ARTESIA FOOTBALL COMES FULL CIRCLE
It’s a new year, but not much has changed for the Artesia High School football team. The Class 5A Defending State Champions enter the new year as one of the favorites again. “Everybody wants to beat you, but that’s the way it’s always been at Artesia,” said head coach Jeremy Maupin.
Maupin knows a little something about winning championships. He lifted the blue trophy as a player and last season won his first as head coach of the program he grew up with, beating Piedra Vista in the title game 27-14. “It’s kind of full circle,” explained Maupin. “I was literally the kid down there with headsets holding the wires for Coach Henderson, that was the first time I was ever on the Bulldog sideline.”
The Bulldogs have quite a few players back from last year’s championship team. On offense, starting quarterback Nye Estrada returns for his senior season, along with three of the five starting offensive linemen from last year. Ricky ‘Big Rick’ Mestas will anchor the line at 6’3” and 300-pounds. Defensively, they have their entire secondary back, a group that started as sophomores and juniors. They also return two-year starter Diego Wesson at linebacker.
Artesia has 31 state football championships overall which is more than any other school in the country since 1950. They have reached the title game 37 times and have racked up 610 wins between 1950 and 2022, more than any other program in New Mexico history. “They call me the mayor because everyone wants to shake your hand in Artesia (as the head football coach), so as long as you’re winning, they’re excited,” Maupin said.
The Bulldogs open the season August 18th at Carlsbad.
