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Click on Tournament for Bracket & Game Stories
Recent Tournaments…
Melrose finished off a sparkling two-year run on the gridiron by wrapping up the 8-man football championship – convincingly.
Read on for more Buffaloes success in the Roll Call of State Championships below…
Football
2009…Buffaloes pull away from Tatum in the second quarter of the 8-man title game and win the way they did in every other game during a perfect season – in a rout. Final: Melrose 64, Coyotes 14
2008…Led by the Barnard brothers (senior Call & junior Clint), Melrose finishes unbeaten campaign by crushing Tatum 52-8
2004…Six-man championship comes down to neighboring rivals and Buffaloes pick up the blue trophy following a 74-60 victory over Floyd
1999…First state title for Melrose under coach Dickie Roybal when Buffs edge Roy by a 42-36 count
1996…Buffaloes win 72-60 shootout over Lake Arthur and grab 6-man championship for second time in three years
1994…Gridiron success comes to Melrose for the first time when, under coach Dale Means, the Buffs beat Ramah 54-31 in state final
Volleyball
1999…Melrose seizes volleyball 1A crown after 16 year absence at the top after beating Loving in a four-game finale
1983…Three straight championships when Buffaloes finish 22-0 season with a three-game win over Jal
1982…Coach Bob Jama and his Melrose contingent drop only one match the entire season & finish with a sweep over Tatum in the title match
1981…Buffs go unbeaten and win initial volleyball state championship by sweeping Texico in 1A’s last match of the year
Boys Basketball
2001…Melrose returns to top under coach Jimmy Joe Robinson as Buffaloes surpass Logan 79-67 in Class 1A championship game
1993…A 73-67 over rival Grady in the title contest secures a second-straight first place trophy for the Buffaloes
1992…First hoops state title for the Melrose boys when, led by coach Jimmy Joe Robinson, Buffs beat Cliff 66-61
Girls Basketball
1984…Just like in volleyball, Melrose gals prove there’s no one better in the state on the hardwood; Buffaloes edge Grady 58-57 for third straight title
1983…Under coach Bob Jama, Melrose beats Reserve 54-47 for 1A crown to put icing on 24-3 season
1982…Buffs take care of business in championship game, beating Texico 43-30, to claim small schools title
1976…First tournament title on the state level for Melrose, in any sport, when Buffaloes beat Dora 30-22
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And now, a word from our Sponsor…
“Ole!” greets drive-through customers from the speaker box.
If that’s the case, it can only be one business in Clovis: Taco Box.
From frijole burritos to Spanish fries to pig-in-a-panchos, and quite nearly everything in-between, the restaurant has been serving up its eclectic menu for 40 years from its location on 21st Street.
As a result of clever promotions and an undying passion from its regulars, Taco Box has turned into a major bit of Clovis tradition itself.
The Taco Box logo has made an appearance on the Clovis High School yearbook cover on a couple of occasions, many customers have taken to collecting the vast array of re-fillable plastic cups offered over the years and each Fourth of July the store is swamped by those looking for refreshments during the annual fireworks display at Greene Acres Lake.
And then there’s the food itself.
According to owner Tom Martin, who has run the eatery for almost the entirety of its 40-year existence in Clovis, the number one seller is the simple-and-tasty frijole burrito while tacos, chalupas and cheese sticks follow closely in popularity.
A popular side item are Spanish fries, a Taco Box-invented title for another potato-based munchie (any guesses?). Martin says his restaurant has only occasionally ventured into making regular french fries and the attempts have ultimately always been futile with the Taco Box customer base.
“I always joke that I don’t make french fries so I can help keep McDonald’s in business,” Martin says.
Other items also remain popular to an extent even though not officially on the menu board anymore – a testament to the loyalty of the typical Taco Box consumer.
The Mexi-Burger was on the menu back in the early 1980s and still gets ordered today. By those in the know, at any rate.
“There’s probably at least a dozen different items over the years like that,” Martin says. “We took it off, just because of space, but we still make ‘em. We probably sell as many as we did when they were on the menu.”
Martin lists breakfast tacos, frijole tacos, guacamole tacos as other such “underground” items. And that’s not to mention the vast array of drink combinations, utilizing the different soft drinks and flavorings, that have actually never been listed on the big board at Taco Box.
At one point, many years ago, there were several Taco Boxes. The franchise was based in El Paso and the store in Clovis opened in February of 1969.
Martin, raised in Cleveland and a graduate from Cornell University in New York, ventured west after college and tried his hand with the Taco Box brand. He took over the Clovis Taco Box on June 1, 1970.
Remembering his first foray into Mexican food, Martin has an oft-repeated story with some variation or another.
“I never had a taco until I was 21. I remember having a mild green chile taco and I thought I was going to die,” Martin recalls.
After having a tastebud-adjustment and following countless tacos served to his customers at Taco Box, it’s safe to say one thing about the guy who originally thought he’d be in Clovis for “a couple of years.”
Tom, you’re a New Mexican now!
