Ramona Junior Midgets win Avocado League championship
The Ramona Pop Warner Jr. Midget Guard Dawgs football team won the Avocado League championship with a win over the Fallbrook Warriors on Saturday.
A 26-0 victory by the Dawgs kept their perfect season alive.
A balanced attack on both sides of the ball kept the Fallbrook Warriors and their fast strike offense and defense at bay. The Attack Dawg offense led by quarterback Jordan Narramore scored early with the power running of Arturo Osorio and the pass receiving of Brandon Gansch.
With an early 6-0 lead, Ramona leaned on the defense. Staying with the game plan that Defensive Coach Craig Barnat prepared for the boys, the Warriors crossed the 50 yard line just once in the game.
The Guard Dawgs recorded their seventh straight win that gave them the Avocado League championship. A defensive scheme relied on linemen Ben Hine, Tony Maccini and Nigel Castillo to not only play tough and physical but smart as well. Pulling off their task to perfection opened the door for middle linebackers Colton Jansen and Ted Schenk to do what they do best, penetrate the offense and make back field tackles.
With nowhere else to go but outside, the speedy Fallbrook team ran into a brick wall constructed by Garrett Dart and Justin Vilagrana. Playing arguably their best game of the year, deep men Travis Kerchner and Keyanis Crichlow covered the receivers like a blanket and never allowed the “big play” to develop.
On the other side of the ball, it was all about pure power. Coached by Emmett Kent, offensive linemen Kory Hine, Jason Summers, Chad Nelson and Lee Hernandez controlled the tempo with key blocking. Head Coach Jason McGhee was able to call his ball control offense at ease with the smash mouth running of Arturo Osorio and Justin Vilagrana and the gritty speed of Keyanis Crichlow and Brandon Gansh.
The biggest play of the game came with the score 14-0 in the third quarter.Faced with a fourth and goal and the ball on the 35 yard line, Narramore and Crichlow hooked up with a 30-yard pass play. With intense concentration and determination, Keyanis Crichlow snatched the ball from the surrounding defenders in the end zone for the score.
The score broke the backs of the Warriors.
The Guard Dawgs now are the number one seed going into the playoffs for Palomar Conference, the governing Pop Warner conference for San Diego next week, and will face the Murrieta Valley White hawks in Ramona this Saturday.
“Go, Guard Dawgs, 2009 Avocado League Champions,” said enthusiastic fans.