By Don Eskins
After knocking off the Clovis Wildcats 58-43 and getting some much-needed help from the Roswell Coyotes, the Cavemen are back in the thick of things in the 2024-25 District 4/5A title race.
With their victory over the Wildcats, CHS elevated their seasonal mark to 16-8 and 2-2 in conference play, one game behind the Coyotes and Hobbs Eagles.
Roswell and the Eagles, who were upset by the Otes 79-69 in Roswell on Tuesday night, February 11, are both 3-1 in District 4/5A.
On Friday night, February 14, in the Alien City, the Class 5A 12th-ranked Cavemen will face off with the fifth-ranked Coyotes. In an earlier meeting on January 31 in Carlsbad, Roswell slipped past CHS 47-44.
“Roswell has a very good team. The fact that they just beat the second-ranked Hobbs Eagles by 10 points is a good indication of just how good they really are,” said Caveman head coach John Zumbrun. “So, we’re expecting to see nothing from the District 4/5A leading Coyotes other than their best effort on Friday night.
“But our kids will go in confident and ready to play. They believe they can play with anybody,” he said. “In the end, though, it all comes down to execution. If we execute against the Coyotes, our kids will have a great shot at beating them on the road.”
Tipoff for the varsity game is set for 7 p.m. The JVs will take the floor first at 5:30 p.m.
Cavemen 58, Clovis 43
Carlsbad, watching their 11-point first-period lead over the Clovis Wildcats dwindle to just four at the half, 23-19, turned on the jets during the second. Over the final two quarters of play, CHS outscored Clovis 35-24 to cage the Cats 58-43.
During the Cavemen’s second-half run, Kyran Orgain scored 18 points.
The two teams collided in the Cavern City on Tuesday, February 11. With the win, the Cavemen’s overall record jumped to 16-8. In District 4/5A play, they’re 2-2.
Three Cavemen scored in double digits on their way to the win. However, nobody’s night was bigger than Kyran Orgain’s, who canned 23. En route to his motherload of points, the 6’1” senior guard carded one two-point field goal and six three-point field goals and was three of four from the free-throw line.
Also scoring in double figures were Zenas Huerta, with 18, and Shane Sullivan, with 11.
Cavemen 46, Hobbs 49
Nobody said winning this year’s District 4/5A championship would be easy. And if the second-ranked Hobbs Eagles didn’t already know that, they certainly do now.
On Friday night, February 7, in Hobbs, the Carlsbad Cavemen came within four points of upsetting the highly touted Eagles. Trailing 38-25 at the end of the third quarter, CHS rallied to outscore the Birds 21-11 during the final eight minutes of play before falling to the Birds 49-46.
With 16 points, six rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot, Shane Sullivan led Carlsbad’s effort. Second on CHS’s scoring chart was Kyran Orgain with eight.
Cavemen Recaps
Vs. Clovis, February 11
Clovis 05-14-15-09--43
C-bad 16-07-21-14--58
Game Stats: Tanner Cornum 2, Kyran Orgain 23, Zenas Huerta 18, Dryden Preece 2, Shane Sullivan 11, Mario De Leon 2: 2 pt. FG’s 13; 3pt. FG’s 9; FT’s 5-7-72%. (CHS Stats)
@ Hobbs, February 7
CHS 06-09-10-21--46
HHS 11-14-13-11--49
Game Stats: Tanner Cornum 2pts-1 Stl; Maliq Mills 3pts-1R-1A-1 Stl; Kyran Orgain 8pts-2R-1B; Zenas Huerta 4pts-3R-1A-1 Stl; Jacob Chavarria 4pts-1R-3A-2 Stls; Dryden Preece 2R-1A; Jonah Moyers 1R; Shane Sullivan 16pts-6R-1B-3 Stls; Brandon Sullivan 3pts-4R; (3pts unaccounted for): Effective FG’s- 35%; 2pt FG’s 10-25-40%; 3pt FG’s 5-25-20%; FT’s 11-14-78.6%. (Hudl Unofficial Digital Stats)
District 4/5A Standings
Team Dist Yr
Roswell 3-1 19-5
Hobbs 3-1 20-4
Carlsbad 2-2 16-8
Clovis 0-4 8-14
Class 5A Rank: Hobbs 2, Roswell 5, Carlsbad 12, Clovis 17.
As of Tuesday, February 11.
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