2025 Team Preview: Portales Rams
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<p><strong>2025 PORTALES RAMS PREVIEW</strong></p>
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>Coming off an appearance in the 2023 Class 4A state championship game, senior-dominated Portales had high expectations going into 2024, but those hopes began to unravel when dynamic starting QB Paxton Culpepper suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.</p>
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<p>Soon, the injury bug struck other key players on the team, including the backup QB who was elevated to starter, and the Rams' best defensive player left the team at midseason. Portales persevered, earning the No. 5 seed for the 4A playoffs but they lost at home to No. 12 Chaparral, 10-0, in the first round. </p>
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<p>The good news? Several young players gained valuable varsity experience for Portales, which will be ‘sophomore loaded' in 2025. Right now, the Rams have over 20 sophomores on their roster heading into the start of preseason camp in early August. Many of them will be major contributors. </p>
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<p>Portales has fewer than 20 seniors and juniors. Yeah, the Rams are going to be extremely young this season. </p>
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<p><strong>OFFENSE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Top 3 Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1613398' first='Slade' last='Segovia'] </strong>(RB), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606083' first='Tommy' last='Salgado']</strong> (WR), <strong>Trypp Hamilton</strong> (OL).</p>
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<p>All three Portales quarterbacks who attempted a pass last season were seniors, so the Rams will have a new signal caller in 2025. Rising sophomore <strong>Jacoby Bamforth</strong> and promising rising freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1581314' first='Kingston' last='Lee']</strong>, who's 6-foot-2 and blessed with exceptional athleticism, are competing for the starting job. He's the son of Eastern New Mexico head coach Kelley Lee. Bamforth was the JV QB for Portales in 2024 before being elevated to the varsity as a receiver due to the high number of injuries.</p>
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<p>“Jacoby did a very good job as a freshman,” Portales head coach Jaime Ramirez told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “He actually started for us at receiver towards the end of the season. Both Jacoby and Kingston are dual threat quarterbacks. I like quarterbacks who can throw the ball and run the ball.”</p>
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<p>Because of all the injuries in the offensive backfield last season, rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613398' first='Slade' last='Segovia']</strong> got his opportunity to carry the ball at the varsity level as a freshman and he emerged as one of the top young running backs in the state. In just 7 games, Segovia totaled 419 rushing yards and averaged 7.8 yards per carry. How will he do over a full season? We're about to find out.</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751793' first='Klayt' last='Hamilton']</strong> is competing for the starting RB job after being forced to play offensive line last season due to the injuries. Portales will line up both Segovia and Hamilton in the backfield at the same time in certain packages.</p>
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<p>Portales had just one receiver with more than 6 receptions in 2024 and he's graduated (Kaidyn Cordova), so the Rams will rely on an array of young pass catchers in 2025. Most will be sophomores. One of the few non-sophomores will be rising junior WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1606083' first='Tommy' last='Salgado']</strong>. He's competing with <strong>Nevin Cordova</strong> for the starting job at right side receiver.</p>
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<p>Rising senior <strong>Everado Dominguez</strong> and rising sophomore <strong>John Bamforth</strong> (twin brother of Jacoby Bamforth) are competing for the starting left side receiver spot. Rising senior <strong>Antonio Bonilla</strong> and rising sophomore <strong>Joseph Keita</strong> are battling at one of the slot receiver spots. The opposite slot WR spot has rising sophomores <strong>Ace Saiz</strong>, <strong>Andru Lozano</strong> and <strong>Aiden Rodriguez</strong> battling for playing time.</p>
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<p>Rising sophomore center <strong>Trypp Hamilton</strong> (younger brother of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751793' first='Klayt' last='Hamilton']</strong>) is the lone returning starter on Portales' offensive line. The younger Hamilton started as a freshman. Tragically, another O-Line starter from last season (Xavier Lujan) passed away in a auto accident in late March.</p>
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<p>The right tackle should be rising junior <strong>Colton Tomlinson</strong>, but he's competing with rising sophomore <strong>Xavier Jones</strong> for the starting job. Rising senior <strong>Esaias ‘Albert' Garcia</strong> is competing with rising sophomore <strong>Julian Gonzales</strong> at right guard. Rising junior <strong>Hugo Tostado</strong> is competing at left guard. <strong>Andree Alvarado</strong> is competing at left tackle with <strong>Isaac Futz</strong>. </p>
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<p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Top 3 Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1613398' first='Slade' last='Segovia']</strong> (LB), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751793' first='Klayt' last='Hamilton']</strong> (LB), <strong>Jacoby Bamforth</strong> (DB) </p>
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<p>In addition to being a talented young RB, rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613398' first='Slade' last='Segovia']</strong> is the leading returning tackler for the Rams after making 64 tackles, 6.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks in seven games. He'll play outside (WILL) linebacker. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1751793' first='Klayt' last='Hamilton']</strong> started the second half of last season at middle linebacker (MIKE), and he's expected to return there. <strong>Ace Saiz</strong> and <strong>Everado Dominguez</strong> are competing at strongside (SAM) linebacker. [player_tooltip player_id='1606083' first='Tommy' last='Salgado'] and Antonio Bonilla return at OLB in Portales' 3-5 scheme.</p>
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<p>Along the defensive line, Trypp Hamilton is expected to be the nose tackle, but he's competing with several other candidates, including Hugo Tostado. Futz and rising senior <strong>Brandon Webster</strong> are competing for the right DE spot. <strong>Colton Tomlinson</strong>, <strong>Andree Alvarado</strong> and <strong>Xavier Jones</strong> are battling for the left DE spot.</p>
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<p>In the secondary, <strong>Jacoby Bamforth</strong> and <strong>Andru Lozano</strong> are competing at free safety. Bamforth, though, is versatile enough to play any position in the secondary. The cornerback spots have <strong>John Bamforth</strong>, <strong>Joseph Keita</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1581314' first='Kingston' last='Lee'] </strong>and others competing for the two spots. </p>
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<p><strong>2025 Portales Football Schedule:</strong></p>
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<p>Aug. 23 GODDARD (Sat., 6 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Aug. 29 at Lovington (7 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Sept. 5 BERNALILLO (7 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Sept. 12 at West Las Vegas (7 p.m.) </p>
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<p>Sept. 19 MANZANO (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Sept. 26 at Valencia (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 3 SILVER (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 10 at St. Pius X (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 17 Bye </p>
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<p>Oct. 24 ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>Oct. 31 at Chaparral (7 p.m.)* </p>
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<p>* District 4A-2 Game</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Had a great time <a href="https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ENMUFootball</a> 7 on 7 tournament. We are getting better everyday. We went 4-2 on the day in top division & I was blessed to be recognized in the All-Tournament team. Here's a couple deep balls<a href="https://twitter.com/QBimpact?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QBimpact</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/QBUniverseQBU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QBUniverseQBU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/QBHitList?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QBHitList</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachWhiteDB1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachWhiteDB1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachmaxsilver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachmaxsilver</a> <a href="https://t.co/JZnL3ykwSa">pic.twitter.com/JZnL3ykwSa</a></p>— [player_tooltip player_id='1581314' first='Kingston' last='Lee'] (@kingston_lee10) <a href="https://twitter.com/kingston_lee10/status/1944443537195753847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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2025 PORTALES RAMS PREVIEW
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