Friday area prep football capsules — Nov. 7

Loving at Texico

• When: 7 p.m. today in a District 4-3A game

• Records: Loving 2-6 (0-2), Texico 2-7 (0-3)

• Last week: Loving lost at Dexter 54-0; the Wolverines were beaten at home by Eunice 34-15.

• Last year: The teams did not meet.

• Of note: The Wolverines come in on a six-game losing streak and may need a win over the Falcons to make the 12-team Class 3A playoff field. “If we win, we’re looking at probably getting in as about a No. 10 seed,” Texico coach Ryan Autrey said. … The teams haven’t met since 2008, Autrey said. … Key players for Loving include junior QB/FS Joel Hernandez and senior WR/SS Miguel Arrieta. … The Wolverines led 15-14 at halftime last week before Eunice took over. “We played a pretty good second quarter,” Autrey said. “We just didn’t finish like we needed to.” … Both teams played at Fort Sumner this season, with the Wolverines falling 21-20 in overtime while the Falcons pulled out a 26-23 victory.

Fort Sumner at Hagerman

• When: 6 p.m. today in a Class 2A semifinal game

• Records: Fort Sumner 5-5, Hagerman 9-1

• Last week: The Foxes won at Jal 24-19. The Bobcats defeated the Roswell High junior varsity 56-36 at Hagerman.

• Last meeting: The teams played two weeks ago in Fort Sumner, with the Bobcats winning 58-35.

• Of note: Fort Sumner is seeded third and Hagerman second in the four-team bracket. The winner will face either top-seeded Escalante or No. 4 Questa in next week’s championship game. … The Bobcats’ only loss was to Class 4A New Mexico Military 29-8 in Week 4 at Roswell. … Fort Sumner locked up its 22nd consecutive playoff berth with last week’s win. … Trailing 12-0 in the second quarter, Foxes freshman S Brant West intercepted a Jal pass at the Fort Sumner 5 and returned it 12 yards. The Foxes drove the distance to score to get themselves back into the game. … Fort Sumner overcame four turnovers at Jal. …The Foxes ran 85 plays to 29 for Hagerman and posted a 27-12 edge in first downs in the earlier meeting, but the Bobcats had four touchdowns of 48 or more yards. Included were two kickoff returns covering 70 and 85 yards by senior Michael Veloz, who also scored on two pass plays and an 86-yard run.

Tatum at Melrose

• When: 7 p.m. today in an 8-man quarterfinal playoff game

• Records: Melrose 8-1, Tatum 6-3.

• Last meeting: The teams played last week in an 8-man District 4 game at Tatum, with the Buffaloes pulling out a 30-26 victory.

• Of note: The Buffs may have a stiff challenge in a quick rematch against a team they just edged in the final minute, although this time they’ll be at home. “That’s probably the most physical team we’ve played to this point,” Melrose coach Dickie Roybal said of the Coyotes. “We have to go in and be physical. We’re equally matched teams.” … Top players for the Coyotes include senior TE/DB Donovan Radcliff, senior RB/DE Hayden Wood and junior TE/DE Bryce North. … Roybal said taking care of the ball and performing well on special teams will be keys in the game. … If the Buffs win, they’d likely get a semifinal matchup with unbeaten Magdalena, which canceled out of a game with Melrose earlier this season due to a scheduling conflict. A coin flip would determine the home team.

Springlake-Earth at Farwell

• When: 7:30 p.m. (CDT) today in a District 3-2A Division II game

• Records: Springlake-Earth 5-3 (2-1), Farwell 7-2 (3-0)

• Last week: The Wolverines lost at home in district play to Vega 27-20. The Steers dropped a neutral-field, non-district game to unbeaten Lindsay 20-12 at Childress.

• Last year: The Steers blanked Springlake-Earth 34-0 at Farwell.

• Of note: Farwell was looking at a battle of district unbeatens before Springlake-Earth was upended last week. The Steers are in good shape for the top seed from the district and a first-round bye in the playoffs, coach Danny Brittain said, unless they lose to the Wolverines by 10 or more points. … The Wolverines like to pound the ball. “They have a good running back (senior Ethan McClain) and a good quarterback (sophomore Michael DeLeon); they both run the ball well,” Brittain said. “If we can stop the run, we’ll be in good shape. I think we’re bigger up front, and we have bigger receivers.” … The Steers lost junior OLB Danny Reyes (knee) for probably 3-4 weeks against Lindsay. His place will be taken by junior Erick Tovar, who has played quite a bit this season, Brittain said. “To be honest, we could’ve won that game,” he said of last week’s setback. “We just made too many mental mistakes, and all their kids were pretty fast.”

Muleshoe at Littlefield

• When: 7:30 p.m. (CDT) today in a District 1-3A Division I game

• Records: Muleshoe 6-3 (4-0), Littlefield 6-3 (4-0)

• Last week: The Mules routed Dimmitt 56-6 at Muleshoe. Littlefield won at Friona 34-0.

• Last year: The Wildcats notched a 34-6 victory over the Mules at Littlefield.

• Of note: The game figures to be close, matching teams with opposing styles. “We’re wide-open, and they’re just very plain,” Mules coach David Wood said of his team’s longtime rival. “They have about six plays they run, and they run them well. It’s the ‘war on (Highway) 84.’” … Key players for Littlefield are senior RB DaMadrick Moore and junior RB Nate Herrera. … The winner is likely to get Kermit in a first-round playoff game, Wood said, while the loser will probably face Denver City. Muleshoe hammered Kermit 41-13 earlier this season.

— Compiled by Dave Wagner