Prep teams enter 'Phase 2'

CLOVIS — With the belated start of the state’s high school fall sports season around the corner, volleyball, cross country and golf teams are slowly getting closer to a return to relative normalcy.

The preps entered what Clovis High volleyball coach Darrel Ray said is “Phase 2” in their bid to get competition under way in those three sports early next month.

Originally limited to pods of five athletes per coach during workouts, the New Mexico Activities Association increased that to nine per pod on Sept. 18.

“It allows us to do more team-oriented activity,” Ray said.

Full practice is officially slated to begin on Oct. 5, with the first competitions as early as Oct. 10.

Ray said the Lady Wildcats have a challenging schedule, beginning with a home match against Roswell Goddard on Oct. 13.

“We’re just hoping to show well,” he said. “They’ll be one of the best teams on the schedule.”

At the current time, events will not have spectators, he said, but an online meeting is scheduled with state officials on Monday and the NMAA is hopeful schools will be allowed 25 percent spectator occupancy.

While realizing it’s hardly a normal season, Portales High cross country coach Laura McNeill said she’s happy there’s a season at all.

The larger pods in practice will be helpful in preparing for meets, she noted.

“We’re staying very positive,” said McNeill, the second-year coach of a program only in its third season. “The team still has to run with masks on in practice.”

PHS squads will be at home for their season-opening meet on Oct. 10, competing against Lovington and New Mexico Military.

Squad sizes in meets have changed for the sport, going from seven runners with the top five counting towards the team score to five and four, respectively.

“I’m definitely excited for the season, and I know the kids are as well,” McNeill said.

CHS cross country coach Liz Ledezma said the larger pods allow her and her staff to work with a whole squad.

Currently, meets are limited to three teams, but Monday’s online meeting will determine if that changes. Clovis opens at Carlsbad with Artesia on Oct. 10, and is slated to host Lovington and Goddard at Ned Houk Park on Oct. 24.

Ledezma said teams will simply have to adjust to the new regulations.

“We’re just going to have to make it work,” she said. “But as long as we’re running, that’s all that matters.”

Meantime, golf teams normally play up to 10 regular-season tournaments during the spring, but many are taking advantage of the opportunity to play a few fall meets this year. Clovis is looking at playing in three events during the fall, with the rest coming in the spring.

“We’ll have tryouts around (Oct. 5),” fourth-year CHS boys coach Dale Fullerton said. “We pretty much know who our top four will be, but there will be competition for one or two spots.”

Fullerton said scores in the fall may generally be a little high, a reflection on the timing of the matches, but he added that with three coaches the Wildcats have been able to adjust reasonably well to the limitations.