Cats look to rebound after loss to Goddard

Staff writer

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A three-and-out, and a shanked 11-yard punt started Clovis’ first offensive drive of the season at the Goddard 20 yard line.

link Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Clovis senior Jordan Holguin trips up Goddard running back Dean McDaniel in Saturday’s season opener at the Wool Bowl in Roswell, won by the Rockets 34-7. The Wildcats take on Cibola at 7 p.m. today in their home opener at Leon Williams Stadium.

It was a dream scenario that soon became a nightmare.

“We thought, ‘This is going to be really easy,’” senior receiver Christian Caldwell said. “We went out there with a mindset that we were just going to win.”

Clovis didn’t score on the golden opportunity, Goddard scored on its next offensive play with an 88-yard burst from quarterback Cameron Neff and the Wildcats were leaving town with a 34-14 loss.

Clovis doesn’t expect the same types of opportunities against Cibola, and needs to stop Cibola from finding its own opportunities at Leon Williams Stadium.

“We’ve got to stay away from the big play,” Clovis coach Eric Roanhaus said. “We got beat by big plays in the scrimmage, and two big plays hurt us against Goddard. We’ve got to stop the big plays, and we’ve got to have some ourselves.”

Second-year Cibola coach Rod Williams agrees on how much big plays will control each team’s fortunes.

“They’re big and aggressive,” said Williams, a former New Mexico Highlands player and Volcano Vista assistant. “They’ll give us problems with their size alone. They’ve got really aggressive linebackers, and it seems like they’re big from their corners and safeties.”

“We’re a faster team, so we have to find ways to utilize our speed. If we can do that, we’ll have a chance.”

With the Cougars, Clovis begins a stretch against what Roanhaus believes are the top four teams in the Albuquerque-Rio Rancho metroplex, along with Atrisco Heritage, Cleveland and Rio Rancho.

“They’ve got big guys up front,” Roanhaus said, “and they’ve got a Division-I receiver (Blair Manly, who plays receiver but was technically recruited as a defensive back). The quarterback is a great athlete, they’ve got a good running back in (Oscar Chatman) and their other receiver is 6-foot-4. They’ve got a lot of weapons offensively.”

The Cougars, in their second season under former Williams, went from 1-9 in 2012 to the No. 6 seed last season. They return five starters on offense and on defense from that team, which was upset by Hobbs in the first round last year. Cibola only left the metroplex once last year, and visiting a city with only one 6A school is a different experience.

“We’ve been telling them the town’s going to be there,” Williams said. “They’ll find ways to have their kids motivated. We’re just telling the kids to appreciate it. It’s a great atmosphere.”

The opening week didn’t help Clovis much in the way of film study. The Cougars faced Albuquerque Academy, 1-40 in the 2010s, and had little trouble. Cibola scored two touchdowns on four offensive plays and scored a safety on a blocked punt for a 16-0 lead five minutes into its 44-20 win.

The film study has been a mix of that game, and the Cougars’ scrimmage against Atrisco Heritage, who Clovis visits next week. Roanhaus said it’s good to see what Cibola did against a quality team, but noted it’s sometimes tough to get a feel on a team when the ball is brought back to the 20 after every play.

Caldwell, a 6-0, 170-pound receiver, felt Clovis improved in the second half against Goddard, but needs to bring that urgency from the opening kickoff.

“We have to play better,” Caldwell said. “Not just for a win, but we’re coming off a really bad loss and (the question is), how are you going to handle it?”

GAMEDAY

Cibola (1-0) at Clovis (0-1)

7 p.m. today, Leon Williams Stadium

On the air: KCLV-AM 1240, KCLV-FM 99.1 FM, KTQM 99.9 FM, streaming online at kclvsports.com at ktqmclovis.com.

Coaches: Roderick Williams, 2nd season, 8-4. Clovis, Eric Roanhaus, 37th season, 322-129-5.

Last week: The Cougars extended Albuquerque High’s losing streak to 40 with a 44-20 win Friday night. Clovis dropped its opener to Goddard 34-14 on Saturday night at Roswell.

Last meeting: 2009, Clovis posted a 14-7 win.

Cougars players to watch: Blair Manly, 6-1, 185, Sr., WR; Sam Garcia,6-0, 195, Sr., QB.

Notes: The Wildcats lead the overall series 10-1, and have won nine straight ... The Wildcats will be without the services of senior defensive back Jaquan Franklin, who separated his shoulder last week. Roanhaus has no timetable on Franklin’s return, citing the unpredictability of shoulder injuries. … Senior Kaine Bender is set to start rehab soon on an injured knee, and could hopefully be back in time for Clovis’ homecoming game. … Williams played with former Wildcats offensive coordinator Chad Roanhaus at New Mexico Highlands, and was a senior when Roanhaus made the transition from player to assistant coach. Now, it’s a strange thing for Williams to know that he’ll be coaching against Chad’s son, Sebastian, a sophomore defensive back. “I have good relationships with all of those guys,” Williams said. “I’m glad to see the tradition continue.”

— Compiled by Kevin Wilson