Rams Mob Squad is #1 ...they told you so

RIO RANCHO — The Student Section Report (TSSR), a site dedicated to ranking high school student-fan cheering sections from around the country, recently released its list of the Top 25 Football Student Sections in New Mexico.

“Our number one choice was easy, super easy,” said the TSSR announcement.

And the winner is none other than the Rio Rancho Rams Mob Squad.

“Whoever is running the @rio_rancho_rams Instagram page, you did this,” TSSR said on its site. “The consistency of promoting the Mob Squad and showing off the Student Section is the reason why Rio Rancho is the top dawg this year!”

The site goes on to credit @actionsportsphotography505 for doing its part in getting the student section photos out on social media, a major metric for TSSR rankings. Rio Rancho freelance sports photographer Joe Grimando is the man behind the @actionsportsphotography Instagram account. (Disclosure: Grimando often handles sports photography for the Observer on a freelance basis.)

“They are the most responsive of all the schools I cover, in terms of their comments and their interactions with me on social media,” said Grimando. “They are just a great group of kids. I’m so happy for them. You know, they are always enthusiastic but respectful. There’s no fighting or anything. The AD never had to talk to them. Just wonderful kids.”

That’s pretty glowing praise from the veteran prep sports photographer, and TSSR agrees with the assessment of the Mob Squad.

“[We] suggest other Student Sections take notes! [RRHS] may not have the biggest Student Section, but they make up for it with their marketing.”

The Storm didn’t fare too poorly, either. Cleveland grabbed the No. 4 spot on the rankings, behind La Cueva and Hobbs.

“Cleveland’s Student Section can pack the stands and are pretty good at distracting their opponent based on the wacky hats they wear,” writes TSSR. “They definitely like to party in the stands and go nuts for their team!”

The Student Section Report was established in 2015 and covers student sections for basketball and football across all 50 states. They often issue preseason and final rankings.

The top two student sections in New Mexico get to vote on the Best National Student Sections poll in December, which this year means Rio Rancho and La Cueva.

The preseason rankings make the Rams’ victory even more impressive. TSSR had the St. Michael’s Blue Crew, out of Santa Fe, as an easy preseason favorite after winning the title in 2023.

“The Blue Crew took this one easily [in 2023], but this won’t be easy in 2024,” said TSSR last summer after releasing its preseason rankings. “New Mexico has some good Student Sections and with solid groups of kids and a strong social media game, someone might take them down, but we’ll have to see.”

The preseason predictions also mentioned Centennial, out of Las Cruces, as being a potential dark horse to dethrone the Blue Crew.

“They showed off some school spirit last season and they can hang,” the rankings site said.

The Blue Crew finished the 2024 season in 12th place. The Centennial Hawks finished in sixth.

Rankings are based on crowd size, enthusiasm, consistency, but most importantly, social media engagement.

Each week during the prep football season, TSSR names a Student Section of the Week from each state. To be considered for the overall award, a student section must win the weekly award at least once.

With a limited staff, TSSR leans heavily on crowd-sourcing, and social media is the best way to do that.

“Social media is your friend if used correctly,” TSSR says. “A Student Section that doesn’t post videos or photos ... on a consistent basis is like a tree falling with no one around. It doesn’t make any noise.”

For more information or to support The Student Section Report, visit studentsectionreport.org and follow them on Instagram @studentsectrep.

2024 NEW MEXICO FINAL TOP 25 FOOTBALL STUDENT SECTION RANKINGS

1. Rio Rancho Mob Squad (2023 Rank: 3)

2. La Cueva (2023 Rank: 2)

3. Hobbs (2023 Rank: 5)

4. Cleveland (2023 Rank: 13)

5. Las Cruces (2023 Rank: 9)

6. Centennial (2023 Rank: 6)

7. Volcano Vista Hawk Nation (2023 Rank: 11)

8. Roswell (2023 Rank: 8)

9. Deming (2023 Rank: NR)

10. Organ Mountain (2023 Rank: 18)

11. Sandia (2023 Rank: 12)

12. St. Michael’s Blue Crew (2023 Rank: 1)

13. Los Alamos (2023 Rank: 17)

14. Farmington Rowdy Crowd (2023 Rank: 4)

15. Goddard (2023 Rank: 7)

16. Portales (2023 Rank: 10)

17. Artesia (2023 Rank: 16)

18. Bloomfield (2023 Rank: 14)

19. Grants (2023 Rank: 15)

20. Eldorado (2023 Rank: 24)

21. Lovington (2023 Rank: 19)

22. Gadsden (2023 Rank: NR)

23. Alamogordo (2023 Rank: 22)

24. Texico (2023 Rank: NR)

25. Dexter (2023 Rank: NR)

2023 FINAL FOOTBALL NATIONAL STUDENT SECTION TOP 450 RANKINGS

1. Chaparral Puma Pit (Southern California)

2. St. Michael-Albertville (Minnesota)

3. Carlsbad Loud Crowd (Southern California)

4. Vista del Lago Blue Crew Northern California)

5. Apopka Nest (Florida)

6. Houston Mustang Mob (Tennessee)

7. Newtown Hawks Nest (Connecticut)

8. St. Charles North Blue Man Group (Illinois)

9. Centerville Herd (Ohio)

10. Great Oak Red Wave (Southern California)

New Mexico student sections...

63. St. Michael’s Blue Crew

124. La Cueva

210. Rio Rancho Mob Squad

226. Farmington Rowdy Crowd

306. Hobbs

357. Centennial

391. Goddard

429. Roswell

444. Las Cruces

HONORABLE MENTION: Portales