Enough players from Rio Rancho High School to field a baseball team will skate for the Maroon team Saturday, when that high school all-star hockey game takes place at Santa Ana Star Center at 2:30 p.m., prior to the New Mexico Scorpions’ game against Corpus Christi.

The annual all-star affair features nine Rams: goalie JoJo Griego, the lone senior representing RRHS; juniors Michael Kalaber, Elliott Pope, Ian Hotton, Jordan Farnholtz, Derek Camacho and Patrick Brewer; sophomore Robby Weebb and freshman Steve Casaceli.

League coaches gathered to draft the two all-star squads; the Maroon team is made up of players from Eldorado, Santa Fe, Cibola , La Cueva, Los Alamos and RRHS. Their opponents, the Gold team, fields players from those teams, except Rio Rancho, plus St. Pius X, Taos and the Albuquerque composite team, known as the Outkasts. Rio Rancho head coach Tim Camacho and Santa Fe coach Paul Devincetis head the Maroon team.

The high school players will participate in a skills competition Friday evening, following the Scorpions-Rayz contest.

Rio Rancho has one regular-season game remaining; the Rams close out the regular season Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. when Eldorado visits Blades Multiplex Arenas. Rio Rancho whipped the Eagles 7-3 in their first meeting, played Jan. 28 at the Outpost Arena in Albuquerque.

Rams 15, Cougars 1: Kalaber scored five goals, including three in the first period, and Pope and Webb came up with hat tricks Tuesday evening at Blades.

Pope wound up with nine points; he had six assists, while Farnholtz assisted on five goals.

Erin Machek made 14 saves for the Rams; the shutout disappeared with just 2:47 remaining in the game.

Los Alamos 7, Rams 2: Sunday was anything but “Super” for the Rams, who were trounced by the visiting Hilltoppers.

After the game, assistant coach Bob Pope told the Rams they were “a good hockey club, were deep with great players, we have worked hard all season and good teams respond and come to play when it really counts.

“It’s all about effort, intensity, and the hunger to win another state title,” Pope said. “How hard are you willing to work to achieve that cup again?”

In an unusual motivational tactic on Monday, Pope said, “the cup sat on a five-gallon bucket at center ice as the Rams reflected on the road to a three-peat.”

Then, Elliott Pope, overturned the bucket, which was “filled with 100 brand-new hockey pucks and the team proceeded to bounce rubber all over the place.

“Losing to Los Alamos two times this season is really not a problem,” Pope added. “Winning is not everything as you prepare for the playoffs.”

The playoffs’ elimination rounds are in Taos Feb. 22-24. Championship games in the “pure” and “composite” division take place March 1 at the Star Center.