More CHS Top Sports Stories, 2025

By Don Eskins

On January 9, the Carlsbad Local posted its picks for the Top Ten sports stories at CHS during 2025. These picks were based on available information. Obviously, there were many more.

This week, January 23, we’ll list several other noteworthy performances recorded by CHS athletes, teams, and former athletes during 2025.

Readers should feel free to use these stories, along with the Carlsbad Local’s Top 10 picks, to construct a Top 10 list of their own. No doubt, those who participate will probably have a few of their own to add.

Apologies go out to Caveman baseball player Aden Quintella, who was inadvertently left off our January 9 lists of First Team All-Staters and District 4/5A Players of the Year. As a result, we’ll rerun our list of First Team All-Staters.

Here’s the Local’s Top 10 picks from our January 9 edition, plus this week’s array of other noteworthy performances.

Carlsbad Local 2025 Top 10 Choices:

1. Cavegirl basketball battles its way into the state tourney semifinals.

2. Cavemen football defeats Rio Rancho in the opening round of the Class 6A state football playoffs.

3. Jonah Moyers grabs gold, Atria Wells silver, at the state track meet.

4. Aaliyah Martin, runner-up at state wrestling tournament.

T5. Cavegirls grab 2025 District 4/5A golf championship.

T5. Cavemen baseball grabs 2025 District 4/5A championship.

T5. Cavegirl softball grabs 2025 District 4/5A championship.

8. Robert Castaneda (football), Colton McKibben (football), Aden Quintella (baseball), Class 6A First Team All-State selections.

9. Brian Santo named District 4/5A Softball Coach of the Year.

10. Kalion Fuentes (softball), Hayden Brose (soccer), Aden Quintella (baseball), District 4/5A Players of the Year.

Other CHS 2025 Local Headliners

11. The CHS Skeet and Trap Shooting Intermediate team won a state championship, while the varsity grabbed first place in trapshooting and placed second overall.

12. Ten CHS seniors, five Cavemen and five Cavegirls, were named New Mexico All-Stars. They were Robert Castaneda and Rio Sanchez, Cavemen Football; Aden Quintella, Jonas Molinar, and Garrett Fuentes, Cavemen Baseball; Abbey Dugan, Cavegirl Basketball; Hayden Brose and Natalia Franco, Cavegirl Soccer; Kalion Fuentes and Vianka Villa, Cavegirl Softball.

13. The Cavemen track team gathered four individual District Championships, and the Cavegirls two, while the Cavemen swim team collected one. Picking up gold medals in Cavemen Track were: 1. High Jump, Jonah Moyers; 2. 110 hurdles, Bryan King; 3. 100 Dash, Robert Castaneda; and 4. the 4x200 Meter Relay Team, Tayvin Marsh, Jaden Harper, Bryan King, and Robert Castaneda; Cavegirl Track: 1. The Sprint Medley Relay Team, Kaylee Dowdy, Abbey Dugan, Norah Gallagher, and Deandra Balcazar; and 2. Shot Put, Atria Wells; 3. Swimming, 500 Free Style, Mason Dhenin.

14. Cavegirl Softball raised over $5,000 for Brittany’s Hope. While winning is important for CHS athletes, there are more important things. During 2025, the Cavegirl softball team raised over $5,000 for Brittany’s Hope, a memorial fund administered by the Faith, Hope, and Love Foundation in Carlsbad that provides financial assistance to local cancer patients.

15. Cavegirl hoopster Abbey Dugan scored her 1000th career point. On January 10, with 38 seconds remaining in the ballgame, Dugan dropped in a shot to lead CHS past Organ Mt. 64-31. With the two points, Dugan tallied 27 points for her night’s work. But, more importantly, her shot during the waning seconds of the fourth quarter earned her a career milestone. With the shot, she scored her 1,000th career point.

16. Lindsey Carter carded a hole-in-one. Cavegirl senior Lindsey Carter, at the Spring River Golf Course’s 100-yard, par-3, 13th hole in Roswell, carded a hole-in-one during play at the Roswell Invitational. Carter used a gap wedge to launch her shot, over water, to record one of golf’s most cherished shots.

17. Former Cavegirl wrestler Rosalia Rubio grabbed a National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship. At 117 pounds, and entering the tournament seeded sixth, Rubio tech decisioned Emma Lyn Burnett of Indian Hills, 16-5, in the championship final. Rosalia wrestles for Iowa Western Community College.

18. Former Caveman baseballer Trevor Rogers received the Baltimore Orioles’ Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award. During 2025, Rogers posted a 9-3 record and a stellar 1.81 ERA with 103 strikeouts across 18 starts, after starting the year on MLB’s injured list. Note: All photos posted for our Top Story picks were taken by the Carlsbad Local’s Laura Whaley, Aaron Gonzales, Stephanie Kurimski, Sax Shots, or submitted.