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Wildcats sign D-I letters

CLOVIS - It's been a fall with plenty of unfortunate firsts, particularly for the Clovis High football team. There have been practices, but no first scrimmages, no first games, no first district tests as the Wildcats and the rest of prep New Mexico sports are delayed to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the Wildcat program did have an historic pair of firsts Wednesday, with Chance Harris and Jaden Phillips becoming the first Clovis players to sign during the Division I early football signing period - Harris at Colorado State and Phillips at the University of New Mexico.

"I think it says a ton about those two guys when you don't even have a fall season," Clovis coach Cal Fullerton said. "For teams to be that locked in and wanting them to sign early says a lot about what they did as juniors."

Harris, in a junior season shortened by a series of injuries, still managed to throw for 2,281 yards and 22 touchdowns against just nine picks.

Once it was announced the football season was moved to the spring, Harris created a fallback plan by frontloading his academic schedule. Friday saw him wrap up his high school requirements, and he plans to begin classes at CSU in January. If there's a prep season, Harris said, he will come back to Clovis.

"It feels great," Harris said. "It's definitely exciting, a dream come true for sure. I've been dreaming about this since I was five years old."

Phililps caught 25 passes for 489 yards and two scores on offense, and on defense recorded team highs of four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.

"It's been surreal," Phillips said. "You get to actually wake up a Lobo now. I'm happy I'm in this position."

Both Harris and Phillips said they had concerns the lack of a fall season would jeopardize their scholarship offers - Harris said it was the first question he had for CSU coaches - but were told the programs had no hesitation.

Fullerton said the Rams and Lobos are getting winners, starting with Border Conference championships in middle school, varsity roles as sophomores and junior seasons that produced Clovis' first state semifinal appearance in 10 years.

"You don't have to worry about those guys showing up," Fullerton said. "The longer and longer we went through this fall (with season prospects dwindling), the less you thought they'd show up. Not with that group.

"They're trying to leave a legacy as seniors of what to do, and setting up our younger kids to understand how workouts go, things that are expected of you. All of those things are still being taken care of."

The early signing period for Division I football began in the 2017-18 year. The Wildcats have had Division I players in that time, but those players either waited until the regular signing period or transferred to Division I schools from smaller programs.

 
 
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