FOR THE TITLE
Unbeaten Rio Rancho hosts always tough Las Cruces to decide the Class 6A champion
RIO RANCHO — You can still just about hear the words of Josh Foley ringing as loudly today as they did in the heat of early August.
“As the season goes on, we’ll be just as good as that team,” Foley said, a nod to the Rio Rancho Rams of 2014, who were undefeated and a team he played on. “If not better.”
There remain 48 fateful minutes in this prep football season before anyone knows if Foley’s seer skills are as prodigious as his two legs.
At 12-0, No. 1 Rio Rancho looks to complete what has been a ferocious and authoritative run through the Class 6A ranks when they play host to No. 3 Las Cruces (11-1) at 1 p.m. today in the state championship game.
The last time these teams met, the Bulldawgs pounded the short-handed Rams 55-14 in last year’s quarterfinals.
“I like the fact they were talking about wanting to play Cruces,” said Rio Rancho coach David Howes. “A lot of these guys want a second opportunity against a team that beat them up pretty good last year.”
The Rams have stiff-armed all comers for three months, a veritable who’s-who list of challengers. They’ve each taken their shots, but except for Cleveland, none has made the Rams sweat into the fourth quarter. Now it’s the Bulldawgs’ turn. Coming off a surprising rout (45-7) of the Storm in the semifinals, Las Cruces has won nine straight and has performed considerably better on defense since early-season shootouts in the metro area against Eldorado and Cleveland.
“I love our guys, I really do,” Las Cruces first-year head coach Mark Lopez said. “The character of our team is something we’ve banked on all year. I like our
mindset, like the way these guys are looking forward to this game. They’re a fearless group, and that’s what you want going into a game like this.”
Las Cruces arrived in the metro area Friday afternoon.
There’s really just one salient question for the Bulldawgs: Can they have success on the ground, led by quarterback Payton Ball, against that relentless Rams defense?
“They’re very savvy on the defensive side,” Lopez said. “And that’s a big part of who they are.”
Las Cruces ran for over 330 yards against Cleveland. It will need to replicate that success today, almost surely. But Rio Rancho only yields 2.1 rushing yards per carry.
“They run the ball well, and they pass the ball well. They’ve got weapons,” said Rio Rancho defensive coordinator Chris Howe. “We’re gonna try to stop Ball first, and make them one-dimensional.”
The Bulldawgs average 230 yards rushing and 200 passing.
Stopping the run is what the Rams — who returned nine starters on that side of the ball from last season — do better than anyone. The lone TD Manzano scored last week was a product of Jordan Byrd’s amazing skills and speed on a 90-yard run.
“They are big, strong, athletic guys,” Lopez said. “They do a lot of different things — twisting, stunting, blitzing. And they’re not robotic in their stunts at all.”
Howe said the Las Cruces blockers are quite skilled, “probably the best offensive line we’ve seen all year.”
“It’s a tough matchup for us but we think we can do it,” added Rio Rancho defensive tackle Kevin McCracken. “Our box seven is insanely strong.”
Ryan Beltran is Las Cruces’ primary running back. Receivers Ivan Molina and Brandon Baeza are extremely adept at momentum-swinging catches for the Bulldawgs. They combined for 113 receptions, covering more than 2,000 yards, with 20 touchdowns.
“We have some plans on keeping our eye on that kid,” Howe said of Baeza. “He looks like their Josh Foley.”
Oh yeah, Foley. He’s rushed for 1,884 yards and 31 touchdowns, and has scored 38 total TDs. Rams QB Nic Little can throw it (22 TD passes), but the offense begins with Foley.
“If we can’t control up front and make them partially one-dimensional, then it’s gonna be a long day,” Lopez said with a laugh. “We’ve got to do a great job of holding our ground up front.”