Cavemen Collide with Artesia Bulldogs

By Don Eskins

The Carlsbad Cavemen and Artesia Bulldogs, on a collision course since the end of the 2025 prep gridiron season, will clash under the Friday Night Lights of the Bulldog Bowl on August 21 in the City of Champions.

The battle, historically the second-oldest prep football game in the Land of Enchantment, better known as the Eddy County War, will serve as both teams’ 2026 season opener.

Oddsmakers, once again, are making the host Bulldogs a heavy favorite. The Dogs, defending Class 5A state champions, went 12-1 last year. Based on that performance and the storied program’s rich tradition of reloading to win a record 33 state titles, the Bulldogs have been ranked No. 1 in this year’s Class 5A MaxPreps preseason poll.

Statewide, MaxPreps has ranked Artesia as the sixth-best high school football team in New Mexico.

The Cavemen, as underdogs, will take the field coming off a 6-6 season and a No. 8 Class 6A ranking in 2025. This year, MaxPreps’ preseason poll has ranked them as the 6A’s eighth-ranked team to kick off the new season. Statewide, the Land of Enchantment poll has CHS sitting at No. 15.

Although taking the field in Artesia’s Bulldog Bowl on Friday night as heavy underdogs, the Cavemen aren’t traveling up to the City of Champions to lose. Could this be the year for the boys in blue to post a victory over the Bulldogs?

Artesia and the Big Picture

Despite all the hoopla associated with the Eddy County War, Cavemen head coach Cale Sanders said he and his staff will be addressing Friday night’s season opener against the Bulldogs just like all the other teams they’ll face on this year’s Cavemen schedule.

“Yes, it is a big game; we understand all of that, and we’ll be doing our best to get the win,” said Sanders. “But we’ll also be addressing several other concerns as well. Concerns that we’ll need to get right this year if we’re going to make a legitimate run for a spot in this year’s Class 6A state playoffs.”

Some of those concerns for Sanders and his staff will be getting their new-look defense—along with several new faces on both sides of the football—all on the same page and working together as cohesive units with their coordinators. Five of those new faces can be found on the Cavemen’s offensive line.

“The success of this year’s program will very much depend on how soon we can all come together as a team,” said the Cavemen head coach. “Should that happen in Artesia on Friday night, we’re going to be in good shape.”

The Matchup

Getting past the Artesia Bulldogs is never easy. Only the Centennial Hawks were able to do it in 2025.

But the Bulldogs, like all other teams in New Mexico, can be beaten. Coach Sanders’ recipe for coming back to Carlsbad with a victory over the Dogs is a simple one.

“We’re going to have to put up a lot of points, at least 28-35, to beat Artesia. We know they’re going to get theirs,” said Sanders. “That’s the way football is played today. Good teams find ways to get into the end zone.

“Hanging onto the ball and keeping Artesia’s offense off the field will also be a key factor for us to get the win,” he said. “We’ll also need, as would be expected for a game like this, a great effort on the defensive side of the ball—an effort that will significantly limit the number of points Artesia will be able to put up on the board.”

Leading the Cavemen’s effort offensively will be quarterback Marley Munoz and running back Brock Wright.

During 2025, Marley threw for 1,513 yards and 14 TDs with six interceptions. He also carried the ball for 867 yards and five TDs. Overall, he accounted for 2,380 of total offense and 19 touchdowns.

Wright, a 2025 All-Stater, rushed for 1,110 yards and 12 TDs. He also hauled in 15 catches for 83 yards and one TD. All told, the 2025 All-Stater accumulated 1,193 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns.

Taking the lead defensively for CHS will be 2025 All-Staters Colton McKibben, a senior linebacker, and junior nose tackle Sean Cruz. Last year, McKibben recorded 113 total tackles, 48 of them solo. Cruz registered 39 total tackles, five of which were solos.

“Our coaching staff has a lot of confidence in our kids this year,” said Sanders. “We know we’ll be getting their best efforts in Artesia. If we’re all on the same page, I think we’ll be very competitive.

“We’re also hoping to see a large crowd of Cavemen fans on hand at the Bulldog Bowl in support of our kids,” he said. “They’ve worked really hard this year in preparation for the new season. They certainly deserve the backing of our community.”

Probable Cavemen Lineup

OFFENSE: Linemen: left tackle, sophomore Carlo Chavez; left guard, senior Lincoln Adsero; center, senior Nathaniel Olivas; right guard, junior Makai Yorgensyn; and right tackle, junior Hector Nava. Backfield: quarterback, senior Marley Munoz and running back, senior Brock Wright; wide receiver corps, senior Jaden Harper, junior Ian Wilson, and sophomore Josiah Fuentes; and tight end, senior Braden Florez.

DEFENSE: Linemen: nose tackle, junior Sean Cruz; defensive end, senior Isaiah Gaitan; and defensive end, senior Jaedyn Lynch; Linebackers: senior Colton McKibben, junior Trey Barta, and junior Juan Rubio; Secondary: senior Lennon Ananins, safety/cornerback; senior safety Damian Valencia; and senior cornerback Noah Gonzales. (Two spots, one on the defensive line and one in the secondary, have yet to be filled. Sanders plans to fill the positions for Artesia by committee.)