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  • Hounds off to 3-0 start after rallying late for win

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 19, 2023

    Things certainly didn't look good for Eastern New Mexico University's football team when Western Oregon stormed in front with three touchdowns in the final four minutes of the half. Trailing 29-17 at the break, the Greyhounds found the formula in the final two periods, blanking WOU in that time and getting the winning touchdown on a 34-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Mario Sanchez to sophomore wide receiver Andre Jones with 1:06 left for a 30-29 Lone Star...

  • Lady Cats tally early in each half to win 2-1

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 16, 2023

    Clovis High junior Ava Crain sure didn't waste any time scoring on Thursday night. Crain had goals in the first minute of each half, and it was enough to allow the Lady Wildcats to slip past Roswell Goddard 2-1 at Leon Williams Stadium. Crain raced in behind the Lady Rockets' defense and beat Goddard sophomore goalkeeper Kailani Houghtby to stake the Lady Cats (7-2-1) to a 2-0 lead. She took feeds from senior defender Maricela Jimenez on the first goal and junior...

  • Rams continue to roll, trounce Sartans 54-0

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 16, 2023

    Through five weeks of the season, Portales High's football team has dominated on offense, defense and special teams. If you're wondering how far all of it might take them, though, don't ask the Rams. Senior Zane Mayberry scored three touchdowns – including two in the first 3 ½ minutes – as Portales rolled to a 41-0 victory over St. Pius on Friday night at Greyhound Stadium. And it wasn't even that close. Including Mayberry's 88-yard return of the opening kickoff, the...

  • Rams set to host Sartans on Friday

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 12, 2023

    So far this season, the Portales High football team has been challenged in one half through four games. Think they might be in need a good test? It’s not the Rams’ problem, coach Jaime Ramirez says. “Honestly, I just want to improve every week,” he said. “I want to be the best version of the Portales Rams every week.” On Friday, the Class 4A top-ranked Rams complete a three-game homestand with a 7 p.m. contest against St. Pius at Greyhound Stadium. The Albuquerque-based Sartans, under first-year coach Curtis Flakes, bri...

  • Cats surge past Carlsbad

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 9, 2023

    CLOVIS – It's no secret when you get ahead of a ground-and-pound team, you've made it hard for that side to come back. If that team, though, gets out to a lead, they're going to be hard to catch. Just about everything went right early on Friday night for Clovis High, and the Wildcats used their run-dominant style to lock up a 33-23 victory over former district rival Carlsbad at Leon Williams Stadium and claim their first win in 2023. Senior quarterback/slotback Jett Stone comp...

  • Cats welcome longtime rival Carlsbad

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 5, 2023

    It may not be much, but when you're 0-3 you look for any advantage you can get. Clovis High's football teams welcomes longtime former district rival Carlsbad to Leon Williams Stadium for a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday. The Cavemen (1-2) are coming off a 28-7 loss at Class 6A No. 5 Volcano Vista on Saturday. "We've got them on a short week," CHS coach Andrew McCraw said, "so hopefully they'll be tired." The Cats dropped a 55-14 decision at Carlsbad last season. The Cavemen,...

  • Hounds hold off Cowboys

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 2, 2023

    PORTALES – It's not often a team can lose four fumbles in a half, leading to four scores for the opposition, and live to tell about it. Helped by a penalty, Eastern New Mexico University's football team survived a tying 2-point opportunity by New Mexico Highlands in the closing moments and edged the Cowboys 28-26 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams at Greyhound Stadium. After a successful conversion try was negated by a false-start penalty, junior l...

  • Foggie cruises to win in cross country debut

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 2, 2023

    Clovis High junior Gabby Foggie isn’t about to transition away from track to cross country, but she sure made a big impression in Friday’s season-opening Clovis High Invitational cross country meet. Running in the sport for the first time, Foggie led a solid CHS showing, winning the three-mile race easily in a time of 21 minutes, 31.02 seconds to lead the Lady Wildcats to the team championship at Ned Houk Park. Clovis, with all seven runners finishing in the top 12, tallied 24 points and doubled up runnerup Hereford with 48....

  • Rams blow out Dons with dominant second half

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Sep 2, 2023

    Trailing for the first time in three games this season, Portales High’s football team didn’t change a whole lot at halftime. No doubt, though, the Rams looked like a completely different team. They erased a 14-7 deficit by scoring on each of their six second-half possessions for a 48-14 win over West Las Vegas at Greyhound Stadium. Junior quarterback Paxton Culpepper threw for a personal-best six touchdowns, five coming in the final two stanzas. He had a five-TD night last season in a win over the Dons at Las Vegas. “It...

  • Cats, still seeking first victory, host Randall

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 29, 2023

    CLOVIS – Pre-district play has been a little bit like Murderer’s Row for Clovis High’s football team the past couple of seasons. Last year, the Wildcats went 0-6 and were outscored 265-64 prior to the start of their District 6-5A schedule, then won three in a row to challenge for a playoff berth before losing at Los Lunas 54-0 in their finale. This season has started off 0-2 heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. matchup with Canyon Randall at Leon Williams Stadium, but coach Andrew McCraw sees some encouraging signs. “We did some...

  • Hounds host Cowboys in opener

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 26, 2023

    PORTALES – It's been 4 ½ years since Kelley Lee last led the Eastern New Mexico University football team into a game – a 20-13 victory over Southern Arkansas in the 2019 Heritage Bowl in Corsicana, Texas.. Suffice it to say, the Greyhounds are ready for Thursday's 6 p.m. season opener against New Mexico Highlands at Greyhound Stadium. "We're tired of hitting each other, I can tell you that," Lee said. "The pieces are falling in place, and we're starting to focus on tha...

  • Hope overcomes early Cats goal to post victory

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 26, 2023

    CLOVIS – Clovis High's boys caught an early break on Thursday night. The Wildcats weren't able to build on it. Junior forward Ihab Mesbah buried a penalty kick from close range in the sixth minute to give the Cats a quick lead, but Hope Christian tallied four goals before halftime and handed Clovis a 5-1 loss at Leon Williams Stadium. After struggling to halftime, the Cats (0-2) picked up their pace in the second half. Junior Angel Avila was able to stop five of six Huskies s...

  • Steers overtake Lions in second half to win

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 26, 2023

    FARWELL – Things didn't look all that good early for Farwell's football team on Friday night, but the Steers had a feeling their time was coming. A late second-quarter touchdown gave New Deal a 10-point lead at the half, but Farwell blanked the Lions over the final 24 minutes and pulled away to a 40-30 victory in the season opener for both squads. Senior running back Corey Stancell rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns for Farwell, while junior quarterback Jonathan Armstron...

  • Lady Rams' coach sets the bar high

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 22, 2023

    PORTALES – Bailey Greenwalt is looking for big things in her first season as Portales High's volleyball coach. Greenwalt, a PHS alum who played for the Lady Rams from 2012-15, moved up from her assistant's role this year after spending the last two campaigns working under Jacki Bailey. Portales went 9-14 last season (2-4 District 4-4A), but Greenwalt has set the bar pretty high this season. "We want to have a championship mentality," she said. "I really want (her players) t...

  • Lady Cats look to compete in 4-5A

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 22, 2023

    CLOVIS – Clovis High alum Cristy Hill has spent much of her adult life involved with volleyball. She's ready to take the reigns after longtime coach Darrel Ray's retirement. The Lady Wildcats (11-13, 4-2 District 4-5A last fall) open their 2023 slate on Tuesday against Amarillo Palo Duro at Rock Staubus Gym. CHS returns three starters from last season in middle hitter Kailyn Jefferson, outside hitter Erin Creasy and outside hitter-defensive specialist Areyanne Conn, all s...

  • Rams, Lady Rams under new direction

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 19, 2023

    PORTALES – It's a new era in Portales High soccer, with both squads going through coaching changes during the offseason. Dustin Harden will lead the PHS boys squad into the 2023 campaign, replacing Ruben Tellez, while David Sweet takes over for Bonnie Britton in the Lady Rams program. The PHS girls host the Clovis High junior varsity in their season opener at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, while the boys travel to Ruidoso for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. Sweet said the Lady Rams (...

  • Eagles soar past Cats

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 19, 2023

    CLOVIS – Clovis High football coach Andrew McCraw said his team didn't make the plays it needed in Friday's season opener against Hobbs at Leon Williams Stadium. Eagles coach Ken Stevens pointed to something else after his team's 41-13 victory. "They had a lot of guys playing on both sides of the ball," he said of the Wildcats. "I think we wore them down." Hobbs, ranked fifth by MaxPreps in Class 6A coming into the season, got three touchdown passes and a scoring run from j...

  • Cats seeking bounceback campaign

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 19, 2023

    CLOVIS – Reading too much into an alumni game can sometimes be like knowing what to take from an NFL preseason game, most of which are played with primarily backup players. Still, Clovis High boys soccer coach Greg Trujillo took some positives from the Wildcats' 4-1 win over their alumni last weekend. "The team looked really good," said Trujillo, entering his 16th year as the Cats' coach. "I thought defensively we'd be a mess, but we were pretty sound." Clovis started out 3...

  • Rams won't get ahead of themselves

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 15, 2023

    PORTALES – With a relatively experienced squad on hand, it might seem reasonable for Portales High football coach Jaime Ramirez to think the Rams are headed for a stellar season. They might be, at that, but you won't get Ramirez to say as much, even with a handful of third-year starters. "I don't want to count our chickens before they hatch," said Ramirez, entering his 12th season with the program. "We coach the boys to work hard and be humble." PHS opens its 2023 campaign a...

  • Cats hope to reverse results from last season

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 15, 2023

    CLOVIS – Clovis High’s football team is playing the same schedule as last season, with sites reversed. And while the Wildcats know it’s tough sledding, especially prior to District 5-6A play, they hope they’re good enough to reverse the results. CHS (3-7, 3-1 district in 2022) hosts rival Hobbs at 7 p.m. Friday in its opener at Leon Williams Stadium, trying to end a two-year drought against a team it previously dominated over the past couple of decades. The Eagles thumped Clovis 46-7 last season. Last season, the Cats we...

  • Rams scrimmage against Robertson

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 12, 2023

    PORTALES – If nothing else, Portales High's football team was able to compete against an outside opponent on Friday night. And with the thermometer near the 100-degree mark, the Rams may also have gotten a feel for what it might be like in Saturday's 1 p.m. season opener against Highland at Milne Stadium in Albuquerque. "It was really hot, but you can't control what days you play on," senior guard-defensive end Nehemiah Yorfee said. "You just have to go out there and do y...

  • ENMU begins preparations for 2023 season

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 8, 2023

    PORTALES – Kelley Lee had been gone for two years, but some things looked a lot like they did when he left. Eastern New Mexico University's football team began workouts on Monday at Greyhound Stadium, and about 20 of the 115 or so players taking part were here when Lee last coached the program in 2019. "We have a pretty good nucleus," said Lee, who posted a 21-12 record at the helm from 2017-19 and was rehired by the school in January. "There's a thin line between evaluating t...

  • Cats face tough slate in pre-district play

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 5, 2023

    CLOVIS – Clovis High's football team slogged through an 0-6 record during pre-District 4-5A play last fall, then found itself in position for a Class 6A state playoff bid going into the last week of the regular season. The Wildcats lost 54-0 at Los Lunas in their finale, finishing 3-7. They hope for a better start this year, even though their schedule is identical to 2022 except to reverse sites. Second-year coach Andrew McCraw remains ever optimistic. "We're working hard," h...

  • Rams looking to build on solid '22 season

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated Aug 5, 2023

    PORTALES – While the Rams are coming off a strong season, senior wide receiver Andru Ontiveros is hoping Portales High's football team can go a little farther this fall. The Rams began workouts on Monday in preparation for their 2023 opener against Highland in Albuquerque on August 19. This week, they have a 5:30 p.m. scrimmage on tap Friday against Las Vegas Robertson at the PHS practice facility. "I feel like we have a lot of talent on our team," Ontiveros said. "We've b...

  • Buffs moving on to 1A semifinals

    Dave Wagner, The Staff of The News|Updated May 6, 2023

    MELROSE – Things certainly pointed to a Melrose victory in Wednesday's Class 1A state quarterfinal matchup against Cimarron. After all, in addition to homefield advantage, the third-seeded Buffaloes had tamed the Rams in each of their three District 2-1A meetings this season. Still, after struggling mightily in recent years, Cimarron has come a long way in 2023. The Buffs got it done, but had to hang on late as junior Michael Cardonita struck out two batters with the bases l...

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