Jeric Magnant and Zack Rogers each caught two touchdown passes apiece from quarterback Tyler Baker, but three Rams turnovers and the legs of Goddard’s Greg Ramirez spoiled Rio Rancho’s homecoming, 35-28, Friday night.

The Rockets, Class 4A state champs in 2008, didn’t capitalize on a first-quarter interception thrown by Baker — Ramirez picked that one off — but scored first on a 2-yard run by quarterback J. Burrola. Ramirez kicked the point-after.

Magnant, who had four TD catches seven days earlier in a win at Aztec, caught an 8-yard scoring strike from Baker for the second quarter’s first score. Rogers added the PAT for a deadlock at 7.

Jeric Magnant, left, is congratulated after a TD catch by assistant coach Jay Hill. That's wide-eyed QB Tyler Baker behind Hill.

Goddard (2-2) went three and out and punted, but Baker fumbled the ball while scrambling on a first-down play and a Rocket scooped it up and returned it 50-some yards for a 13-7 lead. Ramirez’s kick was wide, and the score remained 13-7 at halftime.

The Rams (2-2) looked like a new team early in the second half.

Taking the kickoff, the Rams marched 57 yards in seven plays, capped by a 14-yard strike from Baker to Magnant, with Rogers’ PAT giving the Rams a 14-13 lead with 10:21 left in the half.

Goddard again stalled offensively and punted. The Rams responded by driving 47 yards in eight plays, this time with Rogers hauling in a 22-yard pass from Baker for the TD. Rogers then booted the PAT and Rams fans breathed easier, their team owning a 21-13 lead with 5:56 left to play in the third period.

That’s when Ramirez kicked it into fourth gear, carrying the ball five consecutive times, the last going 22 yards into the end zone, on the Rockets’ 71-yard, 11-play drive. His PAT tied the game for the final time at 21-all.

The Rams then marched downfield, with that drive stalling and Rogers trying a 45-yard field goal, which missed.

Taking over on their own 20, the Rockets took the lead for good on a seven-play drive — with Ramirez carrying the ball on every play — and scoring on his 1-yard run. His PAT, which was his 22nd point of the game, made it 34-21.

The drive seemed simple enough: A pitch to Ramirez.

All the Rams had to do was tackle him, which was easier said than done.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Rams defensive coordinator Gino Satriana said. “We were shading over that way and they were just running at will on that side. … It’s a hard pill to swallow when you look at it from the stands, a spectator’s view, that, ‘Don’t you know what’s coming?’

“Heck, yeah, you know it’s coming. We shaded over that way — we’ve just got to make the plays,” he said. The Rams managed another Baker-to-Rogers TD, this one covering 12 yards, and Rogers’ PAT reduced the deficit to 35-28.

But only 46 seconds remained to be played.

An onsides kickoff failed and the Rockets ran out the clock, happy to have beaten the 5A Rams for the second year in a row.

“We didn’t tackle (Ramirez) and we’ve struggled against the run this year,” Satriana said. “I have eight juniors out there that never played a varsity down (before this season), and now we’re in game four and we know people are going to run against us.”

Indeed, Hobbs, Salpointe Catholic and Aztec have had their way on the ground against the Rams.

Unofficially, Ramirez wound up with 33 carries for 251 yards, overshadowing the fine passing night enjoyed by Baker.

Just as the Rams’ opponents have had success running the ball, the Rams have had little success rushing the ball.

Ramirez, for example, had four tuns of 22 or more yards; Baker, often scrambling and forced to run, had one that covered 24 yards, while Darius Morgan’s added a 23-yard run along the west sideline late in the third quarter.. But Morgan wound up with a net 32 yards on nine carries for the game.

RAMifications: The Rams play host to Clovis Friday at 7 p.m. The Wildcats have a 5-0 all-time record against the Rams including a 21-18 victory at Leon Williams Stadium in Clovis last season. The ‘Cats are coming off a lopsided 49-0 loss to La Cueva Friday night at Wilson Stadium.

… Former Rams standout Troy Harris averaged more than five yards per carry and rushed for 81 yards on 15 attempts, scoring once, in Eastern New Mexico University’s 49-47 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State University last Saturday. ENMU quarterback J.J. Harp shattered two NCAA records during the contest: He was 64 of 94 passing for 695 and three touchdowns, breaking the NCAA records for single-game completions and attempts.