Long-time nemesis La Cueva visits RRHS

Hoping to rebound from the first season since 2001-02 that his team didn’t get as far as the state quarterfinals, 11th-year Rams girls coach Bob McIntyre is, of course, optimistic about the coming campaign.

That said, he also knows his district keeps getting tougher. Gallup has always been good; Cibola is doing its best to step over the Rams and assume control of the runner-up spot. And West Mesa’s strides in recent seasons — two wins in 2005-06 to seven — means the Mustangs could move into a spoiler role.

The Rams beat Gallup last year in the District 1-5A semifinals before falling to Cibola in the championship game. The Rams went on to lose to Hobbs, 47-38, in the first round of the playoffs, Cibola fell in the quarterfinals, and the Bengals were kayoed in the semifinals.

Rio Rancho tips off the 2007-08 season Nov. 27, when La Cueva visits for a 7 p.m. game. They won’t have much time to rest, as Valley drops into the Rams Athletic Center two nights later for another contest.

The Rams finished with a 17-12 record last season. Coach Bob McIntyre, heading into his 11th season, has compiled a 192-76 record so far and soon, barring a catastrophe or total collapse, will be the first coach in school history with 200 wins.

Senior Ashley Rhoades “can hold her own at the post with anybody else in the state,” “Coach Mac” said, and junior point guard Megan Muniz “is one of the best guards in the state.” The two were first-team All-District selections last year.

“We’re experienced there, we have good people there, they have proved what they can do,” he said of that duo. “We’re asking them to probably even deliver a little bit more. It’s the other positions that are totally open.”

Lost to graduation were guard Stephanie Lopez, and forwards Annette Dominguez and Melissa Hillenbrand (also All-District first teamer); Tarrah Sweet left with her family for Roswell, while Geraldine Neru has also moved away.

Vying for starting positions and playing time are twins Amanda and Courtney Solwick, a starter last season, Katie Crouch, Kayla Gibson and Kelsey Hawkins.

“I’m really hopeful and confident that one of the surprises on our team could be Ashley Steffensen,” he continued. “We have the two other seniors, Talisa Puentes and Allison Anderson, that need to help us out outside. In the past, you almost knew the core of the varsity, so there’ll be good competition in practice for those other spots.

“Shelby Pendley is a freshman that looks promising; she’s very athletic. Nishelle Newsome could see some varsity. A lot of this is how they perform in practice and, obviously, in games,” he said.

He said there’s a good possibility some junior varsity players could also see time in a varsity game after the JV contests; Angelina Donnell is a player that’s ready to step up, he said.

“It’s been a real nice start to the year. The kids are working hard,” he said, barely two weeks into the season. “We’ve never started this early, and yet, practice got bumped a week later and so we’re a little behind.

“We’ve got a good schedule,” he said. “If anything, I think what’s happened is 5A has really, really gone to more parity. One might say that some of the top teams, like Mayfield and Clovis, have kind of come back but a number of teams have advanced up, like Cibola. Two of them are in our district that I think are going to be top-four or top-five teams, Cibola and Gallup. Eldorado had a terrific summer; there are a number of teams that are out there that I think create parity.

“For our group, I honestly can’t see a game where we can take a night off,” he said. “There isn’t really going to be a night off and, in terms of competition, we’re going to face good competition every night.”

Rams fans will want to mark Dec. 13-15 on their calendars; those are the dates for the eighth annual Mel Otero Invitational in the RAC.

Rio Rancho faces Los Lunas at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 in a first-round game. Also in the field are Clovis, Aztec, Las Cruces, Portales, Sandia and Del Norte.

“We’re trying to find any edge we can — so we have focused on conditioning and skill development. We have some athleticism; we have a little bit of speed. We’re just trying to get into a system that’s going to benefit them the best — and I can’t even tell you what that is, because we’re still in kind of a feeling-out process,” McIntyre said. “I like their attitude and chemistry.”

Patrick Puentes returns as the varsity assistant. Dominic Carrera is back as the junior varsity coach, while Breyanna Harris will coach one of the ninth-grade teams and former Capital High standout Jessica Ortega coaches the new frosh squad.

“(Ortega) has been coaching our eighth-grade for the last five, six years, with Ruben Lardizibal,” McIntyre said.