Best prep sports photos of Fall 2024

It was an amazing fall sports season in Rio Rancho and the Observer was fortunate enough to capture many of those incredible moments. Here are our top 3 best prep sports photos of Fall 2024.

1. Go Rams! - Taylor Hood joined the Observer team before the fall season kicked off and dove in with enthusiasm. Already an experienced reporter, he was anxious to sharpen his photography skills. He’ll tell you he just got lucky on this shot, but whatever it was, he managed to grab this well-timed photo of a Rams superfan standing as silent sentinel as the team rushes onto the field for the second half. No doubt the Rams drew strength from his solitary raised fist-of-victory.

2. Danae Lee Strikes Back - Daniel Zuniga knows sports. He is a talented writer and a enthusiastic reporter... but he’s an excellent photographer. It was a rollercoaster season for the Rams girls soccer team, but they can never be accused of giving up. They fought for every inch of pitch the entire season, only to fall short of the playoffs in the end. But they had a spectacular season regardless, and their talent was on full display. In this shot, Danny was able to capture the grit, determination and outright skill of the Rams girls soccer squad.

3. Money hops - Joe Grimando is an experienced and talented photographer. The Observer is fortunate to have someone with such an amazing eye. Joe was waiting all day for this shot, Johannes Hernandez of the Cleveland Storm beating out a La Cueva defender for a reception in the championship game. This was a huge moment for the Storm, who would go on to win the whole darn thing, and Joe was able to snap a photo that told the whole story in a single image.