Ramos, East obliterate West by record margin

VISALIA — Josh Ramos turned the Tulare-Kings East-West All-Star Game into his personal Barry Sanders-esque highlight film.

The 5-foot-9 running back from Redwood was constantly darting off his linemen’s blocks and spent much of his night in West’s secondary.

And in the end zone.

Ramos scored four touchdowns — three on runs, one through the air — to help the East to a 48-14 destruction of the West, at the Giant-Chevrolet Mineral King Bowl, Saturday night.

“It was a treat getting to watch that kid play,” Monache defensive end Garion Brown said.

The blowout was the largest margin of victory in the 42-year history of the All-Star game.

He ended up with 240 all-purpose yards — 169 rushing and 71 receiving. Both were team highs.

The 11 Orange Belt seniors took a backseat to Ramos and the offensive line, but were happy to be along for the ride and end their high school careers with a convincing win.

“I’ve never won by this much,” Monache wide receiver Ulyses Serna said. “This was a great experience for all of us. I’ll cherish this moment.”

Serna caught the longest pass of the game — a 38-yarder between two defenders — to set up Ramos’ third touchdown in the first quarter, while Granite Hills tight end Felipe Andrade hauled in a 16-yard crossing route in the fourth. 

East coach Mark Rogers, who coached El Diamante to the Valley finals, said the East’s offensive line, which was comprised mostly of senior Miners, wore down the West defense throughout.

“We were probably a bit more physical than them,” Rogers said. “We had a good O-line and we ran the ball real well. Ramos is a very good running back, so he makes them look good and they make him look good.” 

Ramos had a truck-sized hole off left tackle on his first rushing TD, which came from five yards out. 

Serna was in awe of the running space the East’s line created.

“I play wide receiver. I’m afraid to play running back, but if I were to play behind these guys, I wouldn’t even hesitate to play there,” he said.

Following a Ramos 23-yard receiving score, the West was in a two-touchdown hole less than halfway through the first quarter.

The East led 21-6 after the first period.

The 6, however, was a play that could’ve made SportsCenter’s top 10 had they sent a camera crew to Visalia.

McFarland running back Stevie Robinson put the West on the board with a 58-yard, touchdown run that resembled a Devin Hester punt return. 

The play was designed to be a sweep to the left, but the East defense nixed that idea. So, Robinson reversed field, slipped inside the East’s outside-containing cornerback and sprinted down the right sideline for the score.

Two possessions later, East running back Brad Bullock fumbled, leading to the West’s second score (an Anthony Ramirez 17-yard quarterback scramble) and subsequent two-point conversion.

From there, Brown said the defense upped their intensity and committed to controlling the line of scrimmage.

“After that second score everyone just realized, ‘Hey, we’ve gotta get focused now and get our heads straight,’” Brown said.

The West didn’t get into the red zone again.

Monache linebackers Sebastian Alcantar and Alfredo Vargas were seemingly in on every tackle, as they joined the rest of the East front seven in shutting down the West’s misdirection spread attack.

“This time I could see (Alcantar and Vargas) the whole time because I was only playing offense, said Serna, who will play cornerback at Bakersfield College. “Then you see a lot more of what they do and how they play, so I was impressed.

“They’re always around the ball. I heard Alcantar’s name about 10 times.”

Alcantar ruined the West’s final scoring chance late in the third quarter by stopping Ramirez (Corcoran) short of the first-down marker on a fourth-down scramble.

Notes: 

Exeter kicker Osmar Macias had a busy night, connecting on all six extra points and two field goals. The game nearly turned ugly like the one in 2007 after Ramos’ fourth touchdown. Corcoran cornerback Richard Sahagun shoved Ramos onto the track after the play was over, prompting a brief sideline-clearing skirmish. 

Sahagun was thrown out of the game and the West was assessed two personal fouls, allowing the East to kick off from the West’s 45-yard line.

There were no punts by either side in the game.