2006 All-Star Football Team

Punt on fourth down? Don't be ridiculous. The Clovis East Timberwolves, behind coach Murphy and running back Vasquez, have the guts to go for it.

Published online on Monday, Dec. 25, 2006

At the Reagan Education Center on Leonard and Gettysburg avenues in southeast Clovis, one can find two operations that have attracted national attention — an agricultural center and a football team with a double-wing offense.

The common thread: They're successful, different animals that share the same Clovis Unified School District complex.

The ag department is an award winner — state of the art with on-campus stock.

The Clovis East football program has won its second Central Section Division I championship in four years — an achievement gained through, well, downright mule-like arrogance.

How else to explain, in a year of gaudy statistics in the Central Section, the most extraordinary number of all — 55?

That represents how many times the Timberwolves refused to punt on fourth down.

Fifty-five — an average of 4.2 per game. Insanity in cleats.

The Timberwolves converted first downs on 41 of those attempts (75%) and touchdowns on seven of them.

But that also means they failed 14 times, several on their own side of the 50.

Courageous or crazy?

Let Central coach Wayne Koligian answer that one: "On fourth down, their offense becomes more lethal because there's not a question what they're going to do. They've bought into it. And it's demoralizing for the opposition and coaches."

No doubt at all. No matter field position.

Not to Tim Murphy, The Fresno Bee All-Star Coach of the Year.

And not to Armando Vasquez, the Player of the Year.

No one was more involved in this stop-me-if-you-can mentality than they in a 12-1 season that resulted in the section Division I title and a No. 6 ranking in the state.

Murphy would make the fourth-down call: That was a given.

And senior running back Vasquez would get the ball: That nearly was as predictable.

So it only was fitting they lock arms for the biggest play in the section's biggest game of the year.

To review:

Division I championship game, Dec. 1 at Buchanan Stadium. Top-seeded Clovis West versus second-seeded Clovis East. The Golden Eagles are ranked 16th in the state; the Timberwolves No. 17. And a good 9,000 fans arrive for the show.

Clovis East actually has punted on its first two possessions. And, understand, this is humbling.

"Punting is a minor version of giving up," Murphy preaches.

The disturbing pattern is about to change in a dramatic way.

On the Timberwolves' third possession, in a scoreless game, they face fourth-and-3 from their 34 on the third play of the second quarter.

Quarterback Mike Baldus receives the play from the sideline: "47 rocket sweep."

Vasquez — a standout linebacker as well — knows two things: "I'm going to get the ball and I'm going to get the first down. That's what we're taught."

For him and his teammates, it's remedial math: Four plays. Three yards a pop. That's 12 yards and a first down.

Only this one would go for 66 yards and a touchdown as Vasquez runs laterally to his left, breaks a tackle, receives a key block from backfield mate Alex Cabatic and flees down the left sideline.

"I knew we had it at that point," Vasquez says.

By halftime, Vasquez set up another touchdown by busting 31 yards on fourth-and-5, R.J. Bell scored from 4 yards on fourth-and-1, it was 19-7 Clovis East and effectively finished.

Vasquez, who got 109 yards on only six carries, was one of three 100-yard rushers in a 367-yard ground assault.

That closed a 4,136-yard ground attack for the Timberwolves, who, without gamebreakers of recent past such as Tracy Slocum and Andrew Pancotti, still produced 1,000-yard backs in R.J. Bell (1,157) and Vasquez (1,038).