Rams hold off Hobbs in season opener


By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

It took three quarters, but the Rio Rancho Rams finally figured out how to avoid having their punts blocked – hold onto the ball and grind out some offense.

Quarterback Tyler Baker and running back Troy Harris each rushed for more than 100 yards Friday night as the Rams ground out a 24-21 victory visiting Hobbs in the high school football opener for both teams Friday night.

Rio Rancho overcame three turnovers, three blocked or deflected punts and a kickoff return for a touchdown for the victory. Despite poor offense, Hobbs stayed in the game until the closing moments, when Baker and Harris ground out the final 2:46, earning a first down to allow the quarterback to take a knee twice to kill the clock.

Rio Rancho built a 15-6 lead at halftime and seemed on the verge of putting the game away several times in the second half, but each time some sort of mistake did the Rams in. Rio Rancho had eight fumbles, losing only two, but the loss of yardage killed two second-half drives.

The Rams increased their lead to 18-6 on a 24-yard field goal by Brandon Van Bastian with 5:26 left in the third quarter, and the defense withstood one of Hobbs’ better offensive thrusts that moved 60-yards from its own 30 to the Rio Rancho before stalling on two incomplete passes to start the fourth quarter. A 21-yard gain on a pass from Baker to Aaron Holt and two nine-yard gains by Harris were quickly negated by a high snap in the spread formation that cost Rio Rancho 18 yards. Two plays later, Hobbs nose guard Juhreece Thompson got the last of his three punt blocks, putting Hobbs in business at the Rio Rancho 24. After missing wide receiver Tony Aguilar on first down, Hobbs quarterback Kyle Niemeyer found him on a slant play on second down, and the touchdown and two-point conversion pass narrowed the gap to 18-14.

The Rams responded with an 80-yard, 10-play drive that proved to be the game clincher. Rio Rancho overcame a holding penalty on the first play of the drive and an illegal motion call later on to score a touchdown, with Baker scoring on a fake left, bootleg right from 17 yards out on third-and-12. Even though the kick was barely wide, the score with 2:57 left in the game sent some fans to the exits.

For about 11 seconds.

That’s how long it took for Tanner Wilson to catch a pooch kickoff, step away from two tacklers and race 71 yards for a touchdown. The conversion kick was blocked, leaving the score at 24-20.

That’s when the Rams two stars, and the offensive line, finally put the game away.

Baker completed 4-of-6 passes in the final drive of the half as the Rams responded to Hobbs first score of the night. The Eagles' touchdown was set up by a Baker fumble, one of two RRHS turnovers in the first half.

Jeric Magnant made a one-handed catch in the right corner of the end zone with 9.9 seconds left, and Brandon Van Bastian’s made it 15-6 at intermission.

Rio Rancho led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter despite an interception and numerous penalties one might expect to see in a season opener.

The Rams secured the initial first down of the game with less than five minutes remaining. Harris'17-yard run started a seven play, 75-yard drive.

Quarterback Baker added a 16 yard run before hooking up with Harris on a 21-yard shovel pass. Baker capped the drive with a 15-yard option run to the left, breaking one tackle just before the goal line to score. A fake off an extra-point kicking formation failed, leaving the score at 6-0.

After another exchange of punts, Rio Rancho pinned Hobbs at its own seven to start its first drive of the second quarter. A third-down sack by Teddy Waterman and Elias Large left Hobbs at its one.

Punter Juhreece Thompson, who had to leap on his previous kicks to prevent the snap from going over his head, stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety and an 8-0 Rams' lead.

A two-yard punt and two fumbles by Rio Rancho allowed Hobbs to gain field position, the last timed at the Rio Rancho 11. The Eagles overcame a five-yard loss on a sack by Malcolm Butters, but Niemeyer completed two straight passes, including a five-yard scoring play to running back Marco Caballero. The try for two to tie the game was thwarted by a sack by Carlo LiRosi.

Will be updates with quotes, statistics.