Gary Herron

Albuquerque

Sports Editor at Rio Rancho Observer

"Mr. Baseball in Albuquerque... Retired May 31, 2024, after 45 years of covering high school sports in Albuquerque metro area, … 24 years at Rio Rancho Observer

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Articles

Rams name new basketball coach

3 days ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho High School has a new head coach for the boys’ basketball program, and it’s someone coaches in the Metro area are familiar with: Steve Heredia. Heredia has been coaching the Atrisco Heritage Academy boys since taking over for the Jaguars’ original coach, Adrian Ortega, who left his post at AHA in December 2021 to become the athletic director for Albuquerque Public Schools.
It’s not football: Rams 20, Storm 13

4 days ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — Who’s on first? is a good question after the District 1-5A softball season reached its midpoint on Tax Day, April 15. Rio Rancho had just outlasted visiting Cleveland in a game at Paul Kohman Field that went nearly three hours. That kept the Rams in a three-way tie with Cibola and Piedra Vista, all 4-1 at the halfway mark. But who’s really “on” first: The Rams beat Cibola, Cibola beat Piedra Vista and Piedra Vista walloped the Rams.
A split week for Storm baseball team

1 week ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — Friday turned out to be a great day for a walk: 84 degrees and sunny, with a slight breeze. The Cleveland High School baseball team “went” for 13 walks that day, thanks to a trio of Volcano Vista pitchers having trouble finding the plate. Peyton Noel was the final Storm player to be issued a free pass, and it came with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.
City’s HS female powerlifting teams 5th, 6th

2 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — What a difference a year makes. Last year, Rio Rancho and Cleveland finished 1-2 in the girls’ Class 5A state powerlifting competition. The Rams had been second and the Storm were third in 2023, with Centennial ruling as team champ. On Friday, April 4, the Storm girls were fifth and the Rams girls sixth at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and National Electrical Contractors Association State Powerlifting Championships.
Storm’s male lifters 4th, Rams 9th

2 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO—There was good news and there was bad news for the Rio Rancho High School boys’ powerlifting team Saturday at the Rio Rancho Events Center. The good news was that their senior super-heavyweight, Jose Zapien, set a school record and a state record when he “squatted” 535 pounds, topping the previous record of 525, set by Clovis High’s Jeremiah Johnston last year.
City’s softball teams win 3 of 4 games this week

2 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — As usual, Paul Kohman didn’t have much to say when he and his Rio Rancho High School softball team made an appearance on the evening of April4 on KOB-TV’s GameDay show. Yes, he knew his team was 2-0 in District 1-5A, but his team had work to do and would continue to get better. After all, eight 1-5A games remained on the schedule, and he said he’d be happy to get a top-8 seed for the Class 5A state tournament (May 7-17).
Baseball teams off to great start in 1-5A

2 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — Ugly weather and maybe an ugly win or two won’t faze the City of Vision’s varsity baseball teams, which each posted a pair of victories to start the all-important District 1-5A campaign last week. The Cleveland Storm, who knew they started the season off right with tournament championships in Las Cruces and Rio Rancho, ran their winning streak to four in their district opener Thursday at Cibola, two days after horrendous winds postponed all diamond action in the Metro area.
‘La Bala’ back in the ring at The Pit April 12

3 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

ALBUQUERQUE — Having a big fight in New Mexico is nothing new for Cleveland High School alum Brian “La Bala” Mendoza, Rio Rancho’s most-successful fighter since the halcyon days of “Irish” Sean McClain, who had a memorable fight there in 1994. Mendoza, who now trains and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, has had six fights in the Land of Enchantment and won them all. It’s his first here since 2017.
Rams are fifth at Puentes tournament

3 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — A fifth-place finish at an eight-team tournament is better than a fourth- place finish, Rio Rancho High School baseball coach David Gomez agreed, because the fifth-place team has won twice, while the fourth-place team dropped a pair.
Rams, Storm softball teams finish down in the pack

3 weeks ago | rrobserver.com | Gary Herron

RIO RANCHO — La Cueva won the annual Kristin Griego Softball Tournament, hosted by Rio Rancho High School, with a 6-2 victory over Alamogordo Saturday afternoon at Paul Kohman Field at the Eagle Ridge Middle School complex. The No. 2 Bears ran amuck over the field, defeating (in order) to get to the championship game, Robertson (15-0), Cleveland (13-1) and Hobbs (10-0). The No. 6 Tigers had closer games, beating Hobbs (8-4), Farmington (7-4) and Sandia (8-2).