Rams dominated District 3/4-4A football selections

PORTALES — The Portales High football team cruised through its District 3/4-4A schedule, winning all three games by a combined count of 150-20.

So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when the all-district team was released following the football season this weekend, and it was loaded with Rams. Portales had the district’s overall MVP in senior quarterback Julian Urioste and the defensive MVP in junior Wromiah Gbassagee.

Portales had 18 first-team selections — eight on offense, eight on defense and two on special teams. Seven Rams took second-team slots.

First-team offensive players for Portales included Urioste at quarterback, Baylor Diaz at running back, Jonathon Lujan at center, Phillip Blidi and Fabian Olivas at guard, Kellan Hightower at slot receiver and Enrique Diaz and Jalen Allen at wide receiver.

First team defensive players were inside linebacker Matthew King, outside linebacker Justin Padan, defensive linman Fred Johnson, Blidi and Gbassagee at defensive end and the trio of Allen, Haasan Howard and Jordan Garcia in the secondary. Allen and Howard were cornerbacks, and Garcia was the lone first-team safety.

Lester Andrade was named first-team kicker, and Diaz was a first-team punter.

Second-team selections for Portales were Gbassagee at running back, Johnson and Christian Rodriguez at offensive tackle, Garcia and Isaiah Saiz at inside linebacker, Diaz at outside linebacker and DJ Martinez at cornerback.

Lovington took the remaining solo awards, with Casey Perez as offensive MVP and Camron Welch as special teams MVP.