Cleveland takes 12th straight against RRHS, secures another district title 49-14

RIO RANCHO — “Walk into your trap, take over your trap”.

That was the team chant for the Cleveland Storm, celebrating at midfield of Ram Stadium, as they did exactly that.

In the District 6A1 title rivalry matchup, Cleveland made a statement in a 49-14 win over Rio Rancho on Thursday.

It is the Storm’s 12th straight victory over the rival Rams and another district title for the program. But if you ask any of the players, it’s just business as usual.

“That was a really big win, but we want something bigger,” Cleveland senior receiver and defensive back Karson Weddle said. “We want bigger than this district championship.”

The anticipation was high after a week of buildup, knowing that the district title was now on the line. At kickoff, there was buzz across Ram Stadium.

That buzz was quickly turned into silence, except for the Storm seating section, with Cleveland putting up a devastating 28 points in the first quarter alone.

It all started with a Cleveland interception on the second play of the game, picking off Rio Rancho quarterback Micah Takahashi twice in the matchup. Receivers Evan Nanez and Jacob Maldonado recorded scores in the first quarter in what ended up as a three-touchdown night for Maldonado.

Each time Takahashi and the Rams would pick up some momentum, the Cleveland defense was there to slam the door, with the real exclamation point coming in the second quarter on a 60-yard pick-six by Weddle.

“We knew the formation before they came out,” Weddle said. “We knew what they wanted to go to, and our coach put us in the best spot possible for me to get to it.”

Being four quarters away from a district dream quickly turned into a nightmare for the Rams, with Takahashi coming out with an arm injury in the middle of the game.

Senior running back Ethan Rolon punched in the first score of the game for RRHS right before halftime, with backup quarterback and eighth grader Crew Victor taking one in for his first varsity score toward the end of the game.

Cleveland coasted in the second half and put the finishing touches on a historic rout, with 49 points marking the most the Storm have scored in rivalry history. The last time a team scored 49 or more? In 2009, when the Rams scored 50 in the first-ever meeting.

The Storm took home more than just a district title; they won a trophy from “The Great American Rivalry Series,” who spotlighted the matchup. The MVP they decided on? Right tackle Moses Sparks.

“I give this (MVP award) to my players who surround me every single day,” Sparks said. “My coaching staff and these guys right here who pushed me to be the most valuable player that our team got.”

Next up, playoffs. Cleveland and Rio Rancho will both wait for the NMAA playoff bracket announcement this Saturday, Nov. 1, to see what awaits them in postseason play.

“I feel like our senior group really stepped up this week,” Weddle said. “ I feel like it’s our team, a player-led team now, and we’ve got a long way to go.”