Cats looking for bounce-back game

CLOVIS — After just one game, it’s already bounce-back time for the Clovis High football team.

The Wildcats, coming off a 21-0 loss at home to rival Hobbs in their opener, will attempt to do just that on Friday when they host El Paso Ysleta in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Leon Williams Stadium.

It’s the first time they’ve faced a school from El Paso since beating the Indians 14-0 during the 1976 campaign.

Ysleta, playing its season opener, was a replacement on the schedule for Lubbock Monterey.

“Monterey didn’t want to play us,” CHS coach Cal Fullerton said. “We’d already replaced Lubbock Cooper and Lubbock Coronado (with district teams). We had to find another game.”

The teams exchanged films. Fullerton said the Cats were able to see a couple of scrimmages for the Indians.

“They’re really athletic kids,” he said. “They have a good quarterback that likes to scramble. When they do throw it, he gets it out of his hands quickly.”

Ysleta, a Class 5A school, has a good running back in 5-foot-7, 155-pound senior Javier De la rosa. He rushed for 1,088 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, with five 100-yard games.

A full roster for Ysleta was not available as of Monday afternoon.

Fullerton said the Indians appear to have decent size in their offensive line. On defense, they play mostly with a three-man front.

Things certainly didn’t go that well for Clovis against Hobbs. The Eagles scored on their first possession in each half and were in control for the most part.

“I think our effort, for the most part, wasn’t bad,” Fullerton said, noting that with several players sidelined due to contact tracing, others stepped in and played reasonably well overall.

Last week, he noted that the defense was able to keep the Cats in striking distance most of the way.

“It was kind of a bend, don’t-break philosophy,” he said. “(Hobbs) gave us some chances (to score), especially in the first half.”

Still, the Cats are certainly looking for a better all-around showing this week.

“That’s the biggest deal,” Fullerton said. “Whoever we’re playing this week, we have to practice a little harder and get better.”