A T-shirt seen recently celebrates the “Perfect Storm” in their championship season of 2021. (Gary Herron/Observer)
After their disappointing home losses in Week 1, each team slipped one spot in the MaxPreps Class 6A rankings: The Storm are now No. 2, the Rams are No. 5. Somewhat surprisingly, the team that beat the Rams on their new turf, La Cueva, dropped a spot to No. 3, while previous No. 5 Centennial is now No. 1.
Storm have yet to beat Bears at Wilson
Tonight at 7, the Cleveland Storm (0-1) will be hoping for a better defensive effort when they tackle the La Cueva Bears (1-0), which whipped Rio Rancho 30-7 last Friday, not allowing an offensive TD.
La Cueva, which beat the host Storm 33-14 in the 2018 championship game, is 4-3 all time vs. the Storm. La Cueva has won all three games played at Wilson Stadium: 45-21 in their 20-12 openers; and 30-7 and 37-34 in the 2017 season, the latter game being a disappointing double-overtime loss in the semifinals.
Someone’s going to be 1-1
On Saturday morning at 11, the Rams (0-1) meet Eldorado, also 0-1 after a 39-29 loss to Cibola last weekend.
Eldorado held an early 14-0 lead in that game, but the Cougars scored the next 25 points en route to the victory.
RRHS is 5-8 all-time vs. the Eagles, but the Rams have won three of the last four meetings.
The teams last met Sept. 3, 2021, at Rio Rancho Stadium, a 48-0 blowout by the Rams, who featured three touchdowns by current UNM Lobo Zach Vigil.
RAMifications: Former RRHS Athletic Director Vince Metzgar was on the officiating crew at Rio Rancho Stadium last Friday.
… Former Purdue and RRHS (Class of 2016) offensive lineman Grant Hermanns is working hard to make the roster of the New York Jets this season. He was on the Jets’ practice squad in 2021. Hermanns got some notoriety during the Jets’ practice on Aug. 14, when he got into an onfield fight with a teammate. Teammates broke up the scuffle. Here’s what a Jets’ follower Tweeted: “Hermanns and Carl Lawson went at each other briefly with some swings. Hermanns is feisty. If he makes the team, his salary would be $870,000.
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In light of the city teams having new head coaches, here’s how the previous head coaches fared in their debuts at the helm:
RRHS: Bill Moon (1997), L; Wilson Holland (2000), W; Phil Lopez (2003), W; Mike Worley (2007), W; Dave Howes (2009), W; Gerry Pannoni (2020), W.
CHS: Kirk Potter (2009), W; Heath Ridenour (2012), L. (In fact, Ridenour lost his first two games with the Storm, but won his last 22.)
