Non-football fall sports get going Monday

Sports writer

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After falling short in their bid for a third consecutive District 4-5A title last fall, the Clovis High boys soccer team is looking to start another streak in the new District 4-6A.

The Wildcats, as well as all other non-football fall sports teams in New Mexico, begin official fall practice on Monday.

The addition of Alamogordo to the district will spice things up, seventh-year coach Greg Trujillo said. Last year, the Tigers beat CHS twice in overtime, including coming from a 4-0 halftime deficit in the season opener at Alamo.

“We’ll see what happens this year with Alamogordo in our district,” Trujillo said. “It’ll be a little different.

“We’ve got a lot of young kids, but I’m pretty optimistic.”

The Cats, 9-12 a year ago, are planning two-a-days next week at Yucca Middle School, going from 7-9 a.m. and 6-8 p.m.

Clovis will have boys and girls alumni games next Saturday at Yucca Middle School, with the girls going at 5 p.m. and the boys to follow. A cookout is also planned, Trujillo said.

Both teams open the following Tuesday at Lovington.

• The CHS girls soccer team will do conditioning at Leon Williams Stadium from 6:30-7:30 a.m. each day this week, fourth-year coach Traci Sievers said, then have a regular practice from 4-6 p.m. — Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Yucca, and Tuesday and Thursday at Leon Williams.

Last year, the Lady Wildcats posted an 11-9 mark.

• The Clovis volleyball team will go from 4-6 p.m. each day next week at The Rock. The Lady Cats were 14-8 last season and lost to Cibola in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament.

Only three varsity regulars return from last year, fourth-year coach Gabe Apodaca said, with nine lost to graduation.

Unlike most Clovis programs, Apodaca said the Lady Cats have never faced Alamo during his tenure.

• CHS cross country coach Mark Bussen said his squads will go once each day this week, from 7-9 a.m. Monday through Friday.

The Lady Cats finished sixth in then-Class 5A state competition last fall, while the Cats were ninth.

“The boys have some good young kids coming up, but not a lot of experience,” said Bussen, who has been with the cross country program since 1998 and is in his 10th year over three stints as head coach. “The girls have a chance to do really well. We have three or four girls back who ran real well last year.”