Serving the High Plains

Rattlers readying for Robertson

By Steve HansenStaff Writer The Tucumcari High Rattlers will scrimmage beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday at home with the Cardinals of Las Vegas’ Robertson High School.

It’s a scrimmage game that doesn’t count for either team. Robertson isn’t even on Tucumcari’s schedule this year, head coach Wayne Ferguson said.

QCS photo: Steve Hansen

Saul Ramos looks for a receiver Monday during Tucumcari Rattler varsity practice.

The scrimmage, Ferguson said, “will help us decide who we want to play where” in the regular season. “We are still evaluating everyone, from freshmen to seniors,” he added. In the scrimmage, he said, “We’ll see what they can do, especially against a team they haven’t seen before.”

The coaches will be closely watching the scrimmage game to see “how we execute, who steps up and what we need to add to the practices,” Ferguson said.

The Rattlers have been practicing for only two weeks, Ferguson said, so it’s still too early to make many decisions as to who will start in any position.

Zach Martinez, a senior, is likely to play quarterback, Ferguson said.

At a practice on Monday, Saul Ramos, a junior designated as an offensive and defensive end, was taking a turn at quarterback in intrasquad skirmishing.

Billy Sandoval, another senior running back, also is likely to be a key player, Ferguson said.

Still, Ferguson said, the jury is out on many of the 40 players who appear on the Rattlers’ preseason roster, and Thursday’s scrimmage game will be an important part of the decision process.