Ground-and-Pound Cavemen Host Wildcats

By Don Eskins

Having upended the Artesia Bulldogs 20-13 on August 21 and the Goddard Rockets 35-19 on August 28, the Cavemen football team is off, running, and sporting an unblemished 2-0 record in 2026.

On September 4, under the Friday night lights of the Ralph Bowyer Cavemen Football Stadium, Carlsbad’s gridiron team will try to make it three in a row in their 2026 home opener against the Class 4A Lovington Wildcats. Kickoff for the clash is set for 7 p.m.

As Cavemen fans already know, though, Lovington’s label is misleading, to say the least. The Wildcats can play football with anybody.

Over the past two years, CHS and the Cats have split. In 2024, Lovington downed the Cavemen 47-44. Last year, CHS slipped past the Wildcats 31-28.

This year, Lovington is off to a 1-1 start. The Cats downed the Goddard Rockets 20-14 in their season inaugural. However, last week, August 28, they were bested by Lubbock Christian 17-15.

Currently, they’re ranked third in Class 4A football—two spots behind Portales and Belen—by MaxPreps.

Carlsbad’s gridders, off to their best start since coach Ron Arrington led the Cavemen in 2012, expect the Wildcats to be geared up and ready to rebound when the two teams storm out onto the field on Friday night.

“Lovington’s got some really good athletes at every spot on the field,” said Cavemen head football coach Cale Sanders. “They’ve got some great skilled players that can hurt you, and their linemen get after you.”

“No doubt, to get by the Wildcats, we’re going to have to show up ready to play,” he said. “We know Lovington will.”

The Faceoff

The Cavemen will once again look to quarterback Marley Munoz and running back Brock Wright to spearhead their ground-and-pound game if they’re to move the football against the Wildcats.

In leading CHS to a 2-0 start this season, Munoz has rushed for 214 total yards, an average of 7.1 yards per carry, and four touchdowns. Through the air, he’s thrown for 199 total yards on 26 attempts, an average of 16.6 yards per completion, and two touchdowns.

Through two games, Wright has rushed for 257 yards on 45 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per tote, and two touchdowns.

But Munoz and Wright will be banking on more than just their arms and legs to move the football against Lovington. They’ll be looking to their offensive line and a speedy corps of wide receivers to lead the way.

Pacing Carlsbad to 693 total yards of offense, 485 on the ground, through their first two games have been linemen Carlo Chavez, Lincoln Adsero, Nathaniel Olivas, Makai Yorgensyn, Hector Nava, and Zach Lujan.

Despite the numbers favoring CHS’s ground game, Sanders said his kids, bolstered by speedy wideouts Jaden Harper, Ian Wilson, Josiah Fuentes, Jaxson Duarte, and TE Braden Florez, are more than capable of moving the ball through the air.

“Although we’ve shown we can run the ball, we’re not just a one-dimensional team. We like to think we can run or throw the ball during any point of a game,” he said. “Right now, although close, we still have a bit of work ahead of us to get to the level of play we need to be.”

Besides the Cavemen’s quick-strike ability on the outside, their receivers also play a key role in their running game.

“With the speed we have on the outside and our ability to move the ball quickly over the top, it sometimes keeps our opponents from moving a safety down tight,” said the CHS coach. “But to make that happen, we have to make good on our attempts to go deep.”

Expected to play a key role in CHS’s success vs. the Wildcats will be the Cavemen’s defense. Through two games, Defensive Coordinator Kaden Merrell’s wrecking crew has allowed just 435 total yards, an average of 218 per game. Of that total, CHS has allowed just 103 rushing yards.

No doubt, Carlsbad’s gridders can expect their 12th man, the Ralph Bowyer Cavemen Football Stadium, to be filled with rockin’ Cavemen supporters as they storm the field on Friday night to take on the Lovington Wildcats.

Cavemen Probable Lineup

OFFENSE: Linemen: Left tackle, sophomore Carlo Chavez; left guard, senior Lincoln Adsero; center, senior Nathaniel Olivas; right guard, junior Makai Yorgensyn; and right tackle, junior Hector Nava. Backfield: Quarterback, No. 2 Marley Munoz and running back, No. 27 Brock Wright; wide receiver corps, No. 11 Jaden Harper, junior Ian Wilson, sophomore Josiah Fuentes, and tight end, senior Braden Florez.

DEFENSE: Linemen: Nose tackle, junior Sean Cruz; defensive end, senior Isaiah Gaitan, and defensive end, senior Jaedyn Lynch; Linebackers: senior Colton McKibben, junior Trey Barta, and junior Juan Rubio; Secondary: senior safety/cornerback Lennon Ananins, senior safety Damian Valencia, and senior cornerback Noah Gonzales.

(Two spots on the Cavemen’s defensive unit, one on the line and another in the secondary, have yet to be filled. Coach Sanders plans to fill the positions by committee.)