Some rivalries are born due to divisions in culture, class or politics. Others are born because they happen to be near each other.
That’s the case between Las Cruces and Mayfield.
All eyes will be on the 62nd meeting between the Bulldawgs and Trojans at 7 p.m. this Friday at the Field of Dreams, a clash dating back to 1967. For the first time, it will be played as the season opener in one of the biggest week one games in New Mexico this year.
Both schools have had months to prepare, and the atmosphere around the two is always different when this game arrives.
“For a long time in this community, you’ve either been red and blue or green and gold,” said Las Cruces coach Mark Lopez. “You're gonna have a lot of office bets going on this week. You’re gonna have a lot of cousins calling cousins across the country and talking about this game. That's really what's driven this thing over all the years.”
Las Cruces has dominated the rivalry recently, having defeated Mayfield in the past eight seasons. The Bulldawgs’ 44-7 win in 2023 extended its all-time series lead over Mayfield to 31-29-1 en route to reaching the 6A semifinals, while the Trojans were eliminated in the 5A quarterfinals.
Some of Mayfield’s players, like senior running back/defensive back Justin Madrid and senior wide receiver/linebacker Peyton Darden, are using the eight-game losing streak as motivation; however, Trojans coach Gary Bradley doesn’t want to think about it.
“What happened last year or eight years ago, I could care less,” Bradley said. “This is 2024, and that’s all that matters.”
Friday’s game will be the culmination of the first-ever “Rivalry Renewed” games between Las Cruces and Mayfield’s staff and students. Mayfield athletic coordinator Caleb Hull helped organize the Rivalry Renewed games to engage more students in the rivalry. He believes they’ve been a success, and hopes Las Cruces organizes a potential 2025 version.
The games started last Saturday at the Field of Dreams softball complex and included a cornhole tournament, a go-kart race and a kickball game between the two schools’ staff. The games have continued throughout the week with hallway art and bonfire contests.
Each contest, including the football game, is worth five points. A “reverse trophy” featuring the names of both schools will be “awarded” and will be placed in the losing school’s front office with the side featuring the winning school’s name facing out.
“Everybody that walks through the front door has to see the other school before they talk to anyone,” said Mayfield athletic coordinator Caleb Hull.
Lopez and Bradley have each compared each school’s environment to a homecoming game. But like homecoming week, both coaches naturally want to focus only on the football game.
Lopez wants the Bulldawgs playing “nasty” and physical against the Trojans, believing it’s the best way to stop Mayfield’s up-tempo offense.
“We have to go impose our will,” Lopez said. “It’s the same focus we’ve had since January.”
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Mayfield’s starters play both ways and Lopez believes the Trojans will be athletic across the board as a result. It could give the Bulldawgs trouble, especially if they fail to stop Mayfield senior quarterback/linebacker Luke Linnan.
Las Cruces junior quarterback Gunnar Guardiola says maintaining discipline and attention to detail can combat Mayfield’s athleticism.
“You can just put our athletes up against theirs and hope for the best,” Guardiola said. “We have to execute at a very high level.”
Playing the Trojans to start the season became an offseason focus for the Bulldawgs’. Every time someone had a bad day in the weight room or on the field during practice, they thought about beating Mayfield to get back on track.
Now, Las Cruces hopes to channel that energy into a ninth straight victory.
“You can say you’re tired. But then you remember who’s waiting for you in week one, and they’re not stopping either,” Guardiola said. “Every time we mess up, we remember this game.”
Mayfield’s focus is to limit big plays from Las Cruces. Bradley is wary of Guardiola’s arm strength, especially when he targets Bulldawgs senior wide receiver Nate Libby. Las Cruces junior running back Daniel Amaro also poses another challenge to Mayfield’s defense.
Containing Las Cruces’ stars is the Trojans’ top priority on Friday.
“They can beat you deep if you let them,” Darden said. “We can’t get beat like that, and we have to come down and make tackles in the backfield.”
Mayfield also wants to play fast and control the game’s tempo.
“We need to fly to the ball,” Madrid said. “It’s gonna be a hard fight no matter what, so we can’t give up our pace.”
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Both the Bulldawgs and Trojans hope a victory in this game boosts them to their goals. Darden hopes Mayfield can “start a legacy” on Friday while Bradley hopes a victory helps rebuild it back to a championship-contending program. Las Cruces believes it has already become that, and hopes to cement itself as a team to watch in New Mexico this season with a win.
But no matter where each team is at, bragging rights are always at stake. In a rivalry like this, both just want to beat the school across town.
“We’re always a little more excited for Mayfield,” said Las Cruces senior linebacker Dalin Walter. “It’s a little different starting with them, but they’re still our rivals. They’re still Mayfield. We need to send a message to them and the rest of the state.”
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: 'Send a message': Las Cruces and Mayfield prepare for battle in big-time rivalry game
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