Clovis boys just miss final qualifying leg at Roswell

ROSWELL — The Clovis High boys golf team has its last chance two days before the Last Chance.

The Wildcats went to the Spring River Classic on Tuesday, hoping to earn their third and final qualifying leg for next month’s Class 6A state tournament. They came up six shots short in a second-place finish to Albuquerque Academy.

The Cats, led by junior Jake Foster’s 77, posted their second 323 in two days after compiling that same score in Monday’s rain-soaked Clovis Invitational. Albuquerque Academy, behind medalist Ben Albin’s 72, won the tournament with a score of 311, while District 4-6A rival Carlsbad was one shot behind the Cats.

“We knew Albuquerque Academy was one of the best teams in the state,” Clovis coach Cal Fullerton said. “The place doesn’t matter. We’re just trying to get a team leg. Now we have to go to Lovington with a little bit of pressure on us.”

There are technically three tournaments left on Clovis’ schedule —Wednesday’s Murphy Black Invite at Lovington, Friday’s Last Chance tournament hosted by New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, and the district championship, also at Roswell.

Teams qualify for the state tournament either by shooting three qualifying scores during the regular season, or winning the district championship. Fullerton has said throughout the season that he hates relying on the district championship route because Hobbs has been dominant throughout the year.

Because Clovis earned its first two qualifying legs at NMMI, and New Mexico Activities Association rules require that qualifying marks be earned on at least two different courses, the Wildcats went to Tuesday’s event in place of the Last Chance event.