Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Staff photo: Tony Bullocks Clovis High junior Tucker Dobbs pulls up for a jump shot as Hobbs’ Pierre Swain tries to defend during the first half of Tuesday’s District 4-6A boys clash at The Rock. The visiting Eagles improved to 20-1 for the season with an 88-57 victory over the Wildcats.
Staff photo: Tony Bullocks Clovis High senior post Tomas Acuna goes inside and draws a foul against Hobbs’ 6-foot-11 center, Kelvin Jones, in Tuesday’s game at Rock Staubus Gym.
Sports writer
Clovis High’s boys may be struggling through a losing season, but the Wildcats didn’t back away from Hobbs in Tuesday’s District 4-6A opener at Rock Staubus Gym.
link Staff photo: Tony Bullocks
Clovis High junior Tucker Dobbs pulls up for a jump shot as Hobbs’ Pierre Swain tries to defend during the first half of Tuesday’s District 4-6A boys clash at The Rock. The visiting Eagles improved to 20-1 for the season with an 88-57 victory over the Wildcats.
They went toe-to-toe with the Eagles. Problem is, nobody’s more comfortable in an up-and-down style than Hobbs.
Despite an off-night from 6-foot-11 senior Kelvin Jones, the Class 6A top-ranked Eagles used an early 16-0 run to take control and cruise to an 88-57 victory over the game but outmanned Cats.
Jones managed only three free throws, was in foul trouble early and eventually fouled out. But Hobbs (20-1) had plenty of other options, getting double-figure scoring from four players — including two subs.
Clovis (4-16) took a 2-1 lead on free throws by junior guard Eli Rodriguez about 1 1/2 minutes into the game, but the Cats didn’t score again until junior guard Tucker Dobbs tallied five consecutive points to make it 17-7 late in the period.
Hobbs’ relentless pressure forced the Cats into 27 turnovers, all in the first three quarters and 14 in the first stanza alone which ended with the Eagles leading by 17.
link Staff photo: Tony Bullocks
Clovis High senior post Tomas Acuna goes inside and draws a foul against Hobbs’ 6-foot-11 center, Kelvin Jones, in Tuesday’s game at Rock Staubus Gym.
“We let them get on us early, and it’s hard to recover when you spot them a 17-2 lead and turn it over that many times,” CHS coach Scott Robinson said.
The Cats played a triangle-and-two defense against Jones and senior guard Trey Nelson, the Eagles’ two best players. It worked in the sense of holding them down, but it opened the door for others.
“Defensively, I thought what we did was good,” Robinson said. “We just didn’t give ourselves a chance with the turnovers.”
Junior guard Jordan Gonzales finished with 17 points before fouling out late, while senior forward Joshua Ruiz and junior forward Pierre Swain added 15 each and senior forward Zach Munoz had 11.
Swain and Munoz did their damage off the bench, where the Eagles racked up 32 points.
“I think we took them out of what they wanted to do,” Hobbs coach Mike Smith said.
He said Gonzales was able to step his game up.
“He had to,” Smith said. “He needs to do that for us.”
The early run somewhat took the enthusiastic Cats crowd out of the game, but both sides played hard.
“It was intense, a good atmosphere,” Smith said, then quipped of the rivalry: “You could feel the ‘hatred’ out there.”
Rodriguez, starting for the first time since early in the season, helped the Cats compete reasonably well win in a 21-point second quarter with nine of his season-best 17 points. Senior guard Tristen Pautler added 15.
Robinson couldn’t fault his team’s effort.
“They continue to work hard in practice and play hard in games,” he said of his squad. “That’s been a positive for us.
“The crowd was great tonight, and I appreciate all the fans that came out. They truly showed the pride they have in our school.”
Clovis continues district play on Friday night at Alamogordo.
