Lovington will head out on the road to challenge Deming at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Lovington is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Gadsden, who was ranked 25th at the time (Lovington was ranked 16th). The Wildcats blew past the Panthers, posting a 58-28 victory. The Wildcats' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
It was another big night for Jayden Gutierrez, who rushed for 211 yards and three TDs on only 12 carries, and also threw for 235 yards and four touchdowns while completing 81.8% of his passes. His longest rush was for an impressive 66 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Lovington's leading receiver Elijah Rivero was Gutierrez's top target yet again, picking up 103 receiving yards and three scores.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Lovington was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 317 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Elijah Rivero
| 10/03/25 @ Mayfield | 143 |
| 09/12/25 @ Roswell | 112 |
| 10/17/25 vs Gadsden | 103 |
| 09/05/25 vs Carlsbad | 98 |
| 09/26/25 @ Artesia | 71 |
| + 3 more games |
Lovington didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Chase Terrell, Alejandro Kame, and Rivero picked up one apiece. Rivero also posted 103 receiving yards, which is notable because Lovington is 2-1 when he posts at least 100 receiving yards, but 2-3 otherwise.
Deming not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since October 17, 2024 (when they won 44-12). They put the hurt on Santa Teresa with a sharp 42-16 win. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Desert Warriors recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Deming's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-7. As for Lovington, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Lovington came up short against Deming in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 29-25. Can Lovington avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
