Rio Rancho police made six arrests for drunken driving over the weekend, including the starting quarterback for the Rio Rancho High School football team.

Baer T. Philipbar, 16, was arrested at 1:13 a.m. on New Year's Day and was charged with aggravated driving under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or drugs, fleeing and eluding a police officer and failure to maintain his traffic lanes.

According to the synopsis on the offense/incident report filed by Sgt. Rich Misbach of the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety, Philipbar "was observed operating his motor vehicle in a manner in which he was unable to maintain his lane of traffic. (The) subject turned off (NM) Highway 528 and accelerated his vehicle at a high rate of speed with his headlights and tail lights turned off, attempting to elude this officer." According to a narrative supplemental, the tan Ford Taurus driven by Philipbar was observed weaving along NM 528. Turn signals were employed on several occasions before Philipbar turned right on Riverside Drive, where he "turned off his lights and began to accelerate." According to the narrative, "Mr. Philipbar was traveling at what appeared to be two times faster than the posted speed limit of 35 miles an hour" before slowing down to turn into Chama Court, where he ran over the curb and into an adobe wall at the house of Rio Rancho Mid High athletic director Jim Smelcer.

Smelcer told police that Philipbar had called earlier in the evening and had planned to spend the night with his son Josh. Philipbar registered .15 and .16 on two blood alcohol tests; the legal limit is .08.

Gary Hveem, athletic director for the Rio Rancho Public Schools, said the school has a policy governing conduct for students who participate in extra curricular activities, but it covers only the time where the student is actually participating in a sport or organization. The Albuquerque Public Schools attempted to implement a code covering students year-round, but lost a court case two years ago when a La Cueva High cheerleader was reinstated to the squad after being kicked off when she was cited for possession of alcohol at a party.

"We've not able to disseminate repercussions during the off season," Hveem said. "We're very disappointed in learning of this. When we get back to school on Thursday, this will be the first thing on the agenda to be addressed when I meet with the coaching staff, and appropriate action will be taken.

"We want to give a child every chance to grow up and be a good decision maker. We're all disappointed when they take a step backward. The only saving grace is that more than 95 percent of them make it worthwhile."

Philipbar's father Brian, himself a high school quarterback in the 1970s at Cibola, hoped the incident would serve as a wake-up call to other parents.

"I don't condone it. I think it's horrible," he said. "I had a friend of mine's son who was killed (in a DWI accident) and I saw what happened to their family because of it.

"I'm pretty upset over the whole thing. He did something stupid. You trust your kids until something happens, and when something happens everything changes."

Brian Philipbar also is punishing his son ahead of anything that may happen from the school or courts.

"I can guarantee you this: Baer isn't going to be driving a car for a long time," he said. "He's not getting away with anything. Life is going to be a lot harder on him now. He's without a car. He can look in the garage - he's got a bike to ride.

"Maybe the people he was with will get the message, too."

Told of Philipbar's comments, Hveem said, "Car keys are as an effective of a punishment as there is for young people.

Baer Philipbar, a junior, helped the Rams compile an 8-2 regular season record before they lost to Albuquerque Highland 20-14 in the first round of the state playoffs last fall. His older brother Brian was the Rio Rancho High quarterback in 2000.

Baer Philipbar spent is first two seasons at Cibola and Albuquerque High before coming to Rio Rancho High this year.

DPS made two other drunken driving arrests on Jan. 1 and three more on New Year's Eve. Officers also arrested nine minors for possession of alcohol on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2, including three from Albuquerque.

Law enforcement officials believe stepped up enforcement and awareness programs are making a difference. Still, there were 27 arrests for drunken driving in the period from Dec. 2 to Jan. 2, including two minors, according to preliminary reports filed by DPS. There were also 14 arrests for juveniles in possession or under the influence of alcohol and numerous arrests for drivers in possession of an open container of alcohol in their vehicle.

Sandoval County officials made three DWI arrests during the holiday weekend, Sheriff John Paul Trujillo said. There were two arrests made in Bernalillo and none in Corrales.

DPS will also continue DWI saturation patrols and "Operation Buckle Down," a seat-belt enforcement campaign, this month.