Football Game Preview: Gateway Christian Warriors vs. Tatum Coyotes

The Gateway Christian Warriors will square off against the Tatum Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Gateway Christian has given up an average of 27.3 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Gateway Christian is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Melrose, who was ranked sixth at the time (Gateway Christian was ranked 12th). The Warriors were outmatched by the Buffaloes and fell 48-6. The game marked the Warriors' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Tatum had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 45 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They walked away with a 38-28 victory over the SonBlazers.

Tatum's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Alonso Salazar was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself. Canton Bolin was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, forcing one fumble, and making four total tackles (3.0 for loss).

Tatum's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Gateway Christian, their loss ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 3-3.

Everything came up roses for Gateway Christian against Tatum in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 54-0 victory. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Coyotes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.