Artesia High School has the most unusual entrance in high school football. The Bulldogs start every game with a dogpile.
They are not worried about the risk of injury!
Although the exact origin of this high school football tradition is unclear, it has existed for more than 50 years. The goal is to gain a psychological advantage over the opponent.
Artesia is a high school football powerhouse in New Mexico.
Founded in 1909, Artesia High School is the public senior high school of Artesia, New Mexico. Its campus is located 250 miles to the southeast of Albuquerque nearer to the border with Texas.
It enrolls ~775 students only in Grades 10, 11 and 12. The student population is 53% Hispanic to 47% White. There are approximately 15 teachers for every student. Notable alumni include former NFL quarterback Landry Jones, astronaut Edgar Mitchell, oil and gas tycoon Mack Chase, author Anne Frasier and Oklahoma Secretary of State Michael Rogers, among others.
The Bulldogs compete in Class 5A, District 4 as members of the New Mexico Activities Association. They have one of the best high school football teams in the state with 33 state championships dating back to 1957.
Artesia won in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2025. It finished at 12-1 last season with an epic come-from-behind one-point victory in the championship game at the end of November.
The dogpile tradition dates back to the 1960s.
Not only is Artesia known for its success in high school football, the program is known for its pregame entrance. Players exit the locker room and walk out down a hill together. They gather together in front of a sign at the bottom of the hill. They break through the sign and run onto the field.
All pretty standard stuff so far but this is where things take a turn toward the unusual.
The Bulldogs come to a complete stop at the 50-yard-line and the players all jump on top of each other. It’s a full-on dogpile and it is 100% on purpose. It sets the tone.
This was at a recent scrimmage over the weekend:
This was in 2023:
This was in 2021:
Here is a video from 2011:
Cool, yes, but also kinda weird, right? Dogpiles are typically reserved for championships. Artesia does it before every home game.
The exact origin of this tradition remains unknown. However, it is believed to have started around 1964 or earlier. Others dispute that timeline. Nobody really knows when or why.
Critics question its safety. I have seen countless athletes get hurt during a dogpile. Why risk it?
To that, the Bulldogs say: “You always fear what you don’t understand.” True!
“Critics sometimes call the ritual ‘crazy’ or warn that someone could get hurt. Those concerns focus on the physical nature of piling together and potential injuries. Supporters respond that the Bulldogs have performed the Dog Pile Entrance for decades, and the ritual has persisted because participants manage risk and value the tradition.”
Fair enough. Artesia has been doing this for more than five decades and it has never had an issue. Current and future players hope that trend continues, otherwise, it could be a rather awkward situation. Imagine getting injured during a pregame dogpile?!