5A championship preview: Roswell and Artesia set for title-game rematch

Artesia-Roswell is the oldest prep football rivalry in New Mexico, and of late the meetings have been frequent.

These two are facing each other in the Class 5A title game for the second straight year, and are sharing a field for the fourth time overall in the last 13½ months.

The top-seeded Coyotes (10-1) are hosting the second-seeded Bulldogs (9-3) in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Wool Bowl on Saturday.

Roswell beat Artesia 44-40 at Bulldog Bowl in the regular season. The Bulldogs beat the Coyotes 35-21 a year ago in the state final.

“More than anything, last year we were pretty tight. Played tight,” Roswell coach Jeff Lynn said. “I’m seeing a little different energy (this week), they’re a little looser and I think we know what to expect.”

In the regular season game last month, by Lynn’s count, Artesia had 13 big plays, Roswell 12 — big being defined as a play longer than 15 yards. These two teams, as much as anyone in 5A, are hugely skilled at getting up and down the field.

“For us to win,” Lynn said, “we can’t give up big plays.”

This was a killer in last year’s state final for the Coyotes. On Saturday, Roswell’s defense, including a potent front that has three players headed for the next level, have three alpha Artesia athletes to watch closely — quarterback Izac Cazares (2,827 pass yards, 38 touchdowns), running back Frankie Galindo (933 rush yards, 16 TDs) and receiver Ethan Conn (54 receptions/1,156 yards/17 TDs).

“(Galindo) is a concern,” Lynn said. “He’s a handful. Probably one of the better running backs in the state.”

Roswell’s ground game, Lynn said, was key to the regular-season victory. Jacob Palomino is, like Cazares, a dangerous dual-threat quarterback, and Artesia coach Jeremy Maupin also wants to keep tabs on the Coyotes’ Xai Carrasco, who is one of Roswell’s best two-way players, including at safety, but more so on offense.

“We’ve got to go out there and establish the run, and take the air out of the ball a little bit,” Lynn said.

Carrasco frequently lines up at QB in Roswell’s heavy package, and this package, Maupin said, is imposing, with nobody yet able to combat its effectiveness in short yardage or near the goal line.

For the Bulldogs, who are going after a 33rd championship and third in a row, it’s all about tweaking.

“I think a lot of it comes down to adjustments,” Maupin said. “I don’t think either one of us wants the other’s offense scoring 40 points.”

Maupin said the Bulldogs have to play a clean game in this latest chapter, as two crushing turnovers were crucial last month.

“For us, our whole thing is, we have to make sure we come out and play our style of football and not worry about them,” Maupin said. “Can this be our best football game?”