Clock ticking for Wildcats

CLOVIS — Football was back at Leon Williams Stadium Monday.

There were no pads, there was no contact. The Hobbs players didn’t come jogging through their balloon tunnel out onto the stadium turf. But, Day 1 of Clovis High football practice was still a big thing. Monday was just 18 days before Hobbs does indeed come out onto the field ready to battle Clovis in the regular-season opener. That’s18 days, as in less than three weeks. As in two weeks from this Friday.

As in, football season is kind of close.

Even more pressing is the Wildcats’ first preseason scrimmage, taking place just nine days after Monday’s practice, next Wednesday against Las Cruces in Ruidoso.

So, Monday was the start of that run-up to Hobbs on Aug. 23. And it went well.

“Really good,” Clovis’ third-year head coach Cal Fullerton said after Monday’s late-afternoon session. “Our kids were enthusiastic, brought a lot of juice to practice. Hot, hot this afternoon, and our kids fought through it.”

“Very excited,” said junior Chance Harris, who is entering his second season as the Wildcats’ starting quarterback. “We had a really good day of practice as a team this morning, did very well offensively. And defensively, it was a little shaky, but we got it together at the end. It was just a really good day for us.”

“I was really excited,” junior running back/safety Jeston Webskowski said. “It was hard for me to sleep last night, honestly. I couldn’t wait to get out here.”

All good except for those sweltering early-August temperatures. And there was even some relief from those near 5 p.m., when clouds and a nice breeze made things a bit easier.

As for football, the team is on schedule, if not ahead of it.

“Compared to last year we’re a little further along than we were,” Fullerton said. “Just because of the fact of what we did in July, this summer. ... Obviously, offensively we’re a lot farther ahead because we’ve got a lot more guys that have returned than we have in the past. So that’s going to help out early on.”

The Wildcats, though, aren’t yet where they need to be for the Hobbs showdown. Day 1 of practice is, after all, Day 1. What needs the most improvement?

“Definitely not how hard we work,” Harris said. “We work really hard as a team. Probably focusing a lot better during practice, throughout practice. And just being tough.”

“A little sloppiness,” Fullerton said. “We’ve got to clean that up, for sure. Lots of things that we haven’t done in the summer that we’re starting now that we’re not really clean at, so we’re going to get better.”

“We have a lot of inexperience on defense right now,” Webskowski said. “They just have to get experience. That’s really it.”

Among the things not needing improvement is leadership. The solid contingent of experienced players makes sure of that.

“They do,” Fullerton said. “It was fun watching them at practice today. The seniors were in the front of the line cheering our younger kids on. Little things like that — when we’re helping each other out, helping our teammates out, team first — are a big deal to us.”

“I’m taking more of an offensive role this year,” Webskowski said, “but I’m definitely helping out with the defense.”

“We have a lot of returning guys that are going to be seniors and juniors, that played last year for us,” Harris said. “But there are some youngers guys whose heads are spinning. But they’ll get it, for sure.”

One head that’s spinning a lot less this year is the one on Harris, who is a lot more comfortable beginning practice as the entrenched quarterback, as a player with a full year of experience starting under center.

“It’s a lot faster at the quarterback position because you’re having to read everything,” Harris said. “But yeah, it’s a lot easier this year as far as how fast the game is.”

Like Harris, Webskowski was a key player from 2018 who should be even better this season. Webskowski made his presence felt in the defensive backfield last year, most memorably in an Oct. 19 home game against Eldorado, won 47-0 by the Wildcats. Webskowksi’s contribution to the blowout was two interceptions — the first setting up Clovis at Eldorado’s 8-yard line, the second thwarting an Eagles’ drive in Wildcat territory and helping to preserve the shutout.

Webskowsi says he will start at running back this year, making his contributions to the team even more critical. But he’s not worried. In fact, he noticed a difference in himself during Monday’s practices.

“It felt really good, actually,” Webskowski said. “It felt like I was just more comfortable, quicker to the ball.”

It seems like there’s a good mix of talent as practices wear on, and the countdown to Hobbs continues.