Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis High junior forward/midfielder Felix Hernandez (4) and senior forward Ihab Mesbah apply pressure against Lovington senior forward Michael Nava during Saturday's boys soccer tilt at Leon Williams Stadium. The Wildcats won 2-0 as Mesbah tallied both goals.
Clovis High's boys resorted to their new-old formula Saturday – two goals from senior forward Ihab Mesbah plus a stingy defense.
That resulted in a 2-0 victory for the Wildcats at Leon Williams Stadium.
Mesbah scored early in the first half off an assist from freshman midfielder/defender Ryan Worley, then all but iced it away after he took a long pass ahead from senior goalkeeper Angel Avila, fought off a Lovington defender on the left side and fired one into the right corner of the net early in the second stanza.
"It was kind of a back-and-forth game," Cats coach Greg Trujillo said. "They had a couple of chances in the first half, but our defense is solid this year.
"They're (Lovington) big and physical. We're not as big, but we're a little stronger from the tactical side."
Mesbah, a senior forward coming off a 27-goal campaign in 2023, had tallied five of the eight goals so far this season for the Cats (2-1).
"The defenders did great, and our midfielders let us score," Mesbah said. "We did what we needed to do."
He said the Cats are looking to improve this season to the point where they could be a possible contender in the Class 5A state playoffs.
"We're coming for state," he said. "We want to win state, and I think we can."
Although the Cats had the upper hand most of the way, Lovington managed to keep it tight.
"I expected a tough game either way because they're physical," Trujillo said. "The big difference with our team this year is we've matured a lot and we're making better decisions. And some of these guys have taken a leadership role."
Clovis outshot Lovington 7-6 on goal, with senior keeper Angel Avila making six saves en route to his second shutout of the early campaign.
CHS was slated to return to action on Tuesday against Portales High at Yucca Complex, but Trujillo said the game will be rescheduled due to the unavailability of officials that night. The Cats were slated to participate in a tournament at Los Alamos this weekend.
Lady Cats finish sixth – Clovis completed play in an eight-team tournament at Roswell on Saturday, defeating Lovington 4-1 in a consolation semifinal before losing to Artesia 4-1 in the fifth-place match.
"We made a bunch of 'young' mistakes, and we've got to learn from them," Lady Cats coach Ray Rodriguez said.
Junior Ava Evans scored a pair of goals in the win over Lovington – one in each half. Senior Natalie Griego put the Lady Cats on top on a penalty kick early in the first half, while eighth-grader Jaya Gonzales iced it away on a goal with about 10 minutes left.
Lovington (1-3) got on the board early in the second half when junior midfielder Kalie Ornelas found the back of the net.
Against Artesia (4-2), junior Sophie Roberts converted a free kick into a goal for a 1-0 lead about 10 minutes in, but it was all Lady Bulldogs after that.
Junior Mayra Garcia and senior Isabel Irvin scored before halftime to put Artesia in front, and the Lady Bulldogs added goals from sophomores Maleyna Pando and Chloe Aguilar after the intermission.
Rodriguez said he put in some of his younger players, and they did well.
"These girls came out and they delivered," he said. "They came in and performed."
The Lady Cats were slated to host Portales at Leon Williams Stadium on Tuesday night. On Thursday, Clovis travels to Artesia.
