Rams host Bernalillo in quarters

Coming off a first-round playoff bye, Portales High's football team begins its bid for a Class 4A state championship on Friday when the Rams host District 4-4A member Bernalillo in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal matchup at Greyhound Stadium.

On paper, the fourth-seeded Rams (9-1) appear headed for a semifinal clash against top-seeded Bloomfield (10-0), which would also be in Portales. Rams coach Jaime Ramirez says, though, that there's no way he's looking past this week, despite the fact his squad disposed of the Spartans 38-0 just three weeks ago at Bernalillo.

The Spartans (8-3), seeded fifth, ran roughshod over Valencia 52-0 in the opening round. Meantime, PHS dropped its last outing at Lovington 29-21 in the district and regular-season finale.

"We know they're going to try some different things," Ramirez said of this week's matchup. "We're going to make adjustments and they're going to make adjustments.

"I think they're going to be hyped up because it's the first time they've made it this far in a few years."

Junior quarterback Uriel Castro leads the Spartans, having thrown for more than 1,800 yards this season with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions. Bernalillo's top receiver is senior Mason McChriston while the top rusher is senior Diego Molinar.

McChriston paces the Spartans on defense, having posted nearly 13 tackles per game.

"They have a lot of guys that go both ways," Ramirez said.

The last time the Rams played Bloomfield came in the 2019 state finals, where Portales won 23-0 at Bloomfield. The Bobcats, who have outscored their opponents by a whopping 472-34 margin this season, host eighth-seeded Albuquerque Academy (6-5) on Friday night.

Should they get that far, the Rams would likely also host the state championship game on Nov. 25. But they have work to do before that happens, Ramirez said.

"Nothing's promised," he said of the postseason. "You have to go out there and win."