Bits & Pieces - CHS Fall Sports Programs Now in Full Swing

By Don Eskins

All of Carlsbad High’s fall sports programs, except the Cavemen and Cavegirl Cross country teams, have opened up play this fall. The CHS harriers will kick off their first meet of the year on Saturday, August 31, at the Centennial Invitational in Las Cruces.

Following the first week of competition, the Cavegirl soccer team is 1-0, Cavemen Soccer 1-1, and Cavegirl volleyball 0-3. Both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams will participate in the Las Cruces Invitational this weekend, Aug. 30-31. The volleyball team will get their next shot at picking up a win in Carlsbad on Tuesday, September 3, against Lovington.

Cavemen Football News

The Cavemen football team—off to a 0-1 start following a 44-7 loss to New Mexico’s second-ranked Artesia Bulldogs—squared off against the Goddard Rockets on Thursday night, August 29, in Roswell.

Due to a Wednesday night deadline, the Local was unable to post the results of the game. We’ll run those results, along with an outlook on their matchup with the Lovington Wildcats, set for Friday, September 6, next week. CHS’s meeting with the Cats will serve as their first home game of 2024.

Although the Cavemen didn’t get the kind of start they were hoping for in 2024 in their 44-7 loss to Artesia, they did make some noise. None louder, possibly, than a 53-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Kason Perez to wide-out Robert Castaneda during the latter part of the first quarter.

However, as all CHS fans who attended the game should remember, the strike was nullified on a procedural call. But, even at that, it was an eye-opener for 2024.

Carlsbad continued to battle the Dogs throughout the ballgame. Down 44-0 late in the fourth quarter, they avoided a shutout via a 19-yard touchdown pass from Perez to wide-out Ty Young.

Leaders on the CHS stat sheet in their opener against the Bulldogs were: Offense/QB, Kason Perez, 14-22, 98 yards with one touchdown; Receiving, Eloy Lopez, 5-29; Ty Young, 2-27, with a touchdown; and B. Wright, 1-17; Defense/Tackles, Colton McKibben, 10, and Connor Roberson six; Tackle Assists, Diego Ramirez, five, and Rio Sanchez, three; TFL, Colton McKibben, two, and Zayland Pesante, one.

District 3/6A Gridiron Openers

In other news, District 3/6A teams posted a 2-4 record during last week’s prep football openers. Picking up victories were Las Cruces and Centennial. LC knocked off Mayfield 50-7, while Centennial downed Cleveland 35-28.

Absorbing losses, besides Carlsbad, were Organ Mt., who fell to Eldorado 21-12; Hobbs, who lost to Lovington 31-22; and Alamogordo, who lost to Deming 35-21.