Rams stand 3-0 after cruising past Dons

LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Portales High’s football team played on the road for the first time this season on Friday night, and nothing changed from the first two weeks.

The Rams were solid from start to finish and cruised to a 55-30 victory over West Las Vegas, breaking the game open with three third-quarter touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback Paxton Culpepper, who missed the second half of a 26-14 win over Ruidoso in the previous week at Greyhound Stadium, was just fine in this one. Culpepper threw for four touchdowns and ran for another for the Rams (3-0).

“I thought our boys played great as a team,” Rams coach Jaime Ramirez said. “We played good team defense from the second quarter on, and offensively I think every one of our receivers had a touchdown.”

Junior defensive back Devin Diaz, who filled in with Culpepper out, had a pair of interceptions in this one, including one right before halftime then set up senior Emmanuel Diahn’s second touchdown run for a 28-14 halftime lead.

After stopping the Dons (2-1) on the game’s opening possession, it took PHS just two plays to take the lead on a long pass play from Culpepper to junior Zane Mayberry. The Rams made it 14-6 early in the second stanza on a TD toss to junior Braden Beck, but West Las Vegas answered with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie it.

Diahn, who was held out until the latter part of the half, scored twice before the intermission to put the Rams back in control. He already has nine TDs for the season.

Junior Toby Standifer went 7-8 on PAT kicks for the Rams.

Ramirez said Diahn was held out after taking a big of a pounding in the previous outing.

“He was a little sore from all the hits he took against Ruidoso,” Ramirez said.

In the third quarter, Culpepper threw scoring passes to sophomores Andru Ontiveros and Tommy Lopez, then ran one in himself from about 35 yards out to make it 48-14. The final TD came on a run by backup QB Dallas Lozano early in the final period.

With subs in the game for both teams, the Dons made it a bit closer with a pair of fourth-quarter tallies and two 2-point conversions.

Ramirez, whose team went 2-8 last season, said he’s not totally surprised by what’s transpired so far this year.

“We’ve worked really hard in the weight room,” he said. “Our boys have just made up their minds they wanted to get better this season, and that’s what we’re trying to do every ballgame.”

Next week, the Rams hit the road again to face Valencia, a team which beat PHS 32-22 last season in Portales.

The Jaguars (1-1) had the weekend off.

“You would think that could be an advantage, but we’re just playing one game at a time,” Ramirez said. “We’re trying to get better every week.”