Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis still likely to make 12-team Class 6A field
ALBUQUERQUE — How quickly momentum can change.
Entering Friday, the Clovis Wildcats were an 11-point win away from taking second place in District 2-6A. Leaving Friday, they’re in fourth place and on the playoff bubble following a 27-0 defeat to La Cueva at F.M. Wilson Stadium.
The loss probably doesn’t knock the Wildcats (5-5, 1-3) out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season, but it certainly increases the chances they’ll play a first-round game away from the friendly confines of Leon Williams Stadium.
The Wildcats had their best shot early in the second quarter when La Cueva (9-1, 3-1) completely lost track of Ben Foster for a long pass. But Clovis turned a first-and-goal from the 5 into a missed field goal and the Bears took command with a touchdown to make it 17-0.
“We get in the red zone, can’t get in the end zone,” Clovis coach Cal Fullerton said. “Missed field goals, missed open guys all night. Against good defensive teams, you have to take advantage of those chances. We didn’t.”
The seeding committee meets Saturday evening to hash out the 12-team Class 6A field, with the bottom eight seeds facing off next weekend and the top four seeds receiving first-round byes and second-round home games.
“Some people are saying we may get the eighth seed over Atrisco (Heritage), even though they’re a district champ,” Fullerton said. “But who knows? The NMAA can really do whatever they want.”
Seedings will be posted Saturday evening at http://www.EasternNewMexicoNews.com.
If Clovis receives a seed between nine and 12, it will have to battle on the road, where it went 1-4, although two of those losses came in overtime and saw the Wildcats hold a fourth-quarter lead.
The Wildcats hold three wins over Class 6A clubs — Hobbs, Sandia and Carlsbad. However, none will be a district champion, with Hobbs finishing second and fifth respectively in District 3-6A and Sandia finishing last in the five-team 2-6A.
Clovis’ other wins came over winless Santa Fe and Goddard (4-6), which had its first losing campaign since 2004.
Friday marked the 15th time Clovis was shut out in a district game in school history, but the first time in 41 seasons and 145 games since a 6-0 loss to Carlsbad in the 1976 campaign.
