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Cats' first week goes well

Deputy editor

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With two weeks remaining before their first chance to hit somebody else, the Clovis Wildcats feel the first week of work has been productive.

link Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Senior Jared Duncan looks for a running lane during Saturday’s Clovis High football practice. The Wildcats wrapped up their first week of drills with a two-hour session at Leon Williams Stadium.

“They’ve had a good week,” coach Eric Roanhaus said Saturday morning, after the Wildcats practiced on the turf of Leon Williams Stadium for the first time. “Our conditioning is a little better, football IQs have gone up.”

Despite the high temperatures, Roanhaus said no players have cramped up due to constant hydration during practice and the players being smart about what they consume away from the field.

The only bad note, Roanhaus said, is a sprained MCL suffered by senior tight end Tyler Bonner. Roanhaus expects him to miss at least a week and a half of practice, and isn’t going to risk playing him in the 4 p.m. Aug. 21 scrimmage against Las Cruces at Ruidoso High School.

Clovis enters the season with a lot of shoes ot fill, with only four offensive starters returning and nearly all of the starting defensive positions up for grabs. What the team lacks in experience, Roanhaus said, it’s made up for in enthusiasm.

link Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Veteran Clovis High football coach Eric Roanhaus sends in a play during Saturday’s football practice at Leon Williams Stadium. The Wildcats will scrimmage Las Cruces High on Aug. 21 at Ruidoso before opening the season at home the following week against Roswell Goddard.

“We’ve got a lot of kids competing for those 17 (starting) positions, and that’s kept the competition up,” Roanhaus said. “We had a good JV team last year, and most of those kids are competing for starting positions.”

The pleasant surprise has been the defense, which returns only part-time starter Tucker Dobbs in the secondary. Clovis is in its second year of a 4-2-5 defense under co-defensive coordinators Drew Hatley and Darrell Davis.

“Defensively, we’re a lot better than we were (at the same point) last year,” senior Kurt Kelley said. “Coach Hatley’s done a better job, and we have some guys with experience.”

Many upperclassmen are part of a summer flag football team that has won its bracket three of the last four years at Roswell’s Hike It, Spike It — which bills itself as the ocuntry’s biggest flag football tournament. Roanhaus conceded the success helps team chemistry, “but you don’t get hit in the mouth at Hike It, Spike It.”

The Wildcats will have late afternoon practices Tuesday and Wednesday due to teacher meetings that impact the coaching staff, but will be able to do two-a-day practices at 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Clovis opens its season Aug. 28 against Goddard, the first of five home games on its regular season schedule.

“It’s definitely still far away,” Kelley said, “but we’re excited to play.”