THIRD TIME THE CHARM?

Class 3A, DII Clifton Cubs aiming for three-peat trip to the playoffs battling in new District 5-3A, DII, looking for first postseason victory since 2019

Coming off back-to-back seasons with a playoff berth, the Clifton Cubs football program hopes to make it a three-peat in 2024. But they also want this season to be different, aiming for their first postseason victory since 2019. But considering the state-ranked competition they must go through the new District 5-3A, Division II just to make the postseason, the Cubs have their work cut out for them.

Although the Cubs have experienced significant change during each realignment over the last 10 years, the Cubs will not have a single familiar football opponent in district for the first time since 2017. And after graduating a large senior class following the 2023 season, Clifton will be taking the field with a number of new faces.

With 17 returning lettermen, the Cubs will have six offensive and four defensive starters returning, led by senior quarterback Joaquin De la Hoya. But Clifton will be looking for newcomers to take over at the other offensive skill positions while replacing most of its defensive backfield.

“This team will have many starters that will be playing varsity football for the first time,” Clifton athletic director and football head coach Brent Finney said. “We had a large senior class graduate leaving many spots to fill. We have a good nucleus of offensive and defensive linemen and a returning starting quarterback. But we will be replacing most of our skill positions on offense. And defensively, we lost most of our linebackers and safeties.

“We will definitely have quite a few holes to fill from graduation, but we are very excited about these guys. We will be very young and inexperienced. But this group is very coachable and very competitive, and you can build on that.”

Anchored by an experienced offensive line, the Cub trenches will be manned with returning senior Hunter Weir, junior Luis Galindo and sophomore Alijah Calderon with returning senior Kanin Bearden, senior Lenora Busby and sophomore Ivan Galindo battling for starting roles.

“Offensively, we have a pretty good group of returning linemen, and it is always huge to have your starting quarterback returning,” Finney said. “However, we graduated a lot of our skill positions, so we will be looking for players to step up and replace that production.”

At the skill positions, the Cubs will enter the season with a loaded running back room filled with options led by returning senior starter Brody Baggett, along with returning sophomore Jackson Ritz and senior Landon Knox, as well as a host of newcomers – juniors Judd New, Jared Ramirez, Gavin Tattershaw, Erhen Shakya and sophomore Rowdy Bishop.

In the passing game, De la Hoya will be looking to seniors Diego Rodriguez, Tristan Hammond and Jayestin Smith as his primary targets, along with senior tight ends James Liardon and Kyle Rogers.

Clifton’s experienced defensive front will be manned by returning starters Baggett and Luis Galindo at defensive ends, while returning defensive line depth will be provided by Weir, Knox, Busby and Ivan Galindo.

“Defensively, we have a pretty solid group of returning defensive linemen, but we will have to develop some depth at linebacker and secondary,” Finney said. “There will be a lot of different guys getting a lot of reps early, and we will see who can fill those positions. That is the great thing about athletics – going out there and working hard and competing.”

The Cub linebacking corps will be led by returning starter Liardon, while prospects include Bearden, Tattershaw and Bishop. In the defensive backfield, Rodriguez will be the returning starter, while lettermen De la Hoya, Hammond, Smith and Ritz offer some experience along with newcomers New and Ramirez.

“Our main objective during non-district will be to develop some depth and get everyone in the correct positions,” Finney said. “Like every year, you find out what you do well and what you don’t do well and focus on those things. After two very tough scrimmages, we have a very challenging non district schedule. So, we will find out a lot about these young guys pretty quickly.”

For the Cubs, qualifying for the playoffs has always been the expectation every season as long as anyone can remember. Playing Texas high school football since 1919, the rich and storied Cub football program enters the 2024 season as one of the state’s newest members of the coveted all-time 600-win club.

As the Cubs embark of their 106th season playing Texas high school football, Clifton owns an all-time record of 604-389-25 for a .606 winning percentage with 37 trips to the postseason and 31 district championships.

Going into the 2024 season, Clifton has been picked by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football to earn their third straight trip to the playoffs by finishing fourth in District 5-3A, DII behind 11th-ranked Tolar, Eastland and Early, while placing ahead of Brady and Dublin rounding it out.

“It is always great to be picked as preseason playoff contenders,” Finney said. “That is a testament to the work our kids and coaches pour into this program trying to maintain the expectations here at Clifton. We tell the kids every year that making the playoffs is not a goal, it is an expectation. That is the standard.”

Despite moving up from Class 2A, Division I after advancing to the state championship game, the Tolar Rattlers enter the season as the district favorite and state-ranked in Class 3A, DII.

Interestingly, Clifton, Eastland, Early and Brady all enter the season with very similar numbers on paper. And Dublin represents the only team that has been a district opponent for Clifton since 2015.

“Playing a basically new schedule, there will be some new faces this year,” Finney said. “Obviously, Tolar will be the district favorite and deservedly so. Playing for a Class 2A, DI state title last year, Tolar has been really good for years now. Like we tell our kids, our expectation is to be a playoff team every year. Our goal is to be challenging for the district title and playoff victories.”

In addition to moving up, Tolar will be taking the field with a new head coach this season, former Austin Vandegrift offensive coordinator Blake Mouser. Tolar’s former head coach Blake Mullins, who led the Rattlers (14-2) to the 2A-Division I state title game in 2023 and posted a 72-32 record in seven seasons departed to take over at Class 4A-Division II Eagle Mountain.

“I don’t think anyone is going to argue with Tolar being picked first,” Finney said. “They have been a really successful program for years now and just played for a state championship.”

Contrary to pre-realignment predictions, Clifton headed West into an entirely new district with five new district opponents.

“Like usual, your new district is nothing like what people predict,” Finney said. “We knew we had a chance to go west, but I don’t think anyone expected this far west. Knowing very little about most of these schools, we will have to do some research into what style of football they all play.

“Clifton played Early, Eastland and Dublin in the past, but it was many years ago. I don’t recall Clifton playing Brady in the 20 years I have been here. There will definitely be some getting used to each other, as opposed to playing people every year and being very familiar with what they are trying to do.

“Eastland and Early were both playoff teams last year as well. There are some really good coaches and coaching staffs in this district. And with a lot of new faces in this district, it should be an exciting season.

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS & TERRI FINNEY of White’s Photography