2026 Team Preview: Rio Rancho Rams

OVERVIEW   Earning the No. 6 seed for the Class 6A playoffs didn't pay off for Rio Rancho last season as the Rams were beaten by Carlsbad at home in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first time Rio Rancho had failed to advance as far as the quarterfinals since 2018.   “Our major message has been we have to be blue collar and show up for work every day,” Rio Rancho head coach Nate Pino told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “Second, we have to put others before ourselves. That's a big deal. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do for the betterment of everybody. It's team over individual. Sometimes, in this day and age, that's difficult. But we have to make unselfish decisions. Do your job daily.”   If anything, Rio Rancho has been consistent. They've had just two losing seasons and have won eight or more game eight times since 2010, including the state championship years of 2014 and 2016 when they went undefeated with identical 13-0 records.           OFFENSE   Rio Rancho returns one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the state in rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'], who battled injuries late last season but still managed to throw for 2,264 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for a team high 685 yards and 7 TD. His 95-yard TD gallop against Cibola was one of the plays of the year.   “Micah is dynamic,” Pino said. “He got dinged up in the Cleveland game and he tried to gut it out in the playoff game by playing slot even though he was hurting. Micah is a very good football player. He's been starting at quarterback since he was a sophomore. He's played a lot of football, which is advantageous for us. He makes a lot of good decisions.”   When Takahashi is playing QB, the Rams run a RPO and option heavy offense which relies significantly on his decision-making abilities. If Takahashi didn't play QB in the playoff game, who did? Promising eighth-grader Crew Victor, who played mostly JV last season but completed 34-of-46 passes (73.9 pct.) for 2 TD for the varsity. He was thrown into a seemingly impossible situation in the playoff game but played well by completing 25-of-33 passes for 212 yards and 2 TD against Carlsbad. Victor will likely start for the Rams JV team again but his varsity snaps will increase in 2026 as a freshman.     “Crew is going to be special,” Pino said. “We're finding opportunities to get both those guys on the field. Micah is the guy, but we're going to get Crew involved as well. He did some really good things for us. Crew did a great job in the playoff game. He battled. We're going to find packages to get him involved. We're going to get him on the field, someway, somehow. He deserves it. He's one of our better players.”   Rio Rancho doesn't return any running back who rushed for more than 100 yards in 2025. The Rams plan to go with a ‘two-headed monster' in rising juniors Eli Vigil (younger brother of former Rams RB Zach Vigil) and Kellen McCray (good size at 6-foot-0, 185 pounds). Right now, those two are battling for the No. 1 job, but Pino expects both will play.   “I don't think one will be the bell cow over another, especially at the start of the season.” Pino said. “They bring different things to the table. Eli is a physical, downhill runner. Kellen is probably more explosive. He's one of our best athletes. Both of them will get opportunities to run the football.”   In terms of number of receptions, Rio Rancho loses its top four wide receivers from last season to graduation. The top returning WR is rising senior Gilly Terrazas, a big, physical receiver who will likely ascend to the No. 1 spot after catching 16 passes in 2025. Terrazas has good size at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. He started last season at one of the outside WR positions. Promising rising junior Austin Seamons (6-1, 170) also has good length and athleticism.   “Both Gilly and Austin are big, long, physical guys,” Pino said. “They have good ball skills. Both are physical at the point of attack, too. They're good blockers.”   Rising senior Jesse Campos, described as Rio Rancho's ‘adjuster,' will line up in the slot. Talented rising sophomore Lucas Gonzales was solid for the Rams freshman team in 2025 and he'll likely occupy the opposite slot. Rising junior Gavin Bennett was a JV standout last season and he should see action as well.   Six-foot-1, 290-pound rising senior guard Justice Salinas returns to anchor the offensive line. He finished fourth in the 308-pound class at last month's state powerlifting championships and is one of the Rams' most powerful players. The offensive tackles will be 6-foot-3 bookend rising seniors Aiden Kelley and Daniel Schutten. Last season was Schutten's first year playing football and he quickly grasped the nuances of the sport.   Rising sophomore Lealin Sandoval was called up to the varsity last season as a freshman and started the second half of the year at guard. What Sandoval lacks in size he makes up for with tenacity and fearlessness.                               Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'] (QB), Gilly Terrazas (WR), Justice Salinas (OL).      DEFENSE   Rising senior defensive ends [player_tooltip player_id='1604734' first='Jacari' last='Smith'] (Second team All-State) and [player_tooltip player_id='1606137' first='Noah' last='Lovato'] (6-5, 200), a basketball standout, will anchor the Rams' D-Line. Together, they combined for 107 tackles, 35 TFL, 19 sacks and 34 QB hurries in 2025. Smith and Lovato are definitely in the running to be called the state's top DE duo.   “Both those guys made a ton of plays for us last year between turnovers, sacks and everything else,” Pino said. “Both those guys are the real deal. Defensive end will definitely be a strength for us. We'll be able to get some pass rush from those dudes. Noah is long and lanky. Jacari is super explosive.”   Rising seniors Daniel Najara and rising junior Justus Deniro will be the defensive tackles. Deniro will spend most of his time at nose tackle when the Rams run an odd man front.   The linebackers could be the strength of the defense. Last season's leading tackler, rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1679938' first='Wyatt' last='Nyholm'] (83 tackles) is back at inside linebacker. Rising junior ILB AJ Golson (4th in 181-pound class at state powerlifting championship) is extremely athletic, fast and a weight room warrior. Pino described him as the “Combine King.”   Rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2114808' first='Angelo' last='Ortiz'] (34 tackles in 8 games) , who started as a freshman in 2025, brings his physical toughness to the OLB spot. Six-foot-3 rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='2109795' first='Hank' last='Moon'] will be the other OLB. He'll be counted on as an edge rusher as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='2104491' first='Noah' last='Thomas'] (68 tackles) and Bryce McMurtrey (45) will be two of the leaders in the secondary. Rising senior speedster [player_tooltip player_id='1269698' first='Julian' last='Marquez'] (10.9 seconds in 100 meters; King of Speed contender), the fastest player on the team, will play cornerback after serving as a safety in 2025. He's enjoyed a sensational spring track season. Rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1604701' first='Marcus' last='Briggs'] is back after tearing his ACL in 2025. Rising junior Justin Huenemann will be a factor at cornerback.                  “Our defense is going to be very good,” Pino said. “We're very athletic. I think we're going to be salty. Our defensive front seven should be able to create some pass rush and be athletic. That will help the secondary.”     Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1604734' first='Jacari' last='Smith'] (DL), [player_tooltip player_id='1606137' first='Noah' last='Lovato'] (DL), [player_tooltip player_id='1679938' first='Wyatt' last='Nyholm'] (LB), AJ Golson (LB), [player_tooltip player_id='2104491' first='Noah' last='Thomas'] (CB).   2026 RIO RANCHO SCHEDULE   Aug. 21 LAS CRUCES   Aug. 28 LOS LUNAS   Sept. 4 at Roswell   Sept. 12 at Atrisco Heritage (Sat.,  11 a.m.)*   Sept. 18 Bye   Sept. 25 FARMINGTON*   Oct. 2 at La Cueva*   Oct. 9 SANDIA*   Oct. 16 ALBUQUERQUE HIGH*   Oct. 24 at West Mesa (Sat., 11 a.m.)*   Oct. 30 CLEVELAND*   * District 6A-1 Game     All kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Junior Year Highlights Passing- 2264 yards - 24 TDS Rushing - 685 yards - 7 TDS 2961 Total yards - 31 Total TDS <a href="https://t.co/cAEZ6rYGFh">https://t.co/cAEZ6rYGFh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hudl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hudl</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1604705' first='Micah' last='Takahashi'] (@Micah_Takahashi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Micah_Takahashi/status/2037759639174119870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">8th grade Varsity Rio Rancho High School Highlights from District championship; 1st round playoffs 34/44 completions 307 passing yards 2 tds 6 rushes for 39 yards 1 td<a href="https://twitter.com/natemp83?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@natemp83</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmprepcosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmprepcosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNext?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNext</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Beck7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Beck7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach__Hunter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach__Hunter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://t.co/jO3HBnhZUU">pic.twitter.com/jO3HBnhZUU</a>— Crew Victor (@CrewVictor12) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrewVictor12/status/1993149518041526520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Blessed to receive these achievements this season! More big things to come! <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachLeppke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachLeppke</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachD_Delgado?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachD_Delgado</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGant99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeGant99</a> <a href="https://t.co/IoV2M1BSfu">pic.twitter.com/IoV2M1BSfu</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1604734' first='Jacari' last='Smith'] (@Jacari35Smith) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jacari35Smith/status/1998598101272338832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">100M - 10.9 sec - PR S/CB 2027 <a href="https://twitter.com/DCobb27?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DCobb27</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_BPerkins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_BPerkins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachD_Delgado?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachD_Delgado</a> <a href="https://t.co/mPMjWxILr3">pic.twitter.com/mPMjWxILr3</a>— Julian “Jewls” Marquez (@JewlsJulian) <a href="https://twitter.com/JewlsJulian/status/2032952315234373640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2026</a></blockquote>

OVERVIEW