Undefeated Ram teams hope to keep momentum going

PORTALES — With both squads currently undefeated, Portales High basketball teams will have their hands full this weekend, each playing back-to-back games starting tonight.

The PHS boys are 3-0 despite a late start due to a majority of their players being a part of the school’s Class 4A state championship football team. According to Rams coach Rickie McBroom, though, the late start has had less of an affect on the team than most would think.

“We have a good group of guys first off, but conditioning is always a big concern for us,” he said. “(Our team) has been making tremendous progress, we’ve been going hard in practice doing a lot of full court drills. … We also had a really good summer, so they didn’t have to pick up a bunch of new stuff, more just review.”

The boys face Muleshoe (4-5), which last weekend posted wins over Texico and Farwell to win the Farwell Christmas Invitational, in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at the Ram Athletic Center. McBroom said the Mules “are a very solid team that executes well.”

“They like to run a lot, but so do we,” McBroom said. “So we will try and slow them down while trying to keep up the pace on our end.”

Saturday the Rams head to Texico to take on the Wolverines (6-1) in a 5:30 p.m. start in what McBroom said should be a true test for Portales.

Texico is “really tough inside. They have probably one of the best big men in their class (Class 3A), and they have two guards who can really shoot the ball.

“Honestly, Texico is the same year in, year out — a very good team.”

Lady Rams — At 5-0, the Portales high girls basketball team is finally hitting its stride, coming off two solid wins after a somewhat shaky start.

“With so many new kids on varsity we didn’t know what to expect, but I’ve been pleased with how we’ve progressed so far,” Portales coach Wade Fraze said. “Against Texico, it was our first game and it looked like a first game. We struggled at times against St. Mike’s and Santa Fe, squeaked those out. Then the last two games we’ve hit a little stride, but I know our next two games coming up are (tough).”

Having just routed West Las Vegas 84-40, the Lady Rams’ big win has come at the right time as Portales heads into a 7 p.m. matchup today against also-undefeated Robertson at Las Vegas. The Lady Cardinals have been pounding every opponent thus far, with their closest game coming in a 66-50 win over Tohatchi.

Robertson brings with it a young team, not one senior listed on its roster, who is not only talented, but sizable as well. The Lady Rams will have their hands full, being outsized at nearly every position.

On Saturday Portales hosts Clovis (4-4) in a renewal of the eastern plains rivalry, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the RAC.

“Clovis and Portales is a big rivalry,” Fraze said. “We are in two different classes, but because we are so close, there’s just that rivalry here. It’s always a good time playing Clovis.”

The Lady Wildcats enter the contest having lost to Eldorado (64-42) and Hobbs (53-34) in their last two outings.