A Memorable Season for Sanders’ Cavemen

Dropping a 30-19 contest to the Hobbs Eagles wasn’t exactly what the Cavemen and their coaches had in mind when they trekked to Hobbs for state tournament quarterfinal-round play this year. However, when the horn sounded, ending the game and the season for CHS, head coach Cale Sanders couldn’t help but feel proud of the accomplishments his charges had recorded in 2025.

Battling the odds every week, Sanders’ Cavemen managed to finish out the year at 6-6, gain an 11th seed for the 2025 state playoffs, and notch a 35-13 victory over the potent sixth-seeded Rio Rancho Rams in the Big Dance’s first round of play before falling to Hobbs.

But there was more!

Almost unfathomable, for one of the state’s most storied programs, the Cavemen’s win over the Rams marked the first state playoff victory for CHS in 15 years.

Yup, for coach Sanders, his staff, and charges, the 2025 season was a most memorable one.

The Journey: 2025

While Sanders’ charges may have been a year older and a year more experienced as the 2025 season got underway, for the most part, they were an up-and-down team throughout the season.

“Getting Carlsbad back to the state playoffs was always one of our biggest goals this year,” said the Caveman coach. “But the way we performed at times made our coaching staff wonder if this team was ever going to come together well enough to get us there.

“But they grew a lot as the season moved along, and they won the ones we had to win to get in. At 5-5, our kids played well enough to secure an 11th seed for this year’s tournament,” he said. “With the brutal schedule they had to play this year, getting in was really a credit to them for all the efforts they had made week in and week out.”

But, as his Cavemen were preparing to head to Rio Rancho to take on the heavily favored Rams, Sanders made an interesting observation.

“Although we’ve achieved our goal of securing a berth in the state playoffs, our kids have yet to peak,” he said. “Getting a berth into the state tournament has earned another week of practice for our kids. Hopefully, this extra week will help to get us there.”

It did! The Cavemen took the field in Rio Rancho to dominate the highly favored Rams 35-13.

Cavemen fans should also keep in mind that although CHS dropped their quarterfinal match to Hobbs 30-19, they collected more total yards than the Eagles in both passing and rushing categories.

Looking Ahead

From 2-8, to 4-6, to 6-6 and a victory over Rio Rancho in this year’s first round of the state playoffs, the Cavemen football program has shown steady improvement during each of Cale Sanders’ first three years at the helm of the program.

One can only wonder what will be coming Carlsbad’s way in 2026.