'Cats ready to face defending 6A champs

CLOVIS — Road sweet road?

The Clovis football team can only hope so, because that’s where the Wildcats are headed tonight for the first time this season.

After opening with back-to-back home games, and holding serve in those games by going 2-0, the ’Cats will spend Week 3 visiting Rio Rancho.

Yes, that Rio Rancho. The team that ran the table and won a 6A state championship in 2016. The team that rolled up 583 points in 12 games last season and whose lowest scoring output in one game was 31 points.

The team that beat Clovis 46-7 last Sept. 9 at Leon Williams Stadium and has already scored 42 points in each of its first two games this season.

What a way to hit the road. To be kings of that road, the Wildcats will need to play almost flawless football, something they did not do last Friday against Carlsbad. Though the ’Cats did eventually break away from the Cavemen for a 34-14 victory, they first had to get out of their own way, surviving six fumbles and five penalties, including a 15-yard foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Still, with the scorebook ink barely dry on their win over Carlsbad last Friday, the Wildcats were already savoring their first road game, formidable opponent and all.

“I love it,” senior running back Demerious Milton said after leading Clovis with 128 rushing yards on just seven carries (18.3 per carry), including a 60-yard touchdown run down the right sideline. “I love it that we’re playing the team that just won the state. I love that we’re going on the road to play them.”

As he sat in the team’s film room following last Friday’s win, first-year head coach Cal Fullerton was not bubbling with as much enthusiasm as Milton was.

“Not only going on the road, but going on to the road to play the undefeated state champions from last year,” Fullerton said. “Having to go on the road to play those guys is going to be a huge challenge for us.”

“It’s going to be a test for us,” senior quarterback Brandt Davis said, “but I think we have a good enough team that we can handle it. We can handle anything on our schedule, I think.”

Clovis will certainly have a lot to handle tonight, especially defensively. Though Rio Rancho quarterback Nic Little has graduated after amassing 1,767 yards, 23 touchdowns and a 104.4 quarterback rating last season, now-senior Logan Bruere has stepped right in. Bruere had some mop-up duty last year, passing for 232 yards and two scores but also throwing four interceptions in 42 attempts. He has been much more effective as the entrenched regular starter this season, completing 55 of 80 passes for 612 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, ringing up a 130.8 QBR in the Rams’ first two games this season.

Bruere has a stable of receivers at the other end of his tosses, including three seniors — Derrick Reyes, Joe Elmahy and Austin Hise — who have combined to reel in 47 catches for 547 yards and 10 touchdowns. Reyes is tops for Rio Rancho in receptions with 20; Hise is the team’s receiving yardage leader with 252.

The Wildcats’ own offense is potent, averaging 33.5 points per game, but will have to contend with a Rio Rancho defense that includes six-foot-four, 260-pound defensive lineman and San Diego State commit Keshawn Banks; outside linebacker Cailon Bailon; and defensive back Lawrence Barela, all seniors ranked among the state’s best defenders.

That’s a tall order for any opponent, let alone a Clovis team that was mistake-prone last week. Fullerton accepted some of the blame for the miscues.

“I think I need to do a better job of making sure we’re not doing stuff like that,” he said.

Though he had just thrown a 30-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Heredia on fourth-and-27 and scrambled 16 yards for another score, Davis also admitted his own play, like the team’s, could’ve been better. He didn’t hesitate when asked how the Wildcats could best correct that.

“Effort,” Davis said plainly. “Effort and attitude.”

No matter how much the Wildcats improve on those things tonight, no matter how well they play, they will still face one distinct disadvantage.

“We’re going to miss the home fans, so that’ll be a factor,” Milton said. “We’re not in front of our home fans. That’s the challenge.”