Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis High senior guard Jayden Cox (22) and senior forward Johnny Molina try to pressure a Santa Fe High player during Saturday's game at Rock Staubus Gym. The Wildcats led wire-to-wire and defeated the Demons 75-62.
There haven't been many, if any, games this season in which Clovis High's boys have led wire-to-wire.
Coming off a tiring trip to Albuquerque the previous night, the Wildcats accomplished that feat with a solid 75-62 win over Santa Fe High on Saturday at Rock Staubus Gymnasium.
Senior forward/guard Jayden Cox led the way with 22 points, while junior guard Joseph "Jo Jo" Cavazos did much of the ballhandling for the Cats and chipped in a personal-best 16 – scoring four points in each of the four quarters.
"Jo Jo is getting better," CHS coach Corey Pickett said. "Pressure doesn't really bother him. He's undersized, but I really think that works in his favor. You have to really get down low to guard him."
Cavazos said he's not that concerned about scoring points.
"I try to look for my teammates to get shots," he said. "As long as we win, I'm fine with it."
Meantime, the Demons (7-5) were also playing a back-to-back, having edged Carlsbad 50-46 on Friday night in the Portales Shootout. They spent the night in Clovis.
"I feel like we came out with some energy," Cavazos said. "From there, we just kept the pedal to the metal."
Cox scored the Cats' first nine points and Clovis went on an early 12-0 run, eventually stretching its lead to 20-3 late in the opening stanza after a driving basket by Cavazos. Clovis (7-7) led twice by 19 points late in the half.
"That was the goal, to punch first and (force) them to respond," Pickett said.
Santa Fe High began chipping away after the break, finally getting the margin into single figures at 54-45 on two free throws by senior Nico Morales to close out the third period.
But it never got closer than seven, and that came with 1:23 left on a 3-pointer by senior Vidal Vigil. The Cats closed it out with two free throws each from Cox, junior forward/guard Clifton Brown and Cavazos in the remaining time.
The Cats shot 13-of-15 from the line for the game, including 10-of-11 in the final stanza.
Morales and senior Isaiah Martinez scored 15 points each for Santa Fe High, and senior Christian Herrera added 11.
"You know a team is going to make a run," Pickett said. "But when they do that, it's going to take a lot of energy out of them."
He said the Cats' schedule, which has been pretty rough, should make them better in the long run.
"I'll put our schedule up against any team in the state," Pickett said. "You've got to play it and try to win as many as you can."
The Cats return to action on Friday night with a 7 p.m. tipoff against Portales at The Rock.
West Mesa 78, CHS 67 (Friday) – Seniors Johnny Young and Estevan Espinoza combined for 49 points to lead the Mustangs (7-2) to victory on their home court.
Young scored 28 points, including 12 in the final stanza to help West Mesa essentially trade baskets with the Cats and maintain control. Meantime, 14 of Espinoza's 21 points came in the second half, including nine in the third period.
Daylen Holt, a 6-foot-4 freshman, added 14 points for West Mesa.
The Cats fell behind 25-19 at the quarter and were unable to mount a charge on the Mustangs. Cox paced the Cats with 19 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while junior guard Trace Egbert added a personal-best 12 on four 3s and junior guard Jaden Tapia also reached double digits with 10.
