Carlsbad is 1-7 against Las Cruces since October of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Cavemen/Cavegirls will look to defend their home field against the Bulldawgs at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Carlsbad comes in on three and Las Cruces on eight.
Carlsbad is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Alamogordo, who was ranked 15th at the time (Carlsbad was ranked 12th). The Cavemen/Cavegirls managed a 30-25 win over the Tigers last Friday.
ROBERT CASTANEDA
| 10/10/25 @ Alamogordo | 205 |
| 10/04/25 @ Organ Mountain | 142 |
| 09/19/25 vs Centennial | 121 |
| 09/26/25 vs Clovis | 112 |
| 09/05/25 @ Lovington | 90 |
| + 3 more games |
Carlsbad's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but ROBERT CASTANEDA led the charge by picking up 205 receiving yards and a pair of scores. CASTANEDA is becoming a predictor of the Cavemen/Cavegirls' success: when he posts at least 80 receiving yards the team is 4-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't). MARLEY MUNOZ was another key signal caller, throwing for 272 yards and two TDs.
Meanwhile, Las Cruces got themselves on the board against Alamogordo on Thursday, but Alamogordo never followed suit. They blew past the Tigers, posting a 47-0 victory. The Bulldawgs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by 25 points or more this season.
Las Cruces' win came from a few key players Carlsbad will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Daniel Amaro, who rushed for 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries, and also picked up 41 receiving yards and one score. Another passer making a difference was Gunnar Guardiola, who threw for 244 yards and four TDs on only 14 passes.
Las Cruces didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Denton Walter. He has been hot for a while, having also posted 11 or more total tackles the last 14 times he's played. Hunter Parmeter was another major factor on D, making 21 total tackles.
Las Cruces' win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Carlsbad, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Carlsbad has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Las Cruces struggles in that department as they've been averaging 236.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Carlsbad lost to Las Cruces at home by a decisive 30-12 margin in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Amaro, who rushed for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 carries, and also threw for 83 yards and one TD. Now that the Cavemen/Cavegirls know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
