Getting air time

PORTALES — There's plenty of seven-on-seven football to be seen the next few weeks in Portales, with the biggest helping coming today and tomorrow.

But no matter how many players are out there, the goal is the same: Getting better.

Portales High is hosting its weekly passing league tonight at 6, featuring teams from Portales, Clovis, Eunice, Dora and Texico. Then Friday, Eastern New Mexico University gets into the game with its 7-on-7 competition that will draw from throughout New Mexico and Texas.

"A lot of people call it basketball on grass," new Clovis High coach Cal Fullerton said after Wednesday morning's Wildcat workout. "We're still going to compete. We've worked with them, and we expect them to run the right routes and make the right reads on defense. It's an offensive game, so you aren't going to shut somebody out. But we want the kids to compete."

The passing league has different participants, sixth-year Ram coach Jaime Ramirez said, depending on which team can fit the trip into their schedule.

"We're just trying to work against different teams on our defensive coverage and our offensive passing," said Ramirez. "It doesn't matter who we face. We just want to get better."

The seven-on-seven games — pool play in the morning, bracket play in the evening — concentrate on the skill positions. The guys in the trenches have their own big man challenge, with 10 events including weights, tug of war and tire flipping.

Both the Rams and Wildcats have some big shoes to fill. The defending 4A champion Rams had seniors account for 75 percent of last year's offense, while the Wildcats are looking at the aggregate method to replace Micah Gray, who posted 2,005 all-purpose yards and 31 of the team's 50 touchdowns.

The quarterback situation is up in the air for the Rams between seniors Tyrese Dawson and Julian Urioste. Ramirez said the person who doesn't win the job gets penciled into a prime receiving role.

"I think it's a win-win, and I don't care who wins," Ramirez said. "I just want somebody who's going to be a good team leader and be super positive."

The Rams host a four-team scrimmage Aug. 18 and open the season Aug. 25 at Texico.

Fullerton ended Wednesday's workout by telling the players if they don't plan to go all out at seven-on-seven, stay home. But he's pretty sure he hasn't scared any of them off.

"We've had them really going at it, and the kids are working hard," Fullerton said. "Monday was a little sluggish, but we did give them the whole (Independence Day) week off."

Clovis will scrimmage at Roswell Aug. 17, and host Hobbs on Aug. 25 in its season opener.