Wildcats junior takes different path

Rick White

Keeping up with the Joneses is a family matter for one Clovis Wildcat.

Junior cornerback Jacob Jones is the youngest of six siblings to play sports at Clovis High, joining former soccer standouts Larry Jr. and Gabe and soccer and track star Karyn Jones.

Jacob is the only one to play football at CHS.

“I used to play soccer, but I started playing football in junior high and I’ve been playing ever since,” said Jacob Jones, who at 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds, is one of the smaller Wildcats.

Their father, Larry Jones Sr., is a longtime coach in the Clovis school system and currently head coach of girls soccer.

Like any family, Jacob said, there’s plenty of competition and barking about who’s the best.

“They try to rub it in sometimes,” he said about his older brothers, who were both all-state soccer players.

In his first season as a starter, Jacob Jones is part of a ball-hawking secondary that has 14 interceptions in eight games. His second interception of the season set up the Wildcats’ final score in Friday’s 41-0 win over Hobbs.

“I think I’ve done pretty well” Jones said. “I’ve had a few games where I missed a few tackles or gave up a few big plays.”

Not too many lately as Clovis has allowed just two touchdowns during its five-game winning streak.

Props bounces back

Junior quarterback John Props rebounded from his worst performance of the season with one of his best,

Props completed 4-of-4 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Hobbs.

Three of the completions came on third down, including a 26-yarder to running back Phillip Williams for the Wildcats’ first touchdown.

Props was 1-of-10 for 10 yards and his second interception of the season in a 31-0 win at Eldorado.

“I think he had a little trouble with Wilson Field (which has a huge crown in the middle of the field),” Clovis assistant coach Darren Kelley said. “I don’t think he was getting his feet set and his shoulders square and everything was sailing high.”

Model of consistency

Senior defensive end Travis Loomis has been a pleasant surprise, according to the Clovis coaching staff.

His solid play has allowed senior Mario Caswell to concentrate on playing tight end.

“He’s stepped in and done what we’ve asked him to do,” Kelley said.

Kelley said Loomis is not especially athletic but is able to contribute because he has excellent technique and “just does the little things right.”

The 6-2, 185-pound Loomis has 18 tackles, including 10 for losses, a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery.

He is the antithesis of his defensive end counterpart Jarod Baldwin, who relies more on his physical tools and tends to freelance at times, Kelley said.

“But he makes plays,” Kelley said.

The speedy Baldwin is third on the team in tackles with 50 and leads the Wildcats with six quarterback sacks.

Change of tactics

About the only problem junior running back Phillip Williams had against Hobbs last week was holding onto the ball.

Williams rushed for a career-high 199 yards — including 74 yards on a draw play — and scored three touchdowns.

Twice the ball squirted loss on Williams, who said he was wearing a new, long-sleeve undershirt because of the chilling weather which proved to be slick.

One fumble a teammate recovered and the other went out of bounds.

“It was frustrating because I knew how the first one happened and then I did it again.”

Williams said he’s not going to wear the shirt again.

Notes

Senior WR Ben Teconchuk returned from a one-game suspension to score on a 36-yard pass from Props on the first play of the second quarter that gave Clovis a 14-0 lead Teconchuk and Williams are tied for the team lead with seven TDs. ... Clovis didn’t have to punt against Hobbs, scoring on six of 10 possessions. Two of the possessions ended the half and the game and the other two on turnovers ... Williams has an outside chance of reaching 1,000 yards during the regular season despite missing the first three games of the season. He has 624 yards. ... Even with two turnovers last week, Clovis is a plus-17 in turnovers margin. ... Senior linebacker led Clovis with 16 tackles against Hibbs and mamoth full back William Waldron.