Football Game Preview: Lovington Wildcats vs. Gadsden Panthers + Official Tickets

After each having a week off, the Lovington Wildcats and the Gadsden Panthers will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Lovington is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 31.1 points per game this season.

Lovington is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed past Mayfield to the tune of 50-6 last Friday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.

Elijah Rivero

Receiving Yards (Career)

10/03/25 @ Mayfield	143
09/12/25 @ Roswell	112
09/05/25 vs Carlsbad	98
10/04/24 vs Mayfield	89
10/18/24 @ Gadsden	79

A big part of Lovington's victory came down to the chemistry between Justin Allen and his top target Elijah Rivero. Allen threw for 117 yards and a pair of TDs on only ten passes while Rivero picked up 143 receiving yards and two scores. Those 143 receiving yards gave Rivero a new career-high. Zachary Diaz was another key player, rushing for 29 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Gadsden faced Roswell in a battle between two of the state's top teams last Friday. The Panthers took a hard 33-14 fall against the Coyotes. The Panthers have struggled against the Coyotes recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.

Lovington will need to focus on slowing down ETHAN MORALES, one of several Gadsden players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 40 yards and one TD, and also threw for 141 yards and one touchdown. Another player making a difference was ARMANDO RAMIREZ, who gained 64 total yards and a touchdown.

Gadsden's loss dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Lovington, their win ended a four-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-4.

Lovington came up short against Gadsden in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 32-28. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.