Rams down Highland in season opener

PORTALES - Over the past few campaigns, the Portales High football team has seen a number of games it was in position to win get away late.

In Friday night's season opener at Greyhound Stadium, the Rams were bound and determined not to do it again, keeping Highland at arm's length most of the way before nailing down a 31-16 victory over the Hornets.

Senior running back Emmanuel Diahn rushed for 163 yards and four touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Paxton Culpepper went 15-for-17 through the air, including eight catches for 148 yards and a score by junior wide-out Zane Mayberry.

"We played good throughout the game," Rams coach Jaime Ramirez said. "I thought our defense played great. They bent a little bit, but they really only gave up eight points.

"I'm proud of the way we played for four quarters."

Most of Mayberry's catches came on quick bubble screens out in the flat. He gave the Rams an early 7-0 lead by catching a short pass from Culpepper and making several Hornets miss as he tiptoed the sideline into the end zone.

Diahn took care of much of the rest of it, scoring on runs of 23 and 7 yards in the second quarter and 10 yards in the third before breaking it open with a 53-yard run on the first play of the final stanza.

"I want to give thanks to my linemen; they were opening some holes," Diahn said. "I'm just proud our team got the 'W' today."

Highland marched the opening kickoff into scoring territory, but Hornets quarterback Alex Lopez lost a fumble inside the PHS 25 and sophomore Xavier Tarpeh returned it 28 yards to the Hornets' 45. Culpepper and Mayberry then hooked up for the game's initial score on the next play."

Highland then mounted a 10-play drive which ended in a missed 40-yard field goal, and the Rams countered with Diahn's first scoring run on their next possession.

Two more Diahn runs made it 25-8, but Highland broke through when Josiah Rodriguez stepped in front of a short pass intended for Mayberry and returned it 77 yards to make it 25-16 late in the third period. Diahn, though, all but put it out of reach with his final TD to begin the fourth stanza.

It was the first home win since beating St. Pius 6-0 in April 2021 to finish off a COVID-abbreviated spring season. Last fall, the Rams were 0-4 at home en route to a 2-8 mark.

"It feels good to win a game here," Diahn said.

Diahn had left the game for a time in the third period due to some cramping.

"But I kept on going in," he said. "You've just got to be a tough football player."

Diahn is seeking a chance to play college football somewhere.

"I'm just hoping that someday, God will bless me with something," he said.

Lopez scored on a 2-yard run in the second segment to pull the Hornets to 13-8, but they were unable to get closer.

Although Highland had several extended drives, the Rams posted a 407-275 edge in total offense.

The Rams will look to go 2-0 on Thursday when they host former District 4-4A rival Ruidoso in a 7 p.m. kickoff.

"They're a well-coached team by Kief Johnson," Ramirez said. "I expect a good game."

District 4-4A standings

Dist. All

W-L W-L

Abq. Academy 0-0 1-0

Portales 0-0 1-0

Bernalillo 0-0 0-1

Lovington 0-0 0-1

Friday's results

Portales 31, Highland 16; Albuquerque Academy 37, Rio Grande 0; Roswell High 69, Lovington 29; Valley 36, Bernalillo 0.

Thursday's game

Ruidoso at Portales, 7 p.m.

Friday's games

Bernalillo at Espanola Valley, 7 p.m.; Seminole (Texas) at Lovington, 7 p.m.

Saturday's game

Moriarty at Albuquerque Academy, 1 p.m.