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Roosevelt County sports year in review

PORTALES — The residents of Roosevelt County have become accustomed to prep athletic success over the years, including in recent memory. Once again, the county proved to be one of the most competitive in the state, thanks to a strong 2017 showing that crowned state champions in Portales and Elida, while others came up just shy of winning championships.

Portales had already notched one state title in the 2016-17 school year when the football team took the 4A crown. However, this past spring, coach Dusty Nusser’s Rams gave the school another cause for celebration, as his squad finished 24-7 and took the NMAA’s 4A baseball crown.

The Rams clobbered Ruidoso in the quarterfinals, 14-4, before taking down St. Michael’s, 4-3, in the semifinal. Portales then carried that momentum into the title game against Hope Christian at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, in which the Rams won 8-4, to finish the season with 13 wins in 14 games.

Prior to that feat, the boys and girls basketball teams looked to make runs at titles of their own. The boys finished 25-5, but came up just shy at The Pit in Albuquerque, falling to Hope Christian in the 4A final, 58-46.

The girls, meanwhile, had to reload in ‘16-17, and experienced some early growing pains, which ultimately led to an 11-loss season. However, despite youth and inexperience, Wade Fraze’s team still managed to make a run to the 4A semifinals, before bowing to — not surprisingly, Hope Christian, 55-40.

In the fall, meanwhile, Jaime Ramirez’ team was seeking a championship repeat in football. After an early season loss at St. Michael’s, his Rams got on a roll, carrying a seven-game winning streak into their semifinal showdown at Robertson — whom they beat in the 4A championship game in 2016. However, the Cardinals got their revenge this time around, 20-14.

In Elida, meanwhile, the girls basketball team made seven a truly lucky number. For the seventh-consecutive year, the Tigers were the girls basketball 1A champs, matching the volleyball team’s equal success.

Elida won six in a row to end the year, and capped-off a 26-6 campaign with a 49-38 win over arch-rival Melrose in the championship game, 49-38. Speaking of Melrose, the Buffaloes were also responsible for some heartbreak for the Tigers in 2017.

Elida volleyball sought an eighth-straight title this past fall, only to have their dreams crushed by Melrose. The Tigers had taken three out of four previous matchups between the two in 2017, including the district championship game. But, when push came to shove, the Buffaloes rose to the occasion in the 1A title game in Rio Rancho, sweeping the Tigers in three sets, avenging their 2016 title game defeat.