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After three weeks of practice and two scrimmages serving as dress rehearsals, the Class 3A, Division II Clifton Cubs will open the 2022 Texas high school football season with a new head coach and a renewed enthusiasm to return to the playoffs. Despite playing football since 1919, Clifton will begin its quest by facing the Merkel Badgers for the first time as alum and first-year head coach Brent Finney will lead the Cub onto the field playing at a neutral site in Cisco at 7 p.m. Thursday at Chesley Field. “We are playing at a neutral site because of the distance,” Finney said. “We like where we are heading into the opener against Merkel. Our kids are playing physical and with a lot of energy on both sides of the ball.” Much like the Cubs, Merkel struggled last season while winning only one district game and the Badgers enter 2022 picked by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine to finish last in District 5-3A, Division II. But second-year head coach Will Kates returned 15 lettermen from last year’s young squad, including seven offensive and five defensive starters.