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CLICK ON TOURNAMENT FOR BRACKET & GAME STORIES
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Recent tournaments for the ‘Cats…
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Autumn Friday nights in Clovis showcase the town at its best: top-notch football team, great marching band and a burgeoning crowd to take it all in. But the Wildcats do pretty good in a tourney setting and, remember, football is decided in a tournament bracket too!
Check out the Roll Call of
State Championships…
Football
2001…Battle of 5A unbeatens goes to ‘Cats: Clovis 17, Mayfield 10
1994…Clovis nips Goddard 14-10 for Class 4A crown
1991…A thriller in Albuquerque as Clovis beats Eldorado 13-10 in 2OT
1990…Wildcats finish sparkling 13-1 campaign by shutting out Eldorado 28-0
1985…Five-in-a-row 4A championships for Clovis after ‘Cats whip Alamogordo 36-12
1984…Roswell falls victim to Wildcats juggernaut for 2nd year in a row, 17-0
1983…Clovis hands Roswell only loss of a year in big way: Wildcats 50, Coyotes
1982…Back-to-back titles as Clovis beats Alamogordo 20-7 for 4A title
1981…A dynasty begins as Wildcats manhandle rival Hobbs 27-7 in championship game
1978…Coach Eric Roanhaus wins first of ten titles when Clovis beats Eldorado 7-3
1977…Wildcats edge Sandia 3-0 as ‘Cats send Coach Dunny Goode out a winner
1973…An undefeated season for Clovis is capped when Wildcats beat Hobbs 16-0 in 4A finale
1960…Clovis grabs its first football title on Thanksgiving day by beating host Farmington 20-14
Girls Basketball
2005…A classic at The Pit goes to Wildcats in battle of unbeatens: Clovis 49, Mayfield 46
2000…Clovis wins second 4A title in a row by beating Gallup 46-34 in championship
1999…Wildcats and 6-5 soph center Cisti Greenwalt upend Mayfield 53-37 for 4A crown
1991…A narrow 49-47 win over Farmington in 4A championship gives Clovis first title in 14 years
1977…Led by Coach George Ross, Clovis goes unbeaten and knocks off Eldorado 51-45 in title game
Boys Basketball
1979…Led by the super guard tandem of Nelson Franse & Bubba Jennings, Clovis finishes 28-1 campaign by beating Mayfield 70-55 in Las Cruces
1953…Wildcats rack up 30 wins, with the last a 63-46 victory over Raton for the championship
1951…Coach Bill Stockton guides Clovis to title contest where ‘Cats beat Hurley 48-41
1930…Wildcats, led by Coach Rock Staubus, outscore Albuquerque High 24-13 for crown
Boys Soccer
1998…Clovis surprises NM soccer community by taking 4A title with 1-0 win over Albuquerque High
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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!
