Alamo pulls away to beat Cats 62-22

ALAMOGORDO – In the battle to escape the District 3-6A cellar, Clovis High went toe-to-toe for a quarter-plus in Friday night’s season finale.

In the end, the Wildcats just couldn’t keep pace and fell to Alamogordo 62-22, putting the wraps on a winless (0-10, 0-6 district) campaign.

Sophomore quarterback Javier Jimenez helped keep the Cats in it early, scoring two touchdowns and adding a pair of 2-point conversions. But he was injured just before halftime and the Tigers (2-8, 1-5) cruised with a running clock going into effect late in the third stanza.

“He was running up and down the field,” first-year Cats coach Stan Hodges said of Jimenez. “We had put in a package for him, and he was doing great until (the injury).”

Senior running back Dylan Hergenreder scored on a 59-yard run less than a minute into the game, and finished with three touchdowns for the Tigers. Senior quarterback Nate Best tossed a pair of TD passes, and also scored on a 31-yard run.

“The quarterback was really fast and the running back was good,” Hodges said. “They moved the ball on us and we moved the ball on them. Our kids just played their hearts out.”

Sophomore Kyden Everett got the Cats on the board late in the first quarter with a 13-yard run, and Jimenez added the 2PAT run. Jimenez then scored on a 27-yard run and added the 2PAT with just over a minute left in the stanza, and followed with a 61-yard run less than three minutes into the second frame to keep the CHS within 28-22.

Alamo notched three touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the half, however, and blanked Clovis the rest of the way. The Tigers added two more TDs in the first eight minutes of the third session, and with subs playing most of the rest of the way for both squads neither team scored in the remaining time.

Beau Clements, one of five freshmen brought up the varsity for the final two games, quarterbacked the Cats after Jimenez left.

“He did a good job tonight,” Hodges said. “He didn’t bat an eye. Ha ran the offense really well for us.”

The Cats lose 14 seniors from this year’s squad, Hodges said, but added that 54 freshmen are slated to enter the program next season.

“The kids gave us all they had; they’re true Wildcats,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the future with the kids we’ve got coming back.”