SPORTS DIGEST: McClain in the ring, sports camps, another Gladiators loss and more

Bryant McClain returns to the ring

Among the matchups for four featured bouts on Tapia Promotions’ June 8 boxing card at Isleta Resort & Casino is one featuring Rio Rancho’s Bryant McClain, the son of former cruiserweight champ “Irish Sean” McClain.

The younger McClain (6-3-3, one knockout) faces Donald Sanchez (5-3, 3 KOs) of Albuquerque.

McClain appears to have the edge in experience, but Sanchez’s combat résumé of at least 62 fights (50 MMA, eight boxing, four bare knuckle) would seem to at least balance the scale.

McClain has been inactive since March 2020. Sanchez hasn’t fought a boxing match since January 2020 but has fought bare knuckle four times since then.

Neither fighter has gone past the sixth round in any previous bout.

Gladiators still without a W

Halfway through their 16-game Indoor Football League season, the Duke City Gladiators are without a victory.

On May 25, the Gladiators (0-8) lost another game late, 55-53, to the Arizona Rattlers.

The Gladiators scored first and last, with two touchdown passes from quarterback Joseph Mancuso in the game’s final 2:49 got Duke City within two points before the game ended. The final TD came with 17 seconds to play, a fourth-down 14-yard pass to Greg Dent Jr.

The Rattlers then ran out the clock.

Mancuso was 11 of 25 through the air, with four TD passes and just one interception. Arizona QB Dalton Sneed was 18 of 30 for 191 yards and six TDs, without a pick.

The Gladiators are in Tucson Saturday to face the Sugar Skulls, then at San Antonio on June 8. Duke City’s next game at the Rio Rancho Events Center is at 6:05 p.m. on June 15 vs. the Las Vegas Knight Hawks.

Going back to last season, the Gladiators have lost 13 of their last 14 contests.

Young spikers, this is for you

The annual Rio Rancho High School Ram camps, to be held at RRHS, are slated for June 24-27.

Ram Camp “Bigs”(Grades 7-12; 6-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 6-8 Thursday): Designed to prepare players for tryouts in their respective grade. This camp will emphasize volleyball skills and drills to prepare middle school and high school grade players for school tryouts. Fundamentals and techniques for all basic volleyball skills will be emphasized. Additional time will be focused on small and large group team play.

Ram Camp “Littles” (Grades 3-6; 6-8 p.m. each day): Designed for players interested in learning the game of volleyball. Emphasis of the camp will include introduction of fundamentals and techniques for all basic volleyball skills of passing, attacking, serving, footwork, setting and defense. This camp will also emphasize volleyball skills and drills to prepare sixth-grade players for Rio Rancho Metro League and middle school tryouts (where applicable). Small group games will be played daily.

RRHS varsity head coach Toby Manazanres, his assistants and other area guest coaches will instruct.

The cost of each camp of the Bigs camp is $100; $75 for the Littles. (Walk-up registration costs more.) Campers receive a T-shirt, and there will be door prize drawings every night.

Online camp registration will be available at https://sites.google.com/rrps.net/rioranchohighschoolathletics/home. Click on Team pages, drop down and click on Fall Sports, locate Volleyball. Click on Camps tab. Click on link to register through CampPros.com.

Luttrell a double champ on the mat

The third event in the USA Wrestling Regional Championships was held May 9-11 in Herriman, Utah, at the Zions Bank Real Academy.

Among five double champions — winners in freestyle and Greco-Roman in their respective weight divisions — was Cleveland High sophomore Roman Luttrell (120 pounds) in the Junior Boys Division.

Luttrell, a three-time New Mexico champion, qualified for the 2024 USMC Junior and 16U Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

Murphy the man at Northland

Northland College sophomore infielder Tyler Murphy was recently named as an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference All-Conference honorable mention selection in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Murphy, a former Rio Rancho High School player and son of then-coach Ron Murphy, led the LumberJacks in hitting (.325), and paced the team in doubles (7) and stolen bases (11). At shortstop, he recorded 56 putouts, 54 assists and helped turn three double plays.

He also had three appearances on the mound where he tallied five strikeouts.

Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, Wisc.

Pengelly’s pitching prowess ’preciated

Former Cleveland High baseball standout Dayne Pengelly (4-4) was named the Mountain West pitcher of the Week recently after he tossed seven shutout innings, scattered four hits and struck out a career-high 12 batters in New Mexico's 16-0 win against Nevada on May 10.

Storm tennis camp served in June

A youth tennis camp for boys and girls ages 7-15 is set for June 11-12 on Cleveland High School’s tennis courts.

The camp runs from 9 a.m. to noon both days.

The cost is $75 for those pre-registered (includes snacks and a T-shirt); $85 for drop-ins the day of camp.

Payment for pre-registration may be made at camppros.com.

For more information, contact coach Diana LaCour at 505-720-9922 or diana.lacour@rrps.com. (A link for the camp is on the CHS tennis website.)

Hoops camps for youngsters at RRHS

Rio Rancho High School boys’ basketball coach Wally Salata is having two more youth basketball camps in the RAC this spring, May 28-31 and June 10-14, from 9 a.m. to noon each session.

Both are for boys and girls entering kindergarten through ninth grade when the 2024-25 school year starts, and both focus on fundamentals.

The cost for each is $125 in advance, $150 for walkups the first days.

Campers will learn the basic skills and fundamentals in the game and play 5-on-5 games every day. Campers receive a T-shirt and basketball for attending.

The camp has sold out for the past 10 years, with 120 campers (30 in each age group K-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-9) being the maximum per session.

To register, go to rioranchocamps.net. For more information, contact Salata by email at wally.salata@rrps.net or by phone at 505-620-9068.

Boxing day at Bernalillo High School

Zimbalist “Zim” Satcher has scheduled an amateur boxing event at Bernalillo High School on June 15.

Satcher staged his first amateur card last December at Able Strength Fitness in Rio Rancho. But as close as the gym is to his home, Bernalillo High is closer.

It feels closer, too. “I literally live down the street,” Satcher said.

As a boxing coach, Satcher was a protégé of the late Joe Louis Murphy. After Murphy’s death in November 2022, Satcher formed his own club, The Crow & The Cub.

Among his pupils is his son, Zimbalist Jr., who also competes in track and field (triple jump, 400 meters) for Cleveland High School.

Zim Jr. used to play basketball — his dad played at Albuquerque High — but discovered he preferred track and boxing.