Rams' defense stays strong, avoids Scorpion trap 26-14

With a district championship against their rival set for next week, you could say Friday night for Rio Rancho could’ve been a “trap game” with Farmington coming into town.

The Ram defense thought otherwise.

Holding the Scorpions to 14 points, Rio Rancho extended their win streak to four to stay undefeated in 6A-1.

“We've adjusted defensively,” RR Head Coach Nate Pino said. “Some personnel stuff, we're playing a lot better.”

A 7-0 start for Farmington was met with a strong answer, with the Rams recording a fumble, interception, and several turnovers on downs in the matchup.

Rio Rancho’s defensive checklist included a key stop on fourth and goal in the fourth quarter to effectively end the game.

“Our district is difficult,” Pino said “We've got to be able to stop the run and play better. We challenged our guys, and they've stepped up.”

On the offensive side, it was another solid night for quarterback Micah Takahashi. He put together a three-touchdown performance, throwing for two and rushing for one.

One of Micah's go-to targets was Matthew Stagman, who recorded a couple catches and a touchdown to fill the hole left in the receiving core by Jace Lee's injury.

Takahashi also found sophomore Austin Seamons in the endzone for his first touchdown of the season, as running back Ethan Rolon added a score on the ground for his eighth score of the year.

Outside of the score column, senior receiver Parker Miller made some impressive plays, including a 40-yard highlight reel snag over two defenders.

Heading into halftime with a 26-7 lead, the offense came to a halt in the second half. But that is where the defense took the wheel.

This is now Rio’s third game of their four-game win streak where they have held the opposition under 20 points. The one outlier? A win over Volcano Vista where the defense sealed it in overtime.

The Rams will have to bring that same defense on Thursday night, when they welcome in the rival Cleveland Storm with the 6A-1 title on the line.

“They are a really good football team, and they've kind of been at the top for a little bit,” Pino said. “But we're ready to battle. We’re excited for it, we're going to be locked in this week, and we're going to be ready to go.”