Lovington's game on Friday was close up to the half, but then they kicked things up a notch. They were the clear victors by a 49-24 margin over the Portales Rams. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Rams: they've now won eight in a row.
Jayden Gutierrez
| 08/29/25 vs Portales | 83 |
| 08/22/25 @ Hobbs | 28 |
| 11/16/24 @ Artesia | 17 |
| 11/09/24 vs Goddard | 5 |
| 10/25/24 vs Deming | 73 |
| + 2 more games |
Leading Lovington to victory were Jayden Gutierrez and Zachary Diaz. Gutierrez gained 139 total yards and two touchdowns, while Diaz rushed for 74 yards and two TDs. What's more, Gutierrez racked up 83 receiving yards, the most he's had since back in October of 2024. Elijah Rivero was in the mix as well, providing Lovington with two scores.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Lovington, adding 23 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Rivero, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Lovington's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Joaquin Vasquez, Kyler Reaves, and Sterling White, who each picked up one sack apiece. Lovington got some further help from Vasquez: he picked up a sack, made ten total tackles (5.0 for loss), and defended two passes.
Despite the defeat, Portales saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Slade Segovia rushed for 107 yards and one touchdown on only 12 carries. Segovia's longest rush was for an incredible 70 yards.
The win got Lovington back to even at 1-1. As for Portales, their loss dropped their record down to 0-2.
Lovington wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 31-28 defeat against Carlsbad on the 5th. As for Portales, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 19-13 loss against Bernalillo on the 5th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
