Football Game Preview: Lovington Wildcats vs. Santa Teresa Desert Warriors

The Lovington Wildcats will face off against the Santa Teresa Desert Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lovington has three straight victories, Santa Teresa has 18 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Fans were treated to a battle of the Wildcats on Friday. Lovington simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Deming 46-12. Considering Lovington has won four matchups by more than 24 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Jayden Gutierrez had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 175 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 passes, while also rushing for 85 yards on only ten carries. Elijah Rivero was Gutierrez's top target, picking up 74 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Lovington was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 239 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 175 rushing yards in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Santa Teresa's offense. They were dealt a 54-0 loss at the hands of Gadsden on Friday.

Lovington now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Santa Teresa, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.

Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Lovington has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 153.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Santa Teresa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 186.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Everything came up roses for Lovington against Santa Teresa when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 44-9 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Desert Warriors' Nicholas Vierra, who rushed for 134 yards while picking up 7.4 yards per carry, and also threw for 117 yards and one TD. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Wildcats still be able to contain Vierra? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.