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Four Rams sign with colleges; Blidi joins Red Raiders

PORTALES — Any given year in New Mexico prep football, a team in Class 4A with one of the best five players in the state is a good bet to win a state championship even with an average supporting cast.

Philip Blidi was certainly that for the Portales Rams, but the teammates joining him on signing day Wednesday showed exactly why the Rams not only won the 4A title but dominated the field.

Blidi kept to his season-long commitment to Texas Tech, Wromiah Gbassagee and Justin Paden joined Eastern New Mexico and Jalen Allen signed with Western New Mexico on the first day high school seniors could sign letters-of-intent with college programs.

School administrators held a brief Wednesday afternoon celebration at the PHS library, despite the campus otherwise being closed due to inclement weather.

Portales coach Jaime Ramirez said all four players had God-given talent, and made the most out of it on and off the field.

“The proof is in the pudding,” Ramirez said. “They’re not just good football players, but quality kids. I can’t thank God enough for the blessings he’s put into the program with their play and their attitudes.”

Blidi verbally committed to the Red Raiders shortly after the start of two-a-days, and had several other Division-I offers that most recently included Kansas last week.

When asked why he stuck with Tech, Blidi noted “family atmosphere and culture.” He had the luck to meet former Red Raider and NFL receiver Michael Crabtree on a recruiting visit, and was told to work hard and make a name for himself.

“I feel like we’re going to be building up something special there,” Blidi said.

Ramirez credited Blidi for “working his butt off in the weight room and every facet of his life to make himself a great football player.”

Allen said he got plenty of interest from ENMU and a few other schools, but said he committed to Western because he could play his preferred position at wide receiver and saw plenty of positions available when the current starting class graduates over the next two seasons.

“I feel really good about the class that’s coming in,” Allen said. “We’ve already formed a bond, even though we just met on the campus visit.”

Ramirez said Allen was usually noticeable catching deep routes, but that he worked just as hard when he didn’t get the ball to make sure his teammates could succeed.

Gbassagee said joining the Greyhounds was an easy decision.

“The biggest thing is they run the ball 95% of the time,” Gbassagee said. “As a running back, knowing you’re going to get the ball nine times out of 10 is better than going somewhere else.”

Ramirez said that everything he could say about Blidi was true for Gbassagee, and that his effort has always been key to the program’s success.

When asked what recent Greyhound back he’d like to emulate, Gbassagee said he wants to be a mixture of Paul Terry’s toughness and Kamal Cass’ speed.

Paden, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound defensive end, fielded a few offers but decided sticking close to his roots was best.

“I’ll be able to be close to home, save some money,” Paden said, “They also have my field of study (in electrical engineering).”

Ramirez said Paden always had the talent to get college attention, and “once he decided he was going to be a better overall football player, it was the difference.”

Athletic Director Mark Gallegos said after consulting with player families, another larger celebration would be held the following Wednesday when inclement weather and school closures shouldn’t be an issue and staff and other students would be able to join.