City rivals end regular season with draws, Rams head into postseason

RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho and Cleveland soccer programs closed out their regular season schedules with one last rivalry faceoff last week.

The Rams had already secured a playoff spot, and the Storm needed a lot to go their way to squeeze into the tournament. But instead of mailing it in for the finale, these foes put on quite the show.

Friday, Oct. 24: Rio Rancho 0, Cleveland 0 (girls)Early spectators for the Rams vs. Farmington football game on Friday were treated to an intense match put on by the city’s girls soccer programs.

After a controversial loss on their home turf, Cleveland came in looking to get some revenge against the Rams. The Storm and Rams picked up right where they left off, with high energy right out of the gate.

Rio Rancho’s Kieara Trujillo-Garcia and Sophia Smith led the charge on offense, while Cleveland’s front line collectively brought the heat.

As shots and chances were traded back and forth, it was clear that this matchup was no longer Rio Rancho versus Cleveland. It was Maddie Johnson versus Tegan Chaves.

Both goalkeepers put together gems of a match in net, shutting down any scoring chance from both sides. In her final high school game, senior Johnson matched her season high with nine saves on the day, while sophomore Chaves had another big match.

Even with extra time, the Storm and Rams could not find the golden goal. RR’s Smith came close on several tries while Cleveland’s Milagro Hernandez was just off the mark toward the end of the match after a long run behind the Rams’ backline.

Hernandez held her hands on her head in disbelief, which is a perfect summary of how the offenses felt in the defensive chess match of a soccer game.

The final whistle blew, and we had no victor, but maybe rightfully so. These cross-town competitors gave their all for 80 minutes with neither giving an inch. The tie brought Cleveland’s season to a close, while Rio Rancho was presented a plaque after the game for their district runner-up finish ahead of their playoff appearance.

“We wanted to leave it all on the field,” Cleveland senior Angeline Montoya, after her final high school game, told Observer correspondent Daniel Zuniga. “For me and the seniors, it is our last game, so we wanted to leave it all out.”

Saturday, Oct. 25: Rio Rancho 0, Cleveland 0 (boys):Over in Cleveland Heights, the boys teams put on their own defensive showcase in a Saturday matinee.

It was what you would expect from a rivalry matchup: back-and-forth action, big saves and a few yellow cards scattered in the mix.

Unlike the girls game, it was goalkeeper roulette for the Rams and the Storm in the 0-0 final. RR’s Brayden Griego and Kenneth Graves combined for 10 saves in 40 minutes played each, while Cleveland’s Ramon Rodriguez and Clayton Wolfe provided no-nonsense defense for the electric blue and silver.

The Cleveland offense, still buzzing after an electrifying win over Volcano Vista, was firing on the Rams’ defense. It felt like it was only a matter of time until they found the opening goal, including three shots on goal by sophomore Denym Lodge.

However, it was another masterpiece by Rio Rancho. The Rams held the Storm scoreless in their first meeting, a 3-0 win at RRHS, as they brought that same tenacity to Lightning Bolt Stadium.

After two extra periods, the game came to a close. Cleveland wasn’t able to end their season with a rivalry upset, as the Rams now head into the postseason with back-to-back district titles.

“It feels amazing to win back-to-back,” Rams senior Tanner Groves said. “I think it really pumped us up because this was one of our goals from the start of the season, and now that we accomplished it, we are all ready for our upcoming challenges.”

Both earning byes in the state tournament, the Rio Rancho girls team will be first up on Friday, Oct. 31. They will play either Hobbs or Mayfield in a home quarterfinal matchup. For the boys’ team, they await either Gadsden or Centennial for a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Ram Stadium.