Three Wildcats sign; Cabeldue joins Kansas

CLOVIS — Wildcat football coach Cal Fullerton started Wednesday’s college signing celebration by noting he tells his players to leave things better than how they found them.

With Bryce Cabeldue, Ethan Culiver and Malik Phillips aboard, the Wildcat program went to its first state semifinal round in 10 years. Now they’re looking to make a pair of college football programs better, with Cabeldue joining Division-I Kansas and Culiver and Phillips heading the juco route at New Mexico Military Institute.

The three were honored Wednesday, the first day high school seniors could sign with college programs, in a ceremony at Clovis’ Hamilton Ford dealership.

Just last year, it wasn’t immediately clear that Phillips or Culiver would have college football opportunities. Two years ago, Cabeldue decided not to play football as a sophomore. But each made their path to an offer and a letter-of-intent signing.

Cabledue, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound tackle, played quarterback as a freshman. Fullerton said Cabeldue was asked to rejoin the program as a junior, and Cabeldue said it wasn’t too difficult to convince him.

“His answer was, ‘Whatever will help the team,’” Fullerton said. “We told him he could have a future in football with his size, his athletic ability and his speed.

“His best football is ahead of him.”

Cabeldue credited his coaches with teaching him a new position to the level where Les Miles not only offered him a scholarship, but made a personal visit to Clovis High after a verbal commitment was already made.

“It meant a lot to me,” Cabeldue said. “I was really happy seeing him here.”

Phillips, a 5-foot-11, 150-pound wide receiver and defensive back, felt his smaller stature hurt him in the recruiting game. But every time he went to a camp, he found himself beating out people who had Division-I offers, and hopes two years with the Broncos will bolster his resume.

“All of the coaches say I’m a Division I athlete,” Phillips said. “I want to get my name out there so I can eventually go D-I.”

After Phillips’ junior season was complete, Fullerton gave him a compliment and a challenge. He told Phillips he was one of the best receivers in the state when he had the ball, and one of the worst when he didn’t.

“It made me want to get better,” Phillips said. “I wanted to show why I think I’m the best receiver in the state, and I wanted to do what I could to help the team win.”

Fullerton was more than convinced during a senior year where Phillips caught 78 passes for 1,147 yards and 17 touchdowns, all school records.

“I cannot put into words how much Malik grew up from his junior to senior year,” Fullerton said. “Malik worked hard at every practice, Malik never came off the field on Friday nights. I think they found a diamond. His future is as bright as he wants. D-I coaches will look at Malik, and at NMMI he will stand out.”

Culiver opted for NMMI as well after getting a trio of Division-III offers, and he hopes to build a good athletic and academic resume in two years.

“It will teach me a lot of discipline, a lot of structure,” said the 5-foot-10, 155-pound Culiver. “It will get me ready for the real world.”

Fullerton said Culiver first showed promise as a junior, where injuries in the secondary pushed him into the lineup and he made an impact the moment he stepped onto the field.

“He’s the prototypical Clovis kid,” Fullerton said. “He never said a word and did whatever was asked of him.”

Fullerton credited all three for holding themselves and their teammates to high standards, and the players thanked their coaches, their family and God for the opportunities they had ahead.

The ceremony was originally planned for Rock Staubus Gymnasium, but Clovis canceled classes for the day with inclement weather concerns and a move to the dealership made sense with its large lobby and anticipated slow sales day.