2024 Look Ahead: Experienced O-Line Fuels Rio Rancho's Hopes

If the offensive line truly is the most important position in football – and many coaches will tell you it is – Rio Rancho looks to be in good shape heading into the 2024 season.   Six of Rio Rancho's top seven offensive linemen from last season return in 2024, giving the Rams a very experienced and physical offensive front. Only center [player_tooltip player_id='815957' first='Jose' last='Ontiveros'] graduates.   “We're excited about what we have up front,” Rio Rancho head coach Nate Pino told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Jose missed a bunch of games last season, so you could say our top six guys are back. That's definitely going to be our strength. We go as our offensive line goes. We've been blessed to have some units up front. Many of our guys are going to have three years of experience.”   The unit is led by 6-foot-4, 280-pound rising senior left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1257335' first='Jack' last='Warble'], who should attract plenty of interest from colleges over the next several months. [player_tooltip player_id='1118245' first='Ronald' last='Thomas'] was an all-district and all-metro guard in 2023. Right tackle Adam Potter earned all-district honors. Rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1126211' first='Brayden' last='Davidson'] has a high ceiling and has already shown he's a next level talent.   Another position where Rio Rancho returns multiple experienced players is the secondary. Rising senior Colton Baca and rising junior Quintenn Mckinley both return after starting at cornerback in 2023. Six-foot-2, 185-pound safety [player_tooltip player_id='837118' first='Hector' last='Jasiah Estrada'] (offered by New Mexico Highlands) looks ready for a strong senior campaign.   While the Rams appear set at quarterback (rising senior J.J. Arellano), O-Line and the secondary, there are other positions where they'll need to find replacements for standout players:   RUNNING BACK: [player_tooltip player_id='590563' first='Rayce' last='Ramirez'] was a tough, physical RB who churned out 1,134 yards and 11 TD in 2023. He signed with New Mexico Highlands and will begin his college career in a few months. Who succeeds him? Promising rising junior Ethan Rolon appears to have the edge after serving as Ramirez's primary backup as a sophomore in 2023. Rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1272737' first='James' last='Barreras'] turned heads as a freshman last season with the Rams' Freshman/JV squads and the Rams coaching staff is excited about his future.       “James is going to be a heckuva player,” Pino said. “Both Ethan and James are very talented. They're not quite as physical as Rayce, but they're dynamic. They catch the ball very well out of the backfield. They bring different attributes.”      WIDE RECEIVER: Three of Rio Rancho's top four pass catchers in 2023 were seniors. [player_tooltip player_id='590564' first='Anthony' last='Raymer'] (signed with NMMI) was a dynamic WR who finished with 46 receptions for 787 yards and 13 TD. [player_tooltip player_id='275082' first='Dominic' last='Valencia'] graduates as well. Even Ramirez had 20 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id='1259000' first='Jace' last='Pitt'] gets his opportunity to be Rio Rancho's No. 1 WR after 31 receptions for 416 yards and 4 TD as a junior last season.   “Jace has had a great off-season so far,” Pino said. “He's already stronger and faster. He did some good stuff for us last season. We're excited to see what he does. He's probably going to be our No. 1 guy.”   Speedy rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1266408' first='Parker' last='Miller'] enjoyed a nice season as a backup WR in 2023, and he'll look to compete with Pitt for the top WR job. Rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1258861' first='Bode' last='Victor'] will get a chance to show what he can do. Behind Miller, Pitt and Victor is a promising crop of young receivers that will provide quality depth. Rio Rancho's undefeated freshmean team was filled with talent in 2023 and some of those guys will get an opportunity to step up to varsity in the fall along with several JV players.   LINEBACKER: The highly productive trio of [player_tooltip player_id='1103708' first='Ryan' last='Brown'] (signed with ENMU), [player_tooltip player_id='817417' first='Andrew' last='Gustafson'] (ENMU) and Elijah Garebidian graduate after combining for 268 tackles in 2023. That means the Rams will have a mostly new LB crew in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='1259046' first='Jacob' last='Lesperance'] is the lone starter returning at LB after making 86 tackles with 6.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks and 11 QB hurries in 2023. He started at ILB next to Brown. Rising senior Ty Bradford, an impressive athlete, should make his mark after transferring from Legacy Academy last year. Behind those two are a crop of young players with promise.   “We have a bunch of guys with talent competing for those two final spots” Pino said. “We have to see how everything sorts out.”   DEFENSIVE LINE: [player_tooltip player_id='590594' first='Xavier' last='Provencio'] (53 tackles, 7.0 TFL) was a solid defensive end for the Rams last season but he graduates. Next up is intriguing rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1266443' first='Daimian' last='Zamora'], who appeared in a handful of games for the Rio Rancho varsity last year. Rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1266906' first='Liam' last='Hoang'] will also get an opportunity to show what he can do.   “We are going to be a little young in our defensive front seven,” Pino said. “We have a lot of guys that are going to juniors fighting for spots. We definitely have talent in the room. We just have to let the competition play out and see which guys rise up. It's still early.”                    2024 RIO RANCHO FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:   Aug. 23 at Atrisco Heritage (Community Stadium)   Aug. 30 at Clovis   Sept. 6 LAS CRUCES   Sept. 14 at Centennial (Sat.)   Sept. 20 EL PASO (TX) EASTLAKE   Sept. 27 Bye   Oct. 4 CIBOLA*   Oct. 11 PIEDRA VISTA*   Oct. 18 VOLCANO VISTA*   Oct. 25 at Farmington*   Nov. 1 at Cleveland*   * District 6A-1 Game   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JasiahEstrada07/status/1728224288543846610?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ethan_rolon/status/1708240586376085712?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JacobLess007/status/1762336556051038631?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Fb78Warble/status/1727831645267640576?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/brayden_boat/status/1706710248835383641?s=20 </div></figure>

If the offensive line truly is the most important position in football – and many coaches will tell you it is – Rio Rancho looks to be in good shape heading into the 2024 season.