2023 Team Preview: Portales Rams
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Portales 2023 Preview Head Coach: Jaime Ramirez Mascot: Rams Twitter: @PHS_RamFootball Colors: Red and Black 2022 Record: 9-3 Overview: After a disappointing campaign in 2021, Portales bounced back strongly last fall with nine wins (2 of…
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Continue ReadingPortales 2023 Preview
Head Coach: Jaime Ramirez
Mascot: Rams
Twitter: @PHS_RamFootball
Colors: Red and Black
2022 Record: 9-3
Overview: After a disappointing campaign in 2021, Portales bounced back strongly last fall with nine wins (2 of the 3 losses were to Lovington) and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A playoffs. The good times should continue for the Rams in 2023 as most of the major contributors from last season are back. Rising junior (2025) dual threat quarterback Paxton Culpepper Paxton Culpepper 6'0" | 150 lbs | QB Portales | 2025 State NM threw for 2,290 yards and 27 TD while rushing for 265 yards and 7 TD as a sophomore in 2022. Leading rusher Emmanuel Diahn graduated but 2025 RB Kaidyn Cordova Kaidyn Cordova RB Portales | 2025 State NM and 2024 RB Zach Radloff Zach Radloff RB Portales | 2024 State NM are back and they should form a nice 1-2 combination. They got the majority of the carries in the second half of the season when Diahn was injured. Others could join the battle later.
All of the top receivers from last season return, led by rising seniors Zane Mayberry Zane Mayberry 6'0" | 160 lbs | WR Portales | 2024 State NM (36 receptions), Andru Ontiveros Andru Ontiveros 5'10" | 150 lbs | WR Portales | 2024 State NM (32) and Braden Beck Braden Beck 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR Portales | 2024 State NM (28), and rising junior Tommy Lopez (29). The Rams must rebuild their offensive line, though, with just two starters returning plus another who saw playing time in 2022. Rising senior Jose Bustamante, Abraham Dunor and Nehemiah Yorfee Nehemiah Yorfee 6'1" | 180 lbs | DL Portales | 2024 State NM all have experience at the varsity level.
Defensively, Portales returns all but one starter on defense. DL AJ Lopez is the lone significant loss for the defense. Dunor and Yorfee anchor the defensive line. At linebacker, rising junior Manny Chavez Manny Chavez 5'11" | 170 lbs | LB Portales | 2025 State NM already has 234 career tackles and still has two more seasons remaining. He’ll play the MIKE position in Portales’ 3-3-5 alignment. Layton Faust will be the SAM LB. Rigoberto Holguin will likely be the WILL LB. Devin Diaz Devin Diaz 6'0" | 185 lbs | LB Portales | 2024 State NM and Santino Espinoza will line up at outside linebacker. Lopez returns at free safety along with Mayberry, Beck and Xavier Tarpeh at cornerback.
Schedule: Portales plays an intriguing non-district schedule with trips to Albuquerque (Highland) and reigning Class 3A champion Ruidoso to open the schedule. The home opener against West Las Vegas is one of the best 4A-3A matchups this season. Few will be better. They also travel to Eunice for a rare 4A-2A encounter followed by a home game against 5A Valley. The district schedule is challenging with Albuquerque Academy, Bernalillo and Lovington. The Rams end the season with consecutive road games. They play five of six games at home in the middle portion of the schedule.
Aug. 19 at Highland (Sat.)(Milne)
Aug. 25 at Ruidoso
Sept. 1 WEST LAS VEGAS
Sept. 8 VALENCIA
Sept. 15 ST. PIUS X
Sept. 22 at Eunice
Sept. 29 VALLEY
Oct. 6 Bye
Oct. 13 ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY*
Oct. 20 at Bernalillo*
Oct. 27 at Lovington*
* District Game
Coach’s Comments: “Last season ended earlier than we wanted but we return a lot of dudes. We’re hungry and the guys will continue to work hard in the summer. We want to win the summer. We have developed a culture that we expect to work hard and do well. . .Paxton just needs to sharpen his skills and become a good team leader. This will be his second year as the starting quarterback. What comes with that is we expect him to be better at everything he does. His ability to audible will be even better. He enjoys distributing the ball and he has very good vision. . .Offensive line is the position we have to make sure we’re running on all cylinders. . . Manny Chavez Manny Chavez 5'11" | 170 lbs | LB Portales | 2025 State NM is outstanding. He has a nose for the football. He has really worked this offseason to get bigger and stronger. Having him coming back at MIKE is super important for us.” – Jaime Ramirez.