Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Portales players carry the blue trophy, emblematic of the Class 4A football championship. The Rams secured their fifth title in school history and first since 2008 with a 43-14 win over the Robertson Cardinals.
PORTALES — The Portales Rams saved their best for last.
The host Rams wrestled control from the top-seeded and previously undefeated Robertson Cardinals, and posted 29 unanswered points to secure a 43-14 win and the Class 4A state championship Saturday at Greyhound Stadium.
Junior Ramirez rushed for four touchdowns as the second-seeded Rams (12-1) won their fifth title in school history and first since winning the 3A crown in 2008.
The win exorcised a few demons for the Rams, who had lost to the Cardinals in last year's semifinals and had fallen in the last five playoff matchups between the teams.
"I know the history, we try not to look to much into the history," Portales coach Jaime Ramirez said. "We wanted to move forward in what we do. I didn't tell the kids any of those stats; that's something the paper conjures up to have a more exciting story. But here's the deal — we knew what we had as a team, we knew what kind of players and coaches we have just move forward."
Robertson (12-1), which had defeated Portales in last year's 4A semifinals in Las Vegas, was going for its third title in six tries.
Jaime Ramirez, in his fifth year at Portales, is the fourth coach to lead the Rams to a state title, joining Andy Correll (2008), Bobby Crane (1988) and Tom Gruber (1981, 1979). The Rams also posted their best record in program history, topping the 1988 (12-2) and 2015 (11-1) seasons.
