Portales boys coach Mark Gallegos uses his annual game against Clovis High as a measuring stick for the Rams. He expects to find out a lot when the teams collide at 7 p.m. today in Portales. “We’re fixing to play probably the best team we’ll play all year,” Gallegos said. “I feel like Clovis will probably be one of the top three teams in (Class 5A).” The Class 3A Rams (1-1) earned their first win on Friday, a 51-41 verdict at Muleshoe. Meantime, the Wildcats (4-0), less than two weeks removed from the 5A state football championship, capped a busy opening week by winning the City of Champions Classic in Artesia on Saturday. “I’m pleased with where we’re at,” Clovis coach J.D. Isler said. “But we really have a lot of things we’ll have to do better.” The Rams have never beaten Clovis in Isler’s previous six seasons, although they’ve come close a time or two. Isler said he expects to get their best shot. “Their players always get up to play us, and both teams are familiar with each other,” he said. “I expect a great effort out of Portales. I think it’ll be a great game, and we’ll have to come ready to play.” The Cats’ depth will be tested a bit without senior forward Jordan Mendoza. Clovis’ football quarterback fractured his right wrist during an October game at Rio Rancho and has played through it until now, but he had a cast put on it on Sunday and is likely to miss at least six weeks. Clovis beat a quality Colorado team, Denver Lincoln, by two points in the semifinals at Artesia. Its other three wins have been an average of 25 points. “They’ve played together for so long and they play a lot together in the summer,” Gallegos said. “That’s what the really good teams do. “We’re going go have to play as well as we possibly can just to stay around in the game.” Gallegos, whose team plays another 5A foe on Thursday when it travels to Carlsbad, said the Rams are relatively young. Their most experienced players are senior guards Ky Mitchell and Chris Mosier. “I think our kids will come out and compete,” he said. “We’re not going to back down, but we’ll probably have to play a near-perfect game.”