With five weeks of football in the books, Clovis’ high school teams are coming off a bye week and are poised to begin TRAC league play October 4. Here, the Roundup recaps each team’s season to date.
Clovis North (5-0)
Few outside of the program would have imagined the kind of season the Broncos are having in 2019. North sits at a perfect 5-0 just one season after going 2-8, leading to the hiring of new head coach Michael Jacot.
Jacot has coached his team to decisive victories over Pitman, Sunnyside, Bellarmine and Ridgeview, while also pulling out a narrow 41-40 victory against Edison September 13. The Broncos are averaging 32.8 points per game while surrendering just 16.2.
Trenton Leura has provided steady play at quarterback and the team’s defense has thrived on taking the ball away from the opponent. Clovis North begins the second half of the season against the Clovis West Golden Eagles Friday, Oct. 4 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Clovis (3-2)
The Cougars offense has been explosive, to say the least.
Clovis has nearly 10 touchdowns of at least 50 yards over the first half of the season and they have come from a myriad of skill position players. Grant Lake and human Swiss Army Knife, Nathan Johnson have thrived in an offense piloted by senior quarterback Isaiah Robles.
Clovis sits at 3-2, and have notched impressive wins against Modesto, Stockdale and a 52-28 thrashing of Salinas at Lamonica Stadium September 13.
The Cougars have scored the second most points in the TRAC with 183, behind only Central, which has put up 220. The team will open the second half of its schedule this Friday with an away game against Clovis East.
Clovis East (3-2)
Defense has been the name of the game for the Timberwolves in 2019.
Incredibly, through five weeks, the team has allowed a measly 47 points in five games, good enough for 9.4 a game. East shut out Lemoore in week one and allowed six points against Sunnyside while also blanking Wood High School-Vacaville on the road August 30.
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Timberwolves did not allow a single point. Even in the team’s two losses, the most points an opponent scored was 17 against San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno on September 20 at home.
East’s offense has been a great compliment to the defense as the team relies on its veteran offensive line to open up running lanes for talented backs like AJ Hodgerney and Jo’Nation Dejohnette. East will host the Clovis Cougars and their explosive offense Friday, Oct. 4.
Buchanan (3-2)
It has been a bumpy, roller-coaster ride of a season for the Bears in 2019.
After a 32-7 loss at home to open up the season against Narbonne, the Bears were able to bounce back by winning the next three games against Bullard, Edison and Liberty-Bakersfield.
However, due to the team’s star running back Kendall Milton suffering a leg injury in the loss to Narbonne, the run-centric offense has been hit and miss. In Buchanan’s three victories, the Bears have averaged 21.3 points per game and in their two losses, the team has scored a total of seven points.
Running backs Dante Lawson and Cade Uehling have had moments when they have provided an offensive spark, but without Milton, the offense’s potential is limited.
At 3-2, the Bears open their TRAC schedule this Thursday against first-place Central of Fresno. If Buchanan is to get back into the race for the league title, a win against the Grizzlies is almost a must.
Clovis West (2-3)
The Golden Eagles come out of its bye week a reeling football team.
West lost its final three games before the break, but all is not lost. The team can look back and say it did win its first two games of the season under new head coach and former West defensive line coach Tim Randall. With nothing but TRAC games left on the schedule, the most important stretch of the team’s schedule sits directly in front of them.
Brandon Wafer, arguably the team’s offensive player, has not really been able to get into a solid groove. If the Golden Eagles can get him going, there is no reason to believe that the team can’t return to the same form it exhibited the first two weeks.
But, it won’t be easy as up first on the TRAC schedule is undefeated Clovis North at Veterans Memorial Stadium Friday.