Turn on those lights: Rams at Storm Friday
Cleveland hoists the City of Vision trophy after the Storm’s win in 2019 at Rio Rancho Stadium.
Photo Gary Herron
“Friday Night Lights” will be back on Friday in Rio Rancho for the first time since Nov. 15, 2019, when the city’s two varsity football teams destined to meet 15 days later for the Class 6A championship eliminated Las Cruces schools in quarterfinal contests.
Kickoff is set for 7 at Cleveland High’s Thunderbolt Stadium for the annual City of Vision Championship Game, the title of which was originated by the
Observer prior to the teams’ 2010 meeting, just the second time they’d squared off.
Cave leads way in Santa Fe
Rio Rancho’s Zach Vigil is hoisted by lineman Darrius Gregory after one of his three touchdowns March 13 in Santa Fe.
Photo Gary Herron
SANTA FE Junior running back Zach Vigil scored three times and quarterback Joey Cave scored twice as the Rams easily won the long-awaited debut of head coach Gerard Pannoni, 57-6, over Santa Fe last Saturday.
Pannoni, by the way, was the only person at Ivan Head Stadium wearing shorts, and no cap, on a chilly, windy afternoon; about 225 Rams fans bundled up in the bleachers.
Running an efficient, no-huddle offense, the Rams had enough points less than three minutes into the game to beat the Demons for the seventh time in as many meetings. Vigil caught a 7-yard scoring pass from Cave, and Elijah Smith ran the ball in for an 8-0 lead. Vigil’s TD capped a nine-play, 72-yard drive after the Rams took the opening kickoff.