Rams take the Gold Crown, then edge Cleveland in summer game

RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho Rams boys basketball team have been on fire this summer.

“Our new coach has really brought us together as a team, and our chemistry is the strongest it’s ever been,” Rams shooting guard Jordan McNeely said.

Rams forward Cayden Richardson said, “Only losing five games, and especially with a whole brand-new coaching staff, it is impressive that we were able to perform this well.”

The Rams, led by first-year head coach Steven Heredia, went 30-5 in a six-week summer run that took them to various camps and tournaments throughout the country.

“This team is basically built to win now. I am not running from that quote, and I think we proved that this summer,” Heredia said. “We have size, we have length, we have athleticism, we shoot the ball pretty well, and I think we learned how to defend well this summer.”

Part of the summer tour included a visit to the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

“The boys got to play in the actual University of Oregon arena, the one with the crazy trees on the floor; it was a really neat experience for all of us,” Heredia said.

The Rams played a flurry of high-caliber teams and faced off against some of the best players in the country, including Washington’s top basketball recruit Katrelle Harmon, a four-star prospect who attends Wasatch Academy.

“Competing against out-of-state teams, you always see bigger-faster-stronger outside of New Mexico, so the value in that is huge,” Heredia said. “We can only grow from that kind of experience.”

However, it was in Denver, Colorado, where the Rams took home the “Gold Crown.” The Rams won the Gold Crown IAA Division tournament and ended up beating the team that defeated them in pool play.

“Winning the Gold Crown tournament in Denver was huge. I’ve taken previous teams there before and have never won the tournament,” Heredia said.

During the Gold Crown tournament, the Rams went through four pool games, then went undefeated in all the single-game elimination bouts.

“We played some really tough competition in Denver,” said McNeely, who led the Rams in three-pointers last season.

The Rams’ summer rounds ended with a memorable game against Cleveland High School June 29.

The game began with the Rams leading by double digits, then the Storm came back to tie it up. With 25 seconds in the game, the Rams had possession of the ball: they ran their offense, milked some clock, and then McNeely made the game-winning 3.

“The game against Cleveland, my shot wasn’t really falling, but Coach Heredia kept me confident, and I was able to knock one down when it counted,” McNeely said.

Despite all the success this summer, Heredia said the most important part of the six-week run was developing team chemistry and familiarity, especially since he was hired in late April.

“It was more about us getting to know each other on a personal level,” Heredia said. “Looking forward to the season, we think we have a nice shot to be very successful.”

Some of the top returners for the Rams this season include McNeely, Richardson, junior Noah Lovato, senior Wyatt Rodriguez, sophomore Dashon Bynum, senior Kayden Decker and sophomore Deshawn Sweet.

“Overall, our team’s performance this summer was very good, and I hope we can translate it to the season,” Richardson said.