Clovis seeks bounce back on gridiron

CLOVIS — The Monterey football team’s nickname — the Plainsmen — has the sound of a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood Western, maybe a Zane Grey novel. And tonight, Clovis High’s football team heads east to Lubbock, where the Wildcats will try to lasso their third victory of the season.

With a 7:30 p.m. Central (6:30 p.m. Mountain) start at Lowrey Field, the ’Cats (2-1) are beginning a three-game stretch against Lubbock teams and trying to rebound from last week’s 20-13 home loss to Rio Rancho, which was — in keeping with the Western motif — the good, the bad and the ugly for Clovis.

There was the good: Some impressive plays for the Wildcats, like a third-quarter swing pass from quarterback Chance Harris to running back DeMarco Fitch, who then bolted down the right sideline for a 39-yard pickup to the Rio Rancho 7, setting up a touchdown. And a fourth-quarter dump-off pass over the middle from Harris to running back Andrew Jaramillo, which also turned into a 39-yard pickup to the Rams 7.

And there was a third-quarter interception by Clovis linebacker Ian Yruegas, returned to Rio Rancho’s 21.

There was the bad: Two consecutive sacks that pushed the Wildcats from deep inside Rio Rancho territory into a punting situation. There was Clovis turning the ball over on downs after Yruegas’ pick. And a game-clinching interception by Rio Rancho’s Braxton Padilla when the ’Cats were only down a touchdown.

There was the ugly: A botched snap with Clovis at the 7 much earlier in the game, a play that resulted in a turnover.

To beat Monterey tonight, the Wildcats will need to go heavy on the good, light on the bad and the ugly.

“No doubt. Penalties and stuff you can’t control, but we can control our turnovers and we can control our false-start penalties and stuff like that,” Clovis head coach Cal Fullerton said after Thursday’s practice. “Our mental mistakes, we’re going to have to cut down on those for sure. ... If we do make mistakes we’ve got to be going 100 miles per hour. We can’t be timid.

“Win the turnover battle and the field position battle and I think it’ll give us a decent chance to be in the ballgame.”

“Our coaches tell us to go out there and play like we’re on fire, do the best you can,” Fitch said Thursday. “So we’ve just got to go out there and do our best.”

“We’re going to have to get turnovers on defense,” senior linebacker/running back Khamphai Xaysaleumsack said Thursday. “(We need) continous effort throughout the game and just play as hard as we can on every down. That’s about it.”

Though the ’Cats are making their first and only trip outside of New Mexico this season, they will see familiarity in their opponents, according to Fullerton.

“They’re similar to us,” he said. “They use their athletes, they spread it out really well ... really good skill kids. They’re big up front and they’re coached really well. All those West Texas teams are coached well and Monterey’s no exception.”

Harris will make his fourth straight start at quarterback. “I think he’s progressing a lot,” Fullerton said of the sophomore. “I think he’s made less mistakes since the first game. ... Sometimes he’s got to let things go and just get into the groove of the game, take a deep breath every once in a while.”

Tonight, though the only Lubbock road game, is just the start of a three-game stretch against Lubbock teams. After Monterey there are consecutive home games against Coronado and Cooper. So it will be important to set the tone tonight against the Plainsmen, build some confidence.

“I feel pretty good about it,” Fitch said. “I never want to overestimate a team, but I never want to underestimate them. So I’m always looking for who their headhunters are and keeping my team in the game.”

“Just being able to go across the border and play a team from across the state is exciting, to be able to test the level of play,” Xaysaleumsack said.

It will be interesting to see how Clovis fares with that test. Tonight’s jaunt to Texas and the two home games that follow are all just a prelude to Albuquerque road contests against Sandia and defending state 6A champ Manzano in October.

“That’s why we did this schedule, to prepare us for our district,” Fullerton said. “We know it’s going to be a tough game (against Monterey) and we’re up to the challenge for sure.”