No. 8 Cavemen Clash with No. 4 Bulldawgs

kmarksteiner0

21 minutes ago

3 min read

By Don Eskins

Out of the frying pan and into the skillet, there seems to be no end to the number of top-ranked teams the Carlsbad Cavemen have had to battle this year.

On Friday night, October 23, in the City of Crosses, when the Cavemen storm onto the Field of Dreams to take on the Las Cruces Bulldawgs, it’s going to be more of the same.

Yes, Las Cruces, ranked fourth in Class 6A football, promises to be yet another tough Top 10 test for the eighth-ranked Cavemen.

However, already battle-tested and toughened up by one of New Mexico’s most brutal schedules, Cavemen head coach Cale Sanders says his kids are very much looking forward to what lies ahead for them in the City of Crosses.

The Cavemen, Dawgs Faceoff

The Cavemen will carry an overall record of 5-3 into Friday night’s contest with Las Cruces and are 2-3 in District 2/6A. The Bulldawgs, 3-2 in conference, are 6-2 on the year.

Of the seven games played this season, the Cavemen and Bulldawgs share four common opponents, Organ Mountain, Clovis, Volcano Vista, and Eldorado, all District 2/6A opponents.

Both teams went 2-2 during that stretch. During the four game faceoffs, CHS downed Organ Mt. 56-7 and Clovis 48-8, but fell to Volcano Vista 38-17 and Eldorado 22-21. Las Cruces defeated Organ Mt. 42-7 and Clovis 49-0 but lost to Volcano Vista 28-14 and Eldorado 21-20.

Despite Las Cruces being ranked fourth and the Cavemen eighth, their final outcomes against four common opponents suggest Friday night’s battle between Carlsbad and Las Cruces could be a barn burner.

“Las Cruces is no ordinary high school football team. Although ranked fourth, they’re probably one of the top two or three teams in the state, something they’re very used to being,” Sanders said. “And as for their defense, I don’t think there’s a better one in Class A football.

“They’re always tough to beat, especially in the Las Cruces Field of Dreams. No doubt, our kids are in for a tough one,” he said. “To get the win, we’re going to have to grind, be able to deal with a lot of ups and downs, and limit our mistakes.”

In 2026, the Cavemen have been able to grind out wins or post close scores in a loss due to a stingy Cavemen defense that’s kept them in ballgames.

“Our defense, headed by coach Caden Merrell, has been stepping up for us most all year,” said Sanders. “The job they’ve been doing to keep us in ballgames gives us a lot of confidence. We’ll be counting on them a bunch on Friday night against Las Cruces.”

Cavemen Probable 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, No. 2 Marley Munoz and Running Back, No. 27 Brock Wright; Wide Receiver Corps, No. 11 Jaden Harper, junior Ian Wilson, 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 on the Cavemen’s defensive unit, one on the line and another in the secondary, have yet to be filled. Coach Sanders plans to fill the positions by committee.)