It’s no secret that the football program at Clovis East has been on the downfall ever since the Tim Murphy era. The number of players has been down and with that, so has the on-field performance. It was historic how fast this program spun out of hand. However, some new history has been made by the 2018 Timberwolves.

They snapped a 27-game losing streak two weeks ago against Wood-Vacaville. And last week a new script in the history books was written. They traveled to Sanger to take on the Apaches last Friday. It was a rivalry game. It was broadcasted on Channel 59’s Friday Night Rivals. And above it all, no one expected them to come out with a victory. But they believed, and that’s all they needed. After a scoreless first quarter, the Wolfpack finally broke the ice when senior Ryan Hunt got into the endzone. Sanger would block the extra point attempt, but there seemed to be a shift in the players’ body language. Something about them said, “We can actually do this.” Fans began to pick up on this. The Clovis East fans who made the trip got louder. They had more energy. And they were beginning to believe as well. After the second quarter the Timberwolves headed to the locker rooms with a 6-0 lead.

Coming out of the half, the Wolfpack was flying around the field. But Sanger wasn’t going down without a fight. The Apaches got on the board thanks to a 46-yard touchdown run. And a botched snap, with some luck for the Apaches, would make the score 8-6. It looked to be another “Here we go again” type of game. To finish the third, Sanger would punt the ball and down it at the CE 4-yard line.

Heading to the fourth, Clovis East had their backs against the wall. The Apache fans were woken up, and hungry for another win against the Timberwolves. The Wolfpack started their methodical drive from the 4 and moved very slowly, but were getting the job done. They were moving the ball and wearing down the Sanger defense. Next thing fans knew, half the quarter was gone and the Wolfpack was in the red zone. On the Sanger 11-yard line, junior Elias Mart would get the call and deliver the game winning touchdown with 6:50 left. A two-point conversion would extend the CE lead to 14-8. But there was still time for the Apaches. After receiving the kickoff, Sanger began driving. They moved into CE territory and were going fast and efficient. Junior Christian Hudiburg and senior Asa Morales would interrupt a read-option, forcing a fumble, and delivering the final blow. Clovis East would run the clock out and earn their first win against a Central Section team since defeating Redwood in 2015.

The Wolfpack would take home the Silver Spear, and  also earn the honor of being named the ABC30 Team of the Week.

There is still more work to be done… The Timberwolves welcome the Sunnyside Wildcats to Lamonica this Friday. The winless Wildcats are hungry for a win and would love to spoil the TRAC cinderella’s hopes of being 3-1. It is also REC Staff Appreciation Night, kickoff at 7:00pm.

Twitter: @derek_righetti | Read all of his articles HERE.