11th-seeded Rams hope to make most of playoff opportunity

Jaime Ramirez and the Portales Rams are delighted to have a spot in the Class 3A state football playoffs.

And with all due respect to Las Vegas Robertson, their first-round opponent at 2 p.m. today in Las Vegas, the Rams think they have a relatively good draw.

The teams met in the season opener, also in Las Vegas, with the Cardinals winning 13-7 in overtime. PHS (2-7) is seeded 11th in the 12-team field, Robertson sixth.

"Our kids are confident (after) we played them to an overtime the first game of the season," Ramirez said. "The kids are working hard. We feel like we have a second chance."

Portales, idle since a 21-0 District 4-3A loss at Lovington on Nov. 2, has had a chance to heal some players during the break, although the Rams will still be without sophomore quarterback Paul Conrow (ribs).

Sophomore Matt Martinez is slated to get his second consecutive start under center, Ramirez said.

"We're healthier now than we were at the end of the (regular) season," he said.

The Cardinals (6-4), who start only one senior on each side of the ball, took some lumps early. After edging the Rams, they lost consecutive games to Lovington, Santa Rosa and St. Michael's by a combined score of 150-9, but since have won five of six.

"We're always top-heavy in the front part of our schedule," Cardinals coach Leroy Gonzalez said. "We're fairly young — we start three freshmen on defense. But they're sophomores now; they've got 10 games in."

Robertson has gone 1-2 against Portales' district, losing badly to Lovington 54-2 but pushing Ruidoso hard down the stretch in a 26-21 setback on Oct. 19.

The Cardinals rely heavily on sophomore running back Dominic Lucero and junior running back James Gonzales (no relation to the coach), both of whom are near the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Coach Gonzalez said he anticipates another low-scoring type of game.

"Both teams run the ball a lot, don't throw the ball much," he said. "They (Rams' front) do a good job of getting penetration."

Ramirez essentially echoed those sentiments, encouraged by a strong performance at Lovington in which the Wildcats' only score until late came on a punt return. The Rams, though, are coming off three consecutive shutout losses since a 19-13 win over Hope Christian on Oct. 12 at Greyhound Stadium.

"I think it's going to be a defensive battle," he said. "Our defense is playing outstanding right now. I'd like to see our offense do what they're supposed to do and score some points."

FAST FACTS

No. 11 Portales (2-7) at No. 6 Las Vegas Robertson (6-4)

• What: Class 3A playoffs, first round

• When: 2 p.m. today

• Previous meeting: Robertson edged the Rams 13-7 in overtime, also at home, in the teams' season opener on Aug. 31.

• At stake: A berth in next week's quarterfinals. The winner plays at third-seeded Ruidoso.