JT Keith Artesia Daily Press jtkeith@elrtiomedia.com  To avenge its loss in last year’s district season the Artesia Lady ‘Dogs softball team needs to knock off rival Lovington before moving on to the state tournament This year’s regular season district championship will be decided in their next meeting 5 p.m Artesia lost the District 4-4A championship to the Wildcats but ended up playing against Gallup in the state championship game in a losing effort They faced off again as both teams circled April 17 on their calendars in what has become a contested rivalry Nothing was settled as both teams traded victories in the early-season doubleheader in Lovington that would have determined who was in first place with Lovington taking the first game 6-4 and The Lady Dogs taking the second game 3-2 in eight innings Here’s how the two teams fared in the doubleheader on April 17 Artesia pitcher Katrin Marquez went 5.2 innings but two of the six hits were home runs to Lovington’s Zabri Rodriguez and Zemarie Ellis The Wildcats did their damage in the fourth and fifth innings Lovington’s Sabre Sanchez threw up zeros in a pitching duel until the fourth inning when The Lady ‘Dogs’ Kayden Apodaca homered to center field Marquez homered to left field in the sixth inning as Artesia trailed 6-2 Sanchez gave up a two-run homer to Artesia’s Janae Molina but that was not enough as Artesia fell 6-4 A pitcher’s duel ensued in the second game as both teams were scoreless for five innings until Artesia broke through as Jenessa Rodriguez reached first base on Lovington’s third baseman Arianna Garcia’s error and Rodriguez moved to third base with two outs tripled to right field to score both Jenessa Rodriguez and Apodaca to give the Lady Dogs a 2-0 lead Lovington’s Zabri Rodriguez doubled to centerfield and scored on an error to close the Lady Dogs lead to 2-1 Wildcats’ Jocelynn Holguin scored on a sacrifice bunt from Sanchez to tie the game at 2-2 and force extra innings Lovington gave up a run when Artesia’s Kambry Collins scored on a double by teammate Brooklyn Fuentes to give the Lady Dogs a 3-2 win tied for first place with Lovington and Goddard in District 4-4A The Lady Dogs begin a four-game home stand with Portales coming to the Mack Chase Complex on Tuesday at 5 p.m Goddard pitcher Alan Morales (13) gets ready to release a pitch This took place during game one where Goddard lost 15-1 Goddard player Airell Aguilar (2) gets ready to hit the baseball This took place during game two where Goddard won 13-7 the Goddard Rockets baseball team hosted the Lovington Wildcats for a district doubleheader The Rockets entered this matchup with a 7-10 record and 1-0 in district play The Wildcats entered with a 10-8 record and were 0-1 in district play Both teams’ last games were against each other last Thursday at Lovington with the Rockets taking the win with a tally of 19-2 the Wildcats completely dominated the matchup winning it with a tally of 15-1 in five innings Lovington jumped out to an early four-run lead after the top of the first The Rockets would then go on to score 13 runs The Wildcats’ record is now 11-9 and 1-2 in district the Wildcats had 13 hits compared to the Rockets’ six the Rockets had 14 hits compared to the Wildcats’ 10 The Wildcats also had seven errors compared to the Rockets’ three including Cameron Brown (7) and Airell Aguilar (2) Lucien Betancur (5) was the starting pitcher for the Rockets pitching two innings and striking out one batter while allowing six hits and four runs Brown (7) and Aguilar (2) again would lead the Rockets with hits Carmelo Ortega (21) would be the starting pitcher for the Rockets striking out six while allowing seven hits and five runs striking out four batters while allowing three hits and two runs He explained that the team looked like they would look around for help and the only people who could help them were themselves He added that the coaches said that was what they told the team before the second game He ended by saying that the team could have said here we go again’ after going down big early in the second game The Rockets’ next game will be at home on Thursday at 5 p.m Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Albertsons Market in Lovington breaks ground LOVINGTON — Upwards of 150 people were scattered around the desert 10 of them wearing white helmets and navy blue or gray jackets These were Lovington community leaders and family members — The United Family — who’d gathered to break ground on a 2026 Albertsons Market only a stone’s throw away from Nor-Lea Hospital District and Family Dollar in northern Lovington At the southwest corner of Highway 82 and North Main Street Albertsons Market will be another economic milestone for a community gaining significant ground in recent years From a Maverick Convenience Store and Tractor Supply along South Main Street to coffee and tea shops on Avenue D Lovington appears to be like The Incredible Hulk breaking free of his medium-sized clothes “We are so excited to be joining the community of Lovington,” said Sidney Hopper president of The United Family of grocery stores “I want to thank the City of Lovington and the Lovington Economic Development Corporation for their support in this endeavor We look forward to welcoming the community as our guests in 2026.” Albertsons Market will build a fuel and convenience store under the banner Albertsons Market Express Expected to add 250 jobs to the Lovington area the Albertsons will include a full-service pharmacy with drive-through a street-side grocery pickup and delivery service The store will include a full-service deli and hot bar with traditional favorites such as friend chicken “We are thrilled to bring our new location to the Lovington community,” said Chris James we are excited to introduce our culture of exceptional guest service The culture will be evident in every department of our beautiful new store and throughout the entire community.” and website in this browser for the next time I comment Stellar Solar IRB process initiated Christina Holt News-Sun TATUM — Plans to build a large… Stellar Solar IRB process initiated Christina Holt News-Sun TATUM — Plans to build a … user-friendly experience designed with our community in mind More content and resources are on the way as we continue to enhance the site so thank you for your understanding as we work to make it even better X The Philadelphia Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing juvenile Zahaad Lovington-Walley at 7:15pm on the 41xx block of Parish Street wearing an olive-green hooded sweatshirt with matching sweatpants black sleeveless shirt and black flop flops Anyone with information on Zahaad’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or dial 911 215.686.TIPS (8477) Police Headquarters400 N Broad StreetPhiladelphia we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site to improve your browsing experience please read our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy Marian has more than 20 years of experience as an Editor covering various industries in B2B publishing She’s spent the last 10-plus years specifically working in the food industry including at John Wiley & Sons’ food quality and safety title Marian's publications have gained recognition in such editorial awards as ASBPE’S Azbee Awards the SIPAwards and Tabbies International Editorial Awards Marian lent her professional expertise in the editorial SIPAwards competition by serving as an editorial judge She joined the Progressive Grocer team as the Digital Editor in November 2020. Marian oversees the publication’s daily online editorial operations newsletter creation and social media platforms Marian earned a bachelor's degree in English/journalism from Montclair State University.  Follow her on LinkedIn.  (Please refer to Progressive Grocer's Contributing Guidelines to submit content for consideration.) This will be the first United Family location in the market and is slated to open in 2026 commented on the company’s opportunity to break ground in a new market “We are thrilled to announce a new Albertsons Market location in Lovington,” Hopper said “It is always exciting to enter a new community especially one that desires a new grocery store and our team can’t wait to serve guests in Lovington with our best service.” This new location will be built from the ground up It will feature services that have become mainstays of United Family locations including a full-service pharmacy with a drive-thru; Streetside grocery pickup and delivery; ReadyMeals; a fresh in-store bakery; a full-service floral department with delivery; and a full-service meat counter customers will find a wide selection of beer The store will also feature a full-service deli and hot bar with traditional favorites like fried chicken This culture will be evident in every department of our beautiful new store and throughout the entire community.” The new Albertsons Market expects to add about 250 jobs to the Lovington community There will also be an Albertsons Express fuel station and convenience store As with other fuel stations in The United Family guests can save up to $1 off per gallon at the pump through the rewards program Artesia’s Kayden Apodaca throws a pitch against the Goddard Rockets earlier in the season Apodaca hit a three-run homer to help the Lady ‘Dogs win 7-1 against Lovington and take sole possession of first place in District 4-4A There are no guarantees in sports or life but with the defending District 4-4A champion Lovington Wildcats coming into the Mack Chase Sports Complex at 5 p.m this year’s district title could be at stake.  Lovington and Artesia were tied for first place in the district The winner of this game will probably win the district championship and have a better seeding position for state playoff selections.  Lovington is 16-6 overall and 4-1 in district play.   Artesia will close the regular season Friday with a doubleheader at Portales Lovington will play two at Goddard on Friday and make up a rainout at Portales to wrap up district competition on Saturday.  Here are three keys to Artesia securing the District 4-4A crown.  Artesia must continue to play the way it has all season long The Lady Bulldogs have mostly played the short game But they have been able to hit the long ball when needed.  Teams cannot pitch around Artesia’s power hitter Kayden Apodaca Teammate Jenna Whitmire has seven homers and Katrin Marquez has five The Lady ‘Dogs have 30 home runs as a team.  Artesia wants revenge but must guard against being too excited about beating the Wildcats It’s a Lovington team that won the district championship last year Even though this game is for the potential district championship the Lady Dogs must stay relaxed and play their game.  “This game means a lot,” Artesia coach Sandra Pulido said and that (game) will be the tiebreaker for determining who will win our district this season.”  Don’t think ahead and do the small things that lead to winning Coach Pulido said she would tell her players to take it one pitch at a time and to win each inning.  “When we play games against teams like Silver and Lovington and other excellent schools it brings out that rivalry and extra competition that we have,” Pulido said “We tend to move away from the small things we must do We try to get to the big picture right away We must slow it down in those games and do our job.”  JTKeith can be reached at 575-420-0061 or on X@JTKEITH1  The Artesia Bulldogs overcame an early 7-0 deficit defeating the Lovington Wildcats 45-7 to advance to the 5A football playoff semifinals next week Lovington used nearly 13 minutes of the opening quarter to score on a 17-play 55-yard drive as Ondalis Cardenas scored on a 1-yard run and Caleb Aranda kicked the extra point Artesia head coach Jeremy Maupin did not panic as the Bulldogs took care of business taking 7 plays and 80 yards to tie the Wildcats 7-7 with :33 left in the first quarter in the quarterfinals Nov Quarterback Izac Cazares scored on a 7-yard touchdown run and Corbyn Dominguez kicked the extra point Artesia’s defense took over in the closing stages of the first quarter as 6-foot-4 defensive end Kaden Grantham intercepted a pass that led to Artesia’s second touchdown in the second quarter “Kaden Grantham gets a tip off the interception and then kind of pulls some guys downfield with him,” said Maupin during a post-game interview Diego Lopez caught a 4-yard pass from Cazares with 9:33 left in the first half Artesia’s defense thwarted another Lovington offensive drive in the second quarter blocking a Wildcat punt which led to the third touchdown of the first half Running back Frankie Galindo scored on a 2-yard run with 6:23 left before halftime Galindo threw a pass to Ayden Huffman in the end zone for the 2-point conversion as Artesia extended the lead 21-7 Artesia’s defense stopped another Lovington offensive drive and wrapped up a 6-play 50-yard drive with Dominguez booting a 33-yard field goal upping the score to 24-7 with 2:07 remaining in the second quarter Artesia capped off the first half with another touchdown as the defense forced a Wildcat fumble as 6-foot senior defensive end Rafael Orozco scored on the recovery with over a minute left before halftime Dominguez made the extra point kick as the Bulldogs coasted to a 31-7 halftime lead Two more Artesia touchdowns in the second half including a 91-yard kick off return by Ethan Conn provided some insurance for the Bulldogs “I know they got some points and made some stops,” said Maupin of the defense “We came out and our offense hit them in the mouth and it was the aggression that we talk about all week and the psychical style of play and I thought are guys really showed up and got after these guys.” Maupin wondered how Artesia would perform against a District 5-2A foe in the playoffs The Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 57-21 during a Sept the Bulldogs host the Mayfield Trojans in the semifinals Artesia edged the Trojans in Las Cruces 42-28 to end the regular season earlier this month 2 seed in the playoffs and the Trojans are No 6 and downed the Deming Wildcats 21-7 in Deming on Nov ‘we’re going to play these guys twice.’ When the (playoff) bracket came out we said ‘there’s a chance we’re going to play our whole district twice.’ We know that was reality so we had a good Lovington team today (Nov 16) and we know we’ve got a hungry Mayfield team that is playing real good football and so we know we have to have a good week of preparation and its going to be fun to host another playoff game,” Maupin said Artesia-Izac Cazares 4-yard pass to Diego Lopez Galindo to Ayden Huffman 2-point conversion Artesia-Ethan Conn 91-yard kick off return Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com Facing a district foe for the second time this season has taken on a new meaning for Artesia High School head football coach Jeremy Maupin the Bulldogs host the Lovington Wildcats in the second round of the 5A state playoffs was off last week while the Wildcats defeated Roswell Goddard 55-21 in the opening round Nov 7 seed and is one of six teams from District 5-2A still in the playoffs The Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 57-21 in a Sept Maupin and his coaching staff prepared for the possibility of facing either the Wildcats or the Rockets for the second time in 2024 “It’s always hard to beat a team twice,” he said after scouting the Saturday game in Lovington Maupin said the bye week allowed the Bulldogs to heal up and rest up from a campaign that began with summer workouts as they prepared to defend last year’s 5A state championship Maupin expects the Bulldogs to see a different Lovington team this week than they saw in September The Wildcats had 436 yards total offense in the victory over Goddard – 99 yards passing and 337 yards rushing Lovington’s 5-foot-10 quarterback Matthew Prudencio has proven to be a double offensive threat this season completing 202 passes for 2,722 yards and 33 touchdowns On the ground he has carried the football 62 times for 273 yards with one touchdown Wildcat senior running back Ondalis Cardenas is another potential problem for Artesia’s defense The 5-foot-8 senior has 121 carries for 861 yards and 14 touchdowns Lovington junior split back Jayden Guitierrez is Prudencio’s favorite receiving target with 52 catches for 739 yards and 11 touchdowns “We’re going to get their best game,” Maupin said “We expect them to throw in some different wrinkles and anticipate (some) changes.” The Bulldogs have been paced this season by the offensive trio of senior quarterback Izac Cazares senior running back Frankie Galindo and senior split back Ethan Conn Cazares assumed the role of full-time quarterback this year after playing several offensive positions in 2023 The 6-foot-2 Cazares has completed 143 passes for 2,578 yards with 34 touchdowns On the ground he has carried the football 85 times for 602 yards and scored 13 touchdowns Galindo’s statistics have proven he is a double threat for Artesia’s offense He has rushed for 759 yards on 94 carries and scored 12 touchdowns As a receiver he has caught 25 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns The 5-11 Conn has 44 catches for 1,001 yards this season with 16 touchdowns Maupin expects Saturday’s game to be a physical contest The winner advances to the semifinals next week “The unknown part of the playoffs is being able to make adjustments on a quick and easy basis and limit turnovers,” he said KeithArtesia Daily Pressjtkeith@elritomedia.com It was Orange Out night at the Bulldog Pit last Friday with Artesia High School fans decked out in school colors to support the basketball Bulldogs in their final home of the season The support didn’t help initially as Artesia trailed Lovington 24-19 at halftime But Artesia junior guard Charlie Campbell scored 15 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter and the Bulldogs surged to a 57-42 victory over the Wildcats Artesia coach Michael Mondragon said Lovington packed the defense to guard against the Bulldogs’ height in the first half He also said his team had open shots but missed Mondragon credited Campbell for drawing a charge in the third quarter to help turn the game around one of Campbell’s best assets is his ability to get into the lane and find teammates to finish at the rim Defensive intensity was one key to the Bulldogs’ turnaround in the second half 4-0 district) held Lovington to six points in the third quarter outscoring the Wildcats by 11 to take a 36-30 lead “We’ve been playing well in the second half all year,” Mondragon said “We finally started scoring and seeing the ball going into the hoop and we were able to hit some big shots and pull away.” After taking the lead in the third quarter the Bulldogs came to life on a monster dunk by 6-foot-8 Clay Kincaid who threw the ball down so hard he was assessed a technical and given a standing ovation by the home crowd “I’m okay with the technical foul (Kincaid) picked up,” Mondragon said I have been telling him all year long that I want him to be nasty … When he got that dunk we’re here!’ An excellent way for him to respond Guard Braylon Vega and power forward Trent Egeland each scored nine points for the Bulldogs 5-0 District 4-4A defeated Portales (11-13 1-4 District 4-4A) Tuesday night 58-42 in a road contest The final road contest is at second-place Goddard (10-14 JT Keith can be reached at jtkeith@elritomedia.com Artesia High School quarterback Izac Cazares led the Bulldog offensive attack and the defense pressured Lovington quarterback Matthew Prudencio in a 57-21-win Friday night over the Wildcats Friday night at Wildcat Stadium The win gives the Bulldogs the inside track to the District 5-2A championship as Artesia is undefeated in league play at 3-0 The Wildcats are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in district play Artesia had a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter The Bulldogs defense pressured the Wildcats on the Brian Urlacher Field early in the second quarter forcing a Lovington fumble on its own one-yard line The Bulldog offense capitalized on the Lovington turnover on a short touchdown run Artesia made the 2-point conversion with 9:45 left before halftime with a 22-7 lead The Bulldogs took advantage of another fumble on the kickoff Running back Frankie Galindo ended a four-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown sprint with 8:15 on the clock Corbyn Dominguez converted the extra point kick as the Bulldogs extended the lead 29-7 For more details and statistics pick up a copy of Thursday’s Artesia Daily Press Mike Smith may be reached by phone at 575-308-8734 and follow on X @MSmitharteisanm Lovington group hits the ground running with Light It Up Blue LOVINGTON — Stepping into April and Autism Awareness month Lovington Autism Center for Education and Services laced up their shoes and hit the ground running Saturday as the organization went all out to collect donations for the program lead special education teacher for Lovington Municipal Schools and was made to provide support and services in an academic center for district students on the autism spectrum Amundsen said the event Saturday was the second event hosted since the COVID shutdown it was the largest turn out to date,” Amundsen said Lots of students and people from the entire community and this is our 12th year of ‘Light it up Blue’ since L.A.C.E.S It started off really small and was just a way to honor our students and celebrate Autism Awareness month We’re celebrating our students and promoting awareness within our community Each year we added a little bit more until we had the event we do today.” Amundsen said ‘Light it up Blue’ is a fund raiser but it is also a day to celebrate the kids and appreciate their uniqueness thanks to funds from the “Light it up Blue’ event” L.A.C.E.S have been able to buy things like a playground suited for autism spectrum kids “We do a lot of the things we wouldn’t be able to do without this event extra materials and sometimes better technology and a lot of that is funded by our ‘Light it up Blue’ every year,” Amundsen said instructor assistant and art teacher for L.A.C.E.S. said the event is important to the program because it is the one event that brings in money just for the L.A.C.E.S doesn’t really get a whole lot of funds for our program because we’re tied into the sixth-grade academy So whatever the state gives to the schools it usually goes to sixth-grade,” Nickles explained “So ‘Light it up Blue’ is the one fund raiser that we do to bring in money for just our L.A.C.E.S Nickels said the program is growing and will soon have a new building due to the number of students it serves She believes awareness is spreading and students are benefiting “The coffee shop we had there at the event we also do that here at L.A.C.E.S.,” Nickles said The kids get to make drinks and we try and teach them hand-to-eye coordination and how to talk to the person your tending to said her child loves the program and can see the benefits the programs offer him before he goes to his regular third-grade school His teacher even sent me a message over spring-break saying how she thinks the program has helped him out tremendously He’s doing so much better in his other school has been chose by National School Board Association to receive the Magna award for an outstanding program that meets the challenges that are being faced by school districts Hobbs News-Sun LOVINGTON – The Lovington boys basketball game against Artesia Friday night was a see-saw battle for a while.It see-ed in Artesia’s direction then saw-ed in Lovington’s.But ultimately the momentum see-ed back toward Artesia and the Wildcats might have seen their District 4-4A championship hopes saw-ed off after they went ice cold and lost 59-46 before a packed Lovington High School gym.“We didn’t hit shots,” Wildcats head coach Casey Pack said “The game’s about knocking down shots and we weren’t knocking down shots you’ve got to give credit to them,” Lovington senior Kayle Covington said We did get a little cold in the third quarter and they got into a zone.”Artesia opened the game looking like the No thanks to a fallaway jumper by Clay Kincaid a running bank shot plus an and-one by Charlie Campbell including six points from Covington and a pair of treys – one by Mika Pando the other from Danny Criswell from the right corner that gave the Wildcats their first lead of the night with two minutes to go in the first quarter Lovington was up 17-13 by the end of the period.The Wildcats opened up a 25-17 lead in the second with the 24th and 25th points coming on a Criswell reverse But that’s when Lovington’s offense went into chill mode while the Bulldogs got going again a two-point bucket from ex-Hobbs player Braylon Vega the Bulldogs quickly erased the eight-point deficit and drew into a 25-all tie.A Criswell bank shot put Lovington back in front but a pull-up jumper by Campbell knotted the game at 27 and that was the score at halftime.The Bulldogs had opening possession in the new half and made good on it when Campbell buried a three-pointer to make it a 30-27 game.A short turnaround jumper followed with an and-one by Campbell put Artesia ahead by six and a third-chance basket by Kincaid a bit later had the Bulldogs up 35-27.Lovington was within 35-30 when Pando drilled a right-elbow trey with just over three minutes to go in the third quarter but Artesia went up 37-30 on a short jumper from Campbell then 39-30 on an inside basket from Trent Egeland off a Campbell dish and though Lovington was within 44-38 early in the fourth Artesia closed on a 15-8 run and won by double digits.Cambell led the way for Artesia pouring in a game-high 27 points.“We had a mismatch with Charlie,” Pack said We’ll have to do a better job of controlling that.”Despite their defeat the Wildcats had a huge crowd behind them.“I want to thank Lovington fans,” Pack said and this is the fullest this place has been.”Lovington will move away from that friendly gym for a road game against Goddard Tuesday night in Roswell.“We can’t look past them,” Pack said You’ve got to take care of your home advantage; we didn’t so now we’ve got to win on the road.”And the ’Cats will see Artesia again possibly three more times.“I think we can contend with any team in the state when we’re on,” Covington said “and we’re competing for shots and playing like I know we can play.” Sometimes when teams are already down by a bunch and miss shots lose a close game and all those earlier missed shots seem a lot more crucial in retrospect.The Lovington girls basketball team endured that against Artesia on Friday night at Lovington High School clunked and doinked their way through too many possessions then raced back in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie only to ultimately fall 41-37 in the District 4-4A opener for both teams.“‘Look at yourself,’” is what Lovington head coach Chief Bridgforth said he told his players after Friday’s game “In the third quarter alone we had seven empty possessions; in the fourth we had several run-outs and bobbled it away We just never got over the hump.”“There were a lot of opportunities that we missed,” Lady Wildcats junior forward Abby Shouse said “But I feel like we’re getting better seeing each other on the court and we’ll definitely be able to see more opportunities as we go through district.”Shouse also believed Artesia had a lot to do with Lovington’s offensive woes.“It was really tough getting thrown across the floor,” she noted Next time at their place we’re going to fight back.”Lovington mustered just four points in Friday’s first quarter – a Malaiya Castro trey and an Ashelynn Borunda free throw – while Artesia scored 14 to build a 10-point lead by the period’s end.The Lady ’Cats charged back in the second quarter narrowing their deficit to a reasonable 24-21 by halftime.Lovington was down only 27-23 early in the third quarter and had chance after chance to climb even closer There was a possession where the usually steady-eddy Aubrey Aranda pulled up for a jumper that bricked off right iron The Lady Bulldogs missed on their ensuing possession After Artesia failed to score on its possession after that the normally accurate Castro missed a shot and the next Lady Bulldog possession ended with a Kailee Padilla layup that stretched Artesia’s lead to 29-23.Lovington’s J’Bree Rios narrowly missed a shot from underneath and Artesia transitioned that to an Avery Frederick hoop – a third-chance bucket on the possession to boot The Lady Bulldogs soon added another basket 33-23 with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter Artesia led 35-26.It was 40-32 Artesia when the Lady Wildcats recovered some of their rhythm An inside basket from Borunda brought the Lady ‘Cats within six soon followed by a stop-and-pop trey from her to make it a 40-37 game.But time was fleeting Aranda hustled to the sideline for an apparent steal But Aranda had stepped on the line and Artesia retained possession.The Lady Bulldogs throwing the ball out of bounds with 19.57 seconds left and Aranda found Borunda open in the left corner Borunda put up the potential game-tying shot and it looked good on the way up and on the way down but spun around the rim tantalizingly before spinning out Padilla was intentionally fouled with 5.37 seconds to play Shouse grabbed the rebound and sent the ball ahead to Aranda who only had time for a half-court chuck that hit off the glass.Lovington had suffered a four-point loss If you’d told me before the game we would hold ’em to 41 I’d have felt pretty good.”Artesia improved its overall record to an unspectacular 9-11 but the Lady Bulldogs are 1-0 in the super-important district standings but 0-1 in district.“It’s tough to lose a home district game,” Bridgforth said You get more than one district loss you never recover Hobbs and Lovington won state championships at The Pit after all Though the Hobbs boys and girls basketball teams were defeated in the state semifinals and finals and both Lovington basketball teams fell just short of making it there the Hobbs and Lovington cheer teams each captured state championships at The Pit in Albuquerque last weekend yet were on different missions – the former team was trying to return to the mountaintop last weekend’s state 5A title was the end of a redemption tour; they had last won the championship in 2023 we’re over the moon,” Hobbs head coach Cassey Sudweeks said For both teams it was a journey that began in earnest late last year their specific work toward the state championships began in the fall when they received their choreography from the NMAA “And once we’re given those routines,” Sudweeks said “our practices really turn into doing drills to get those elite skills So we just practice the different stunts we’re given and then we start to put the puzzle pieces together to work on those routines as a whole.” we don’t work on until football season is over,” Amundsen said “It’s the big one because of all the different aspects In Game Day we want you to feel like you’re at a D-1 football game … We get points for how the crowd reacts to us Cheer with Music is where we as a team stand apart from everyone else Co-ed stunt team is the team that can do the most.” Which they have to do in just two minutes and 30 seconds “Literally they don’t stop,” Amundsen said “It’s just as many skills as you can pack into two and a half minutes.” After the teams hone their routines during late fall and early winter it’s time to test them out at local competitions in January and February “That way we have a chance to practice them in front of a crowd,” Sudweeks said All while paying attention to their regular cheerleading duties “We spend the summer teaching everybody the sideline material,” Sudweeks said “and that’s what we use at a game for football We prioritize being sideline cheerleaders before we are competitive ones so there are definitely days and times throughout the week when we get to focus solely on our routines After working diligently on perfecting those routines but the scoring procedure leaves them at somewhat of a disadvantage Basketball teams can tell how they’re doing throughout the course of their games it’s right there on the scoreboards in The Pit When the Tatum girls basketball team won its state championship two weeks ago they knew when the buzzer sounded that they had earned a blue trophy Cheer teams have to wait for the announcement from the judges almost like they’re trying to win an Oscar “So you have to wait anxiously,” Sudweeks said “and you’re watching the other teams do great so when you’re sitting there you don’t exactly know what’s going to happen.” They don’t even get the judges’ notes and critiques don’t know what they might have done wrong but that has to happen after the state championships That’s why you have to be so much on top of it because it really can change the course of a championship it was a matter of switching places with Organ Mountain with Centennial second and the Eagles third “We were able to climb back up to the top,” Sudweeks said “It was just amazing to be able to witness it For both teams it was the end of a journey “It’s not just two-hour practices,” Amundsen said But that’s actually also what makes New Mexico have such a great spirit program; you have to have such focus They want you to be so technical and clean “It really was just amazing to know that everything we put into this season was being recognized and had paid off,” Sudweeks said had attended about 60 events just this season alone So for them to be able to perform at all these events each week on top of maintaining an above average GPA and still take home the first-place trophy I feel like we’ve won in so many areas than just being the 5A state champions And I’m so proud they were able to bring back the trophy to this school.” By Mike SmithArtesia Daily Pressmsmith@currentargus.com The Artesia Bulldogs’ 57-21 victory over the Lovington Wildcats Sept 27 in Lovington may have put New Mexico’s 5A football class on notice as the season rolls toward the November playoffs Lovington was undefeated going into the game but when it was over the Wildcats were 5-1 overall and 2-1 in District 5-2A – and the Bulldogs were in first place with a 3-0 district record Artesia is 4-2 overall and seeking a third straight 5A state championship There was excitement in the air as kickoff approached at Wildcat Stadium with Lovington fans looking for a victory over the defending champs Artesia quickly put a damper on the enthusiasm grabbing a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter Lovington ended the opening period on a positive note with an offensive drive that carried over to the second quarter but the drive was derailed by a fumble and Artesia running back Frankie Galindo scored on a one yard run A Diego Lopez pass to Jaden Waldrip gave the Bulldogs a two-point conversion and a 22-7 lead with 9:45 showing on the clock A Lovington fumble on the Bulldogs’ kickoff gave Artesia the ball on the Wildcats’ 27 and the visitors added seven more points on Galindo’s 13-yard TD run and Corbyn Dominguez’s extra-point kick The teams traded possessions with no more scoring until Artesia quarterback Izac Cazares found the end zone on a three-yard run with 47 seconds left in the half The Wildcats answered with five seconds remaining before intermission as Jayden Gutierrez caught a 44-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Prudencio The two-point conversion failed and Artesia led 36-13 The Bulldogs scored three touchdowns in the second half and Lovington posted its final TD of the night early in the fourth quarter as Camon Ochoa scored on a six-yard run The Bulldogs will visit Santa Teresa at 7 p.m Artesia-Jack Byers 32-yard pass from Izac Cazares Lovington-Jayden Gutierrez 44-yard pass from Matthew Prudencio Artesia-Ethan Conn 21-yard pass from Cazares Artesia-Frankie Galindo 41-yard pass from Cazares Lovington-Camino Ochoa 6-yard pass from Prudencio Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or follow on X @MSmithartesianm Chance of a shower or two during the evening The press release indicated Davis admitted to police during interviews that he viewed and saved images of child pornography from online to a personal device ARTHUR — A longtime Lovington Grade School teacher was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography of Sullivan was arrested Thursday after Illinois State Police linked him to “suspicious internet activity,” according to the Moultrie County State’s Attorney’s Office The office said Davis admitted to police during interviews that he viewed images of child pornography online and saved them to a personal device Arthur schools Superintendent Shannon Cheek said Davis had taught in the district for “over 10 years.” In a release posted on the school district’s website Cheek said the district had no knowledge Davis was being investigated until the arrest was announced “The district wants to reinforce that we are confident in our ability to maintain a safe and educational environment with no one at risk of harm,” Cheek said “Our students’ safety is our number one priority and one that we take very seriously.” Cheek said the district is not aware of any student in the community who has ever been in danger “and we have taken swift and appropriate action to ensure our school community will be safe during this time.” Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription Your current subscription does not provide access to this content Please use the button below to manage your account or sign up for a new account to continue reading We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content no promotional deals were found matching that code Goddard player Kyle Mesquita (50) prepares to try to get past Lovington player Jojo Perez (10) Goddard player Keauna Thomas (20) attempts to shoot over Lovington player Abigail Shouse (42) prepares to pass the ball to teammate Joaquin Sanchez (5) Goddard player Aubrie Bolanos (3) dribbles the ball downcourt the Goddard Rockets girls and boys basketball teams faced off against the Lovington Wildcats at Goddard High School The Lady Rockets came into it with a 12-9 record and coming off a 54-40 loss to the Portales Rams on Jan They were coming off a 41-37 loss to the Artesia Bulldogs on Jan This is the second time both the Lady Rockets and the Lady Wildcats have faced off this season with the Lady Rockets getting the 53-47 win on Dec This was the third place game of the GHS Holiday Classic Both teams were able to move the ball with ease and were able to capitalize on many of their shots The difference was the Lady Wildcat offense was far superior and no matter how many points the Lady Rockets scored The Lady Wildcats would win with a tally of 78-61 The Lady Rockets’ record would fall to 12-10 The top scorers for the Lady Rockets were Aubrie Bolanos (3) with 22 points Jazmin De Leon (1) with 16 and Adyson Harral (23) with eight Aubrey Aranda (5) with 19 and Abigail Shouse (42) with 14 Lady Rockets head coach Chris Roybal discussed the game He said that the main things they need to work on are assignments and communication the Rockets came in with an 8-12 record and came off a 39-36 win against the NMMI Colts on Saturday but were coming off a 59-46 loss to the Artesia Bulldogs on Jan This was the second time both teams faced each other in the third place game of the Poe Corn Tournament at Roswell High School and neither had a lead larger than eight points but not to the point where the offenses were ineffective The game was close until the final two minutes when the Rockets pulled away The Rockets’ record jumped to 9-12 and 1-1 in district while the Wildcats fell to 13-9 and 0-2 in district The leading scorers for the Rockets were Ezekiel Burrola (23) with 19 points Isaiah Mestas (12) with 11 and Kyle Mesquita (50) with seven Jojo Perez (10) with nine and Mika Pando (12) with eight Rockets head coach Charles Goar was ecstatic about the win saying they have a fantastic coaching staff great players and the best player in Class 4A basketball That being Kayle (24) averaging 21.1 points and 13.4 rebounds per game Goar added that winning against a team like this is a blessing He said that the team played with a lot of mental and physical toughness The Rockets head to Artesia to face the Bulldogs (14-7 while the Lady Rockets head to Artesia to face the Lady Bulldogs (9-12 Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — New Mexico environmental regulators on Friday issued a $47.8 million fine on allegations of excess air pollution at a natural gas processing facility in a prolific oil production region near the Texas state line The state Environment Department issued the sanctions including a cease and desist order against Houston-based Targa Resources at its processing plant near Jal alleging permit violations and excess emissions of gases known to cause respiratory issues or contribute to climate change Representatives for Targa could not immediately be reached for comment Regulators say Targa has 30 days to respond and comply or request a hearing with the agency secretary Regulators also have ordered a series of corrective actions and improvements to the facilities that process gas for transmission by pipeline The sanctions are based on allegations of two permit violations late reporting of emissions and an incomplete requirement for a root cause analysis of excess pollution The proposed air-pollution fine against Targa would be the largest in state history by the Environment Department The case also was referred to federal regulators Separately, the New Mexico Court of Appeals last month upheld regulations aimed at cracking down on air pollution in one of the nation’s top-producing oil and gas states Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration has advanced new restrictions on ozone-precursor pollutants along with regulations to limit methane emissions in its efforts to combat climate change and meet federal clean air standards.