vs
| 11/16/24 - Home | 45-7 W |
| 09/27/24 - Away | 57-21 W |
| 09/22/23 - Home | 44-0 W |
| 09/23/22 - Away | 53-15 W |
| 09/24/21 - Home | 68-56 W |
| + 5 more games |
Artesia is a perfect 10-0 against Lovington since November of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Bulldogs will host the Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Artesia knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Lovington likes a good challenge.
Artesia is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Gadsden, who was ranked 20th at the time (Artesia was ranked sixth). The Bulldogs blew past the Panthers 35-7 on Friday. Give the Bulldogs' offense some serious credit: that high-scoring performance was actually the fewest points they've scored all season.
Artesia's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Bryce Parra, who rushed for 123 yards and one score on only five carries. Parra got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 82 yards. Another signal caller making a difference was Derrick Warren, who threw for 164 yards and three TDs while completing 78.6% of his passes.
Artesia didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tootie McNeil and Charlie Campbell. McNeil got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lovington, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They took down Goddard 44-26 on Friday. With that victory, the Wildcats brought their scoring average up to 29.4 points per game.
Artesia better keep an eye on Jayden Gutierrez. He was instrumental in Lovington's win, rushing for 65 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only six carries, while also throwing for 109 yards and one TD. Another big playmaker for they was Elijah Rivero, who returned a punt for a touchdown.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Lovington, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Rivero, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Artesia's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-1. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 26.3 points. As for Lovington, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
Everything came up roses for Artesia against Lovington in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 45-7 win. In that game, the Bulldogs amassed a halftime lead of 31-7, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
