“IT’S A LOT OF FUN TO BE AN ARTESIAN”
Artesia is the defending state champion in Class 5A, but they closed the book on last year. “We have this giant One that we open up every year and this summer, the first day of summer, our coaches got up there and shut it,” said head coach Jeremy Maupin. “It’s kind of like we are shutting the door on last season and we’re going to take this season one game at a time and hopefully we give ourselves a chance to be in that game against this year.”
“We’re just taking it game by game and putting last year’s championship behind us and not talk about it and just get after it this year,” said linebacker Diego Wesson.
This year’s team is loaded with experience with more than two dozen seniors, including three-year starter Diego Wesson. “Just a phenomenal athlete and it’s rare to have a linebacker that starts at point guard and that just tells you his IQ and what he does,” said Maupin. “He does a good job getting our defense lined up and sets a tone with his effort.”
In just three weeks, Artesia has outscored their opponents 148-to-13. On September 15th, the Bulldogs have a home date on the calendar against Cleveland, the squad who’s won the last three 6A state championships. “We try to fill our schedule every year with some 6A teams and Cleveland has been one of the best teams, if not the best team, in 6A for several years and it gives us an opportunity to see how we matchup there,” explained Maupin. “If you can hold your own against Cleveland, it helps you when you’re playing teams in your own classification. We love that game. We think we come out of that game a better football team, playing the best, so we look forward to that game every single year.”
“It’s exciting,” said junior running back Frankie Galindo. “I’ve been looking forward to it and I’m looking forward to playing in that game.”
Junior running back Frankie Galindo has nine touchdowns in his first three games, 7 rushing and two receiving scores. “You could see in Frankie early on, he’s just a great young man, he gives us his heart,” Maupin described. “You can see it when he runs, he’s not the biggest guy, but he goes and he’s becoming a better football player every week, so we are excited about having him on our team.”
Artesia has played in 37 state championships, more than any other New Mexico school, and won 31 state championships, more than any other school in the country since 1950. Head coach Jeremy Maupin says that’s Bulldog football. “Bulldog football is a community,” explained Maupin. “It’s the literal Friday night lights, the town shuts down, the whole town shows up to the game, it’s loud, moms are selling eye black to elementary school kids, we’re reading to them in the morning, it’s traditions, it’s a winning program and it’s belief. It’s belief every year that you’re going to be the next one to put your number up on the press box, so it’s a lot of fun to be an Artesian.”
