lovington will also show multiple formations on offense.

Defense

Lovington will show off front with a single high safety. They have one defensive back in the defensive backfield, positioned on either side of the field. Maupin said the team must recognize that.

Special teams

Maupin said that Lovington just puts their best players on the team, with Gutierrez and Rivero being its punt and kickoff returners as well.

Here are three keys to a Bulldog victory:

1. Contain Lovington’s quarterback

The Wildcats made a change at quarterback, replacing starter Justin Allen with Gutierrez. And Maupin Artesia has to contain him.

“Gutierrez is more of a runner,” Maupin said. “He has big play capabilities on every play.” 

2. Recognize what the Lovington defense is doing

“We have to recognize what they are doing defensively to us,” Maupin said. “We have to attack where they are vulnerable. They will do some things that overload a side, and we need to identify those early. We have to take what they give us offensively.”

3. Wear Lovington down

“We have to take advantage that their best players play both sides of the ball,” Maupin said. “Rivero, Gutierrez, offensive guard Fransico Arreola, and defensive tackle Alex Rivera. They will play offense, defense, and special teams. We have to try and wear those guys out and take advantage of our numbers and the guys that we have.”

JT Keith
Artesia Daily Press

With one game to play before heading into District 4-4A play, the Artesia girls soccer team is starting to play its best.

The Lady ’Dogs defeated the Ruidoso girls soccer team 4-0 on a hot day on Sept. 20 at Robert Chase Field. The game was played at 11 a.m., and a Ruidoso player was treated by medical personnel due to the heat.

“It was a great team win,” said Artesia coach Tim Trentham. “We have been on a stretch of games that I thought would be the most challenging of the season and today was another one of those out of five games. Four of the five games I thought would be tough, and we won three of them. We are trying to build that head of steam going into district play starting next Saturday.”

Bulldog Abigail Jowers scored one of her two goals with 31:58 to play in the first half, and the 1-0 score would hold up until halftime. Ruidoso coach Sergio Castro said the Lady Warriors were playing shorthanded with five girls out, as well as the player who missed the game because of the heat.

Lady ’Dog Kaylee Berdoza scored the team’s second goal with 31:12 left in the game, and Jowers added her second goal with 25:19 to play, giving Artesia a 3-0 lead. With 9:17 to play, Kacy Neel added a final goal to cap the scoring and give Artesia a 4-0 victory.

The game was the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Artesia defeating Ruidoso 2-1 on Sept. 2 at Ruidoso.

Trentham said that Pack the Mack night was a great success, and it was good to get the community involved. It is a way for young kids playing in city leagues to experience what it’s like to be a Bulldog and to let them know that the coaches want them to be part of the soccer program in the future.

“We are really starting to come together,” Trentham said. “The chemistry has really developed quite a bit, and we are getting an understanding of what each player is doing in their specific position. Each player likes different things. Each player is starting to know who likes to make runs and do different things, and it seems like it is starting to click at the right time.”

The Lady ’Dogs (10-3) will play the visiting Roswell Coyotes (8-5) at 6 p.m. Tuesday before starting district play against Goddard on Sept. 27.

JT Keith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or @XJTKEITH1.

Staff reports

Editor’s note: Next year’s Xterra World Championship will be held in Ruidoso, New Mexico, so the Ruidoso News is presenting this year’s World Cup results to readers from Italy.

The third edition of the XTERRA World Cup reached its climax beneath the Dolomites in Trentino, Italy. The finale played out on a course that combined the energy of a spectator-friendly village, complete with berms, bridges and sweeping sightlines, with the wild trails of the Paganella Hills and the backdrop of Lake Molveno, voted Italy’s most beautiful lake time and again.

‍Crowds filled the village, families lined the course, and countless more followed live around the world. It was the kind of setting that has come to define the World Cup series: community at its heart, world-class racing in its core, and a connection to place that made the finale feel bigger than the sport itself.

Next year, the championships will return to the U.S., where they began in Maui, Hawaii 30 years ago, but this time amid the Sacramento Mountains in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

The world championship races next year will run from Oct. 8 to 11.

World Cup Titles Decided

‍Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) won the women’s finale in 36:03, with Solenne Billouin (FRA) second and Isla Hedley (GBR) third. Marta Menditto (ITA) secured the overall crown, becoming the first non-French athlete to win the World Cup and did so on home soil. In the men’s race, Sullivan Middaugh (USA) repeated his 2024 triumph to win again in 31:37, ahead of Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) and Arthur Serrières (FRA). Felix Forissier (FRA) finished fourth but still defended his overall World Cup title.

With the XTERRA World Championship no longer included in the World Cup, the series ended for the first time with an all-out, fast-format Short Track showdown. Few places could have delivered a better finale, as the Trentino course once again produced rapid-fire racing, just as in 2023 and 2024 when the winners were decided by a second or less. Across 8 stops and 11 races in 2025, every climb, descent, and transition counted toward series points and the overall title. Now in its third year, the World Cup pro series has become the biggest stage at the highest level of off-road triathlon, each series producing faster racing and tighter finishes.

‍

For the men coming into the final race, razor-thin margins meant even the slightest mistake could have cost the series. Digging deep at the right moment proved decisive, as Felix Forissier (FRA) defended his crown with 766 points, edging out his brother Arthur Forissier (FRA) on 745. Sebastian Neef (DEU) completed the men’s overall podium with 598. For the women, Marta Menditto (ITA) sealed the title with 729 points in front of her home crowd. Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) took second with 600, while Alizée Paties (FRA) secured third on 550.

Traveling the world

The 2025 XTERRA World Cup opened in Australia with back-to-back wins from Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) and Alizée Paties (FRA), who both left Dunsborough in golden caps. From there the tour crossed into Greece, where Felix Forissier (FRA) launched his season with a hard-fought victory, and Paties extended her streak. Weston Park in the UK followed just a week later, with Félix Forissier taking control and Paties again untouchable as she claimed her third straight win.

‍The action then moved to North America with races in Oak Mountain and Quebec. Rain-slicked trails in Alabama saw Forissier edge Sullivan Middaugh (USA) in the Full Distance before Middaugh struck back in the Short Track, while Paties stretched her dominance to six straight. Quebec marked the turning point: Forissier added to his streak, but Paties finally stepped aside as Marta Menditto (ITA) surged to her first victory of the year, resetting the women’s race for the European swing.

‍The series closed in Europe with fireworks. In Czech, Forissier stayed perfect in Full Distance racing while Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) lit up the home crowd with her first World Cup Short Track win. Germany then marked 25 years of Zittau with Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and Solenne Billouin (FRA) crowned European Champions in the final Full Distance showdown. That left the finale in Trentino, where Duvoisin won the women’s Short Track, Menditto sealed the overall crown on home soil, and Forissier defended his title after one of the tightest battles yet. Three years in, the World Cup has never looked stronger.

‍

‍

Senior Day sealed with a kiss after victory

JT Keith

Artesia Daily Press

jtkeith@elritomedia.com

It is a good thing the Artesia girls’ volleyball team played Carlsbad first before holding Senior Day. The Lady’ Dogs jumped on the visiting Carlsbad Cavegirls with a 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-13, and 25-13) at The Bulldog Pit on Tuesday night. After the game, Artesia’s nine seniors held Senior Night — the walkout was emotional, with tears flowing from parents and athletes.

“I feel excellent,” Bulldogs coach Alan Williams said, “because it’s Carlsbad. We always have games against them that we have to fight for. I am really proud of the girls, considering all the distractions this [Homecoming] week. Some of these girls are part of the court; we have bonfires and a parade. We have so many distractions. For them to stay focused and take care of business, now they can enjoy the rest of it.”

The nine seniors locked arms with their parents, walked in front of their numbers, accompanied by balloons, as announcer Adrian Oliveras read off each player’s favorite memories as an Artesia volleyball player. The players discussed their goals, dreams, and Bible verses, and all the kids expressed gratitude to their parents for everything they had done for them.

“They have been around a long time,” Williams said. “They are the hardest working group I have had. They love to come in early and work, they will stay after practice to work, they wear me out as a coach.”

Artesia is ranked No. 3 by MaxPreps, trailing St. Pius X and Albuquerque Academy. With three games before district play begins, the Lady ‘Dogs will be off a week before playing Roswell on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Bulldog Pit.

Artesia senior volleyball players on Senior Night with a 3-0 victory over Carlsbad at The Bulldog Pit.

“We had some girls, Kailee (Padilla) and Demrie (Howard), hit the ball well,” Williams said. “Ashton (Craft) served the ball really well. We had some girls playing some excellent defense, and we stopped some runs.”

Williams said the Lady ‘Dogs have a big tournament in Albuquerque next weekend, and he wants the team to continue playing smart and being consistent. He wants the team to continue improving and play its best volleyball in the district and during the playoffs.

“I want us to continue to play as a team,” Williams said. “I want us to continue to support each other. We have a large number of seniors, and I want them to take full advantage of their opportunities. Our seniors will never get to play Carlsbad again. I hope they enjoyed it.”