Rio Rancho captures first-ever boys soccer state title
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (BVM) — The Rio Rancho Rams didn’t have history on their side nor were the odds in their favor heading into the Class 5A boys soccer state tournament last week. There were five teams seeded higher than the Rams in the eight-team tourney, and the program had never reached the state final in the 24 years since Rio Rancho High School opened.
But none of that ended up mattering in Saturday’s Class 5A championship match. With one 68th-minute goal from senior Lamar Bynum on an assist from his brother, sophomore Jamal Bynum, the Rams beat the odds and made school history, capturing their first-ever state title in boys soccer by beating the defending champ Albuquerque Bulldogs, 1-0.
It was the only loss of the season for Albuquerque (7-1), which entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed and reached the championship match for the fifth time in six seasons. But the Bulldogs were held to only one shot on goal as they were outplayed by a Rio Rancho (10-2) squad which lost its final match of district play this season before finishing with a three-match winning streak by knocking off three of the top four seeds in the tourney. The Rams beat No. 3 Mayfield 2-0 in the quarterfinals and then ousted No. 2 La Cueva on penalty kicks in the semifinals before completing their run to the title against AHS.
