Two Ramona High School football players recruited by Division 1 schools
By Bill Tamburrino
“Ramona High School has two football players who have verbally committed to play Division I programs,” announced coach Damon Baldwin.
“Christian Drews has committed to play at the University of Utah in the PAC-12 in 2016 after going on his Mormon Mission.
“Matt Lawler has committed to the United States Air Force Academy to play football and attend the prestigious academy to serve our country,” said Baldwin.
Both Drews and Lawler will be seniors at RHS this fall.
“Ramona football is very proud of both of these young men. Their commitments only bring more attention to other Bulldogs that are willing to work hard, get good grades and commit themselves to the sport that can provide so many great opportunities to young men after high school. Way to go Matt and Christian, more on the horizon…stay tuned,” Baldwin said.
“I will be trying out as a preferred walk-on after I go on my mission. Right now Utah doesn’t know how many scholarships they will have available in 2016. They want me to enroll and if I do well they will put me on scholarship,” said Drews, whose father, Jeremy, attended and played football at Utah. “From day one, Utah is where I wanted to go. After my mission I will enroll and give it my best shot.”
The Air Force Academy has always been Lawler’s No. 1 goal.
“I visited the academy between my sophomore and junior years and I just returned from football and basketball camps there where I verbally committed to play football and now I have to go through the application process. I am academically qualified and I have to pass their physical. I also have to acquire a congressional nomination but the academy is going to help me with the process,” Lawler said.
He was actually being considered by the football and basketball programs. Lawler did very well at both camps and the football coaches recruited him to commit to play at USAFA. His parents, Jeff and Kelly, both graduated from RHS and were varsity letter recipients.
Both Lawler and Drews are two-sport athletes. Lawler also plays basketball for the Dawgs. Drews lettered in baseball as a sophomore but had to sit out last season as he had to rehab from a shoulder operation.