2021 Season Preview: Clovis Wildcats
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Clovis 2021 Preview Head Coach: Cal Fullerton Mascot: Wildcats Twitter: @chs_wildcats; @cfully17 Colors: Purple and White Enrollment: 1,611 Spring Record: 3-2 Star Players: QB Milo Acosta Milo Acosta 6'0" | QB Clovis | 2022 State NM , RB Kash Roberts,…
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Continue ReadingClovis 2021 Preview
Head Coach: Cal Fullerton
Mascot: Wildcats
Twitter: @chs_wildcats; @cfully17
Colors: Purple and White
Enrollment: 1,611
Spring Record: 3-2
Star Players: QB Milo Acosta Milo Acosta 6'0" | QB Clovis | 2022 State NM , RB Kash Roberts, WR Robert Nora Robert Nora 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Clovis | 2023 State NM , OL Payton Reames Payton Reames 6'0" | 265 lbs | OL Clovis | 2022 State NM , DE/OL Will Jordan, DE Jaden Nigreville Jaden Nigreville 6'4" | 215 lbs | DL Clovis | 2022 State NM , DT Gabe Angeles, LB Manny Bustillos Manny Bustillos 5'10" | 180 lbs | LB Clovis | 2022 State NM .
Breakout Star: WR Robert Nora Robert Nora 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Clovis | 2023 State NM .
Overview: It took several games for the Clovis offense to finally get going in the spring, but when it did, victories over Carlsbad and Roswell ensued. Some of the credit goes to Acosta, who ignited the Wildcats’ offense by throwing for 666 yards and five touchdowns in four appearances. Now he has the full-time gig. However, Acosta suffered an ankle injury at the end of April, but should be ready to go by the season opener. Acosta, Roberts (rising sophomore) and Nora (rising junior) were the lone non-seniors to touch the ball on offense in the spring. Roberts won’t be on the same level as New Mexico signee Jeston Webskowski Jeston Webskowski 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Clovis | 2021 State NM at the beginning of the season, but he could get there eventually. As a freshman, he was listed at 6-foot-0, 180 pounds with plenty of time to grow and develop. Initially, Clovis will likely go with a running back-by-committee with Angel Chavarria contributing at both RB and inside WR. Nora caught four passes and averaged nearly 27 yards per reception in the spring. He also has good size for his age, listed at 6-foot-1. Payton Reames Payton Reames 6'0" | 265 lbs | OL Clovis | 2022 State NM stands out at O-Line. Defensively, one of the biggest questions is whether Nigreville, who just completed baseball season for Clovis, will play football this fall. Clovis is still waiting for an answer. Even without him, the defensive front seven looks imposing. Angeles has impressed at camps and in the weight room. Bustillos is one of the top linebackers in the state and is coming off a spring in which he collected 55 tackles in 5 games. Mark Cabeen will patrol one of the other LB spots after seeing limited action in the spring. The secondary features four newcomers.
Schedule: Clovis opens the season with its traditional rivalry game against Hobbs followed by two games against a pair of Texas opponents. We’ll find out a lot about the Wildcats when they travel to Rio Rancho in Week 4. After a bye, the always challenging district schedule kicks in. Two trips to Albuquerque and one to Santa Fe await Clovis in the final four weeks.
8/20 – HOBBS
8/27 – YSLETA (El Paso , Tex.)
9/3 – at Frenship (Wolfforth, Tex.)
9/10 – at Rio Rancho
9/17 – Bye
9/24 – LA CUEVA
10/1 – ALBUQUERQUE
10/8 – at Santa Fe
10/15 – at Manzano
10/22 – SANDIA
10/29 – at Eldorado
Top Storyline: How will new faces at quarterback, running back and wide receiver pan out for Clovis?
Final Thoughts: Few teams were affected more by the Covid pandemic than Clovis. After the fall season was postponed, all-state QB Chance Harris Chance Harris 6'0" | 195 lbs | QB Clovis | 2021 State NM decided to enroll early at Colorado State and missed the spring season. As a result, Clovis had to scramble to find a quarterback for the spring season. Eventually, Acosta emerged. Workhorse All-State RB Jeston Webskowski Jeston Webskowski 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Clovis | 2021 State NM is another key loss. Is Kash Roberts the next big thing in Clovis? Possibly. This could be a season where the defense carries the Wildcats, at least for a while until the offense finds its footing. The defensive front seven looks solid and could be one of the best in the state, especially if Nigreville decides to play football. As always, Clovis is a threat to win the district and advance to the playoffs. We know the Wildcats will be battle tested heading into district play.
Coach’s Comments: “We had a big senior this past spring, but we’re going to be pretty young in the fall. We have a lot of sophomores and juniors we’ve moved up. We don’t have a lot of seniors. So we’re starting fresh with these kids. We’re throwing a lot at them, but we’ll keep teaching them. . .There’s nothing Milo has to prove to us that he needs to do. He has shown us what he can do in a situation where he gets thrown into something where he was not expected to be the starter. . .Kash Roberts has done everything we’ve asked of him. But in terms of experience and game situations, he’s green right now. It’s kind a wait-and-see deal. Will he do it in a game when it’s faster and more physical? But we like what we see right now. . . Robert Nora Robert Nora 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Clovis | 2023 State NM is pretty special. He’s probably one of our best prospects. He’ll get some balls thrown to him, for sure. After him, we might have to split time between seven or eight guys to try to get the job done. . .We have a chance to be pretty good on the D-Line. You can’t say enough about Gabe Angeles right now. He gets after it in the weight room. He’ll be fun to watch. . .It’s still up in the air with Jaden. He’s a really good football player, so if he doesn’t play we’ll need somebody else to step up like Jaden did as a sophomore. . .We have high expectations for Will Jordan. He’s still growing. His father is our offensive and defensive line coach, so Will has grown up with football” – Cal Fullerton.
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https://twitter.com/GageAngeles/status/1397561152071081985
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