Melrose at Gateway Christian
When: 7 p.m. Friday in Roswell
Records: Melrose 3-0, Gateway Christian 3-0.
Last week: Melrose shut out Tatum 40-0; Gateway Christian won over Logan 46-8.
Last meeting: Gateway Christian beat Melrose 24-14.
Of note: The game matches the top two teams in 8-man — Gateway Christian No. 1, Melrose No. 2. … The Warriors have won the last three meetings, starting with the 2005 state 8-man championship game.
Keys to the game: Melrose coach Dickie Roybal said the Buffaloes will have to contain Warriors junior QB Joshua Hunter. “We’ve got to make Hunter throw the ball instead of getting out of the pocket,” Roybal said.
Quotable: “It’s a big test and a bitter rivalry. We’re going to go up there and give them everything we have.” — Roybal.

Clovis Christian vs. Reserve
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Menaul High School
Records: Clovis Christian 2-1, Reserve 2-1.
Last week: Clovis Christian beat Valley Christian 42-12; Reserve beat Menaul 54-14.
Last meeting: First time the teams have played. The game will be the second of four games in what is termed the “8-man showcase.”
Of note: Eagles coach Jason Swann said that since giving up 44 points in the first half of the season opener against Gateway Christian, CCS has allowed just 24 points over 10 quarters.
Keys to the game: The Eagles are facing a similar-style offense for the fourth consecutive week. “They’ll do some different things, but for the most part they stay in an I-formation,” Swann said. 
Quotable: “This is a big week for us. They look pretty solid.” — Swann.

Texico at Clovis JV
When: 7 p.m. today at Leon Williams Stadium.
Records: Texico 3-0, Clovis JV 1-1.
Last week: Texico rolled over Loving 101-0; the Clovis JV lost to Portales 22-0 at Greyhound Stadium.
Last meeting: Teams haven’t played since the late 1990s, Texico coach Mike Prokop said, when he was an assistant for the Wildcats.
Keys to the game: Prokop, who said he saw the Cats last week against Portales, believes the Wolverines will have to control the ball and avoid turnovers. “We’re going to have to play extremely well,” he said.
Quotable: “You really don’t know who you’re going to play against (with a JV squad), but the core of the team seems to be pretty good.” — Prokop.

Fort Sumner at McCurdy
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Records: Fort Sumner 3-0, McCurdy 2-1.
Last week: Fort Sumner beat Capitan 58-8; McCurdy beat Santa Fe Indian School 28-7.
Last meeting: n/a.
Players to watch: Bobcats freshman QB Louis Martinez completed 15-of-27 passes for 297 yards against SFIS. Senior RB Devin Duran caught two passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 11 times for 59 yards.
Of note: The Foxes are taking on the No. 5 team in Class 1A a week after dismantling the No. 8 team. … McCurdy opened with a 40-35 loss to Class 2A Cuba, then routed 3A Thoreau 46-6 before beating another 3A squad in SFIS.

Muleshoe vs. Crane
When: 6:30 p.m. today at Denver City, Texas.
Records: Muleshoe 3-0, Crane 3-0.
Last week: Muleshoe thumped Lubbock Cooper 53-19; Crane won over San Angelo Grape Creek 38-13.
Last meeting: The teams have met twice in the playoffs when both were Class 3A, with the Eagles beating the Mules in 1998 and 2001.
Keys to the game: Muleshoe coach David Wood, whose team has outscored its first three opponents 163-68, expects his team to easily get its stiffest test of the season. “We’ve got to play real sound football,” he said.
Of note: Crane is ranked second in Class 2A, while the Mules are tied for 13th. … Despite their gaudy start, Muleshoe has given up the game’s first score in each of its three outings so far.
Quotable: “They’re very similar to us. They’ve got a quarterback who can really throw. They have lots of quickness, and their linemen have size.” — Wood, on Crane.

Bovina at Dimmitt
When: 6:30 p.m. today
Records: Bovina 1-2, Dimmitt 1-2.
Last week: Bovina edged Farwell 22-20; Dimmitt got past Olton 21-19.
Last meeting: The teams have never met.
Keys to the game: Mustangs coach Hector Guevara is looking for improvement on defense. “I know we played good enough to win (against Farwell), but we’ve got to play a lot better on defense this week,” he said.
Of note: Guevara said the Bobcats are similar in style to Farwell in that they like to throw the ball. “They throw the ball a lot, but they can run it too,” he said.
Quotable: “Our kids are banged up. It’s something we’ve been dealing with since school started, but I think everybody should be OK (by Friday).” — Guevara.

— Compiled by Dave Wagner