2025-26 Team Preview: Lovington Wildcats

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025-26 LOVINGTON WILDCATS PREVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lovington won 18 games in 2024-25 but lost to Valley in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. Top scorer and rebounder (by a wide margin in both) Kayle Covington graduated, signed with Eastern New Mexico and is now preparing for his freshman season of college basketball. Without the 6-foot-4 Covington, Lovington will have a different look in 2025-26. The Wildcats will definitely be smaller with the tallest player being about 6-foot-1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We'll probably play a little faster,” Lovington head coach Casey Pack told Prep Hoops New Mexico. “One thing we'll have to do better is knock down shots. We definitely have to make more threes. And we have to rebound better. I have a good group of guys coming back. We also have a young group that's going to be very good in the future. Last year we had a lot of senior depth. This season, we may only have about three seniors.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1326929' first='Elijah' last='Rivero'] (Sr., 5-11, G)</strong>: Also an elite wide receiver for the football team. Elite athleticism. He'll be one of the leaders and the captain of the Wildcats. “He's a great role model,” Pack said. “He's special in football. We're expecting him to average about 10 to 12 points per game. He'll be one of our main guys.”   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JoJo Perez (Jr.)</strong>: Lovington's top returning scorer. Averaged 7.5 points and 3.3 steals per game. Suffered a serious knee injury during last March's district tournament and is just now returning to form.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Danny Criswell (Sr., 5-11, G)</strong>: Battled injuries and illnesses last season. Averaged 4.2 points in 21 games. “Hopefully, he'll be injury free this season,” Pack said. “He can play. His deal is staying healthy.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2706616' first='Donnivan' last='Gomez'] (Jr.)</strong>: Will be one of Lovington's tallest players at 6-foot-1. Averaged 3.0 points last season as a sophomore but that number could rise significantly this season. “He's a really good player,” Pack said. “We expect him to shine as a junior.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chase Terrell (Sr., 5-10, G</strong>): He'll likely be one of the Wildcats' top reserves. As a senior, he'll be one of the team leaders.<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2706601' first='Justin' last='Villalobos'] (Jr.)</strong>: Likely to be one of the first players off the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2892373' first='Miguel' last='Perez'] (Fr.): </strong>Broke his foot in football, and won't&nbsp; be available until late December or early January. Saw action with the varsity last season as an 8^th-grader. “I've been coaching 31 years and he's one of the best point guards I've been around,” Pack said. “He's young.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chris Casarez (Jr.)</strong>: Played mostly JV last season. Expected to make the jump to varsity in 2025-26 and be a contributor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Manny Perez (Jr.)</strong>: Plays football. Cousin to JoJo Perez and [player_tooltip player_id='2892373' first='Miguel' last='Perez']. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lovington open the 2025-26 season by competing in the Denver City (TX) Tournament in early December. After that, the Wildcats travel to Clovis and Chaparral. They won't play a home game until early January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lovington competes in District 4A-4 with defending 4A champion Artesia, Goddard and Portales. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->