Ready to run: '25 Rams football gets set for season

ALBUQUERQUE — Wednesday evening at Sandia High School marked the true start of fall for the Rio Rancho Rams.

Not because classes began last week, or the fact that the temperature is now closer to the 80s than the 90s, but because football is here.

Head Coach Nate Pino and the Rams traveled to Albuquerque to face the Matadors in a scrimmage, just nine days before the season opener against Atrisco Heritage Academy.

“We’ve got to start a little faster. I thought we started a little flat, then we got going as we got going,” Pino said. “I thought we had our energy when we went to the live part of the scrimmage. We talked about having that energy, and in creating that, I thought we did a much better job.”

While there’s no scoreboard to show it, Rio Rancho smothered Sandia with a high-intensity defensive performance and big-time plays on the offensive side of the ball.

Coming out of the gate fast may be the key to Rio Rancho’s season after going 2-2 in their first four games last year.

“At the end of the day, you always want to start on a positive note,” Pino said. “I think we’ve got to execute, and I think we’ve got some guys that can help us be successful.”

A big question to be answered this year will be the defense, which got out to a hot start on Wednesday night. Rio Rancho is looking to bolster its defensive unit after allowing 40 or more points three separate times in its 7-5 2024 season.

But whether it’s offense or defense, freshmen or seniors, first or third string, the message from Pino and his staff remains the same: compete.

“It’s just getting those guys adapted. I think we’ve got some guys there that can help us. But it takes a little time to develop,” Pino said. “At the end of the day, we want our emphasis to be to compete. We’re going to make mistakes, but can we do it fast? We’re going to be competitive in everything that we do.”

Not just football, but winning football has been a fall staple at Rio Rancho High School for almost a decade. The Rams haven’t had a losing season since 2018, with Pino holding a 23-14 record since taking over as head coach in 2022.

However, if Rio Rancho wants to return to the state championship stage, they may have to utilize something they aren’t so familiar with: speed from the quarterback position.

“I think offensively, we want to be dynamic,” Pino said. “I think we’ve got some guys that can create some explosive plays.”

Enter: Micah Takahashi. The junior quarterback led the team in rushing last season with 735 yards, on top of 765 yards through the air, while splitting time with the J.J. Arellano at the position.

If the workload increases this year for Takahashi, Rio Rancho may have its first thousand-yard rusher at the QB position since 2019’s Isaiah Chavez. He would also be the first quarterback to do so under Pino.

Add senior quarterback Ryder Sibley’s athleticism to the mix, along with senior receiver Parker Miller on the pass attack, and the Rams may have the legs to run back to the state title game for the first time since 2021.

Rio Rancho will open up its season at home against the Atrisco Heritage Academy Jaguars with a 7 p.m. kick set for Aug. 22.

“We want to be physical on both sides of the ball,” Pino said. “That’s the key to success. If we can be a more physical team, we’re gonna do just fine.”