Rams, Lady Rams prepare for busy weekend

The Portales Rams and Lady Rams have a busy weekend on tap.

PHS squads travel to Texico tonight for a doubleheader beginning with the girls contest at 6 p.m., then return to the Ram Athletic Center to take on Moriarty at 4:30 (girls) and 6 p.m. (boys) on Saturday.

Tonight's games are the first of a home-and-home series against Texico. PHS squads host the Wolverines and Lady Wolverines on Feb. 5.

The schools have developed a bit of a rivalry in recent years. Portales swept three tight games from Texico last season, the boys winning 52-46 and 35-34 while the PHS girls won their lone meeting with the Lady Wolverines 28-27.

Both Portales squads are ranked fifth this week in the Maxpreps.com New Mexico Class 3A polls. The Rams (9-6) last played on Saturday, routing Zuni 90-39 for fifth place in the Hope Christian Invitational, while the Lady Rams (11-6) dropped a 58-41 decision to Class 5A No. 1 Clovis on Tuesday at the RAC.

Texico's boys, ranked third in Class 2A, are coming off a 51-42 loss on Tuesday at Fort Sumner, ranked third in Class 1A. The Lady Wolverines (9-5), No. 1 in Class 2A, defeated the 1A third-ranked Vixens 44-33 in the opener of that twin bill.

Moriarty's boys (11-7) lost last Friday at Artesia 50-48, while the Lady Pintos (2-15) were pounded at home by Grants 53-22 on Tuesday. The Lady Rams played Moriarty in mid-December, cruising to a 49-15 win in the championship semifinals of the Lady Pintos' eight-team tournament.