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Bulldogs host four-team scrimmage

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Four high school football programs participated in a pre-season scrimmage at Ramona High School that head coach Damon Baldwin said showed players what they have to work on for the coming season.

Ramona was joined by Bonita Vista, Valhalla, and Mira Mesa at the Dawg Pound last Thurday. The four teams participated in varsity, junior varsity and freshman scrimmages.

“It was a great scrimmage,” said Baldwin. “Everybody came out healthy and got tons of work. Quite a wonderful day.”

The combination of teams from the North County Conference (Ramona), Grossmont Conference (Valhalla), City Conference (Mira Mesa), and Metro Conference (Bonita Vista) gave each team a sampling of opposition from throughout the county. Baldwin noted that the coaches from the other three schools expressed interest in returning to Ramona for a 2017 pre-season scrimmage.

“Everybody was ecstatic how organized it was,” he said.

The purpose of the scrimmage was for coaches to get their own teams organized for regular-season and post-season play.

“We found out what we need to work on,” Baldwin said.

The Ramona varsity’s first regular-season game will be Friday against St. Augustine at Mesa College. The Bulldogs return three starting offensive players and one starting defensive player from the 2015 squad.

“We’re a young team,” Baldwin said. “We’ve got a handful of seniors who are counting on these young players to help them have a good year.”

Baldwin formed his varsity, junior varsity and freshman squads during the first two weeks of practice, which began Aug. 3.

“They’re very coachable,” he said of his players.

The varsity game at Mesa College will begin at 7 p.m. Due to construction at St. Augustine, the junior varsity and freshman games will be played at Ramona High School on Saturday. The freshman game will start at 4 p.m. and the junior varsity contest will begin at 7 p.m.

“They get to play under the lights,” Baldwin said.

All Division I teams will compete in the CIF playoffs. The eight highest-seeded teams will participate in the Open Division post-season while the other teams will seek the CIF Division I championship. The Bulldogs are thus guaranteed at least one post-season game.

“We just want to focus on getting better,” Baldwin said. “Each week our mission is to try to improve.”

Last year St. Augustine had a 10-3 record including two losses by a combined total of 5 points to CIF Southern Section teams. The Saints’ only loss to a San Diego Section team was in the Open Division championship game against Helix.

“We get to go against the best right away, so we’re going to get a chance to see where we are,” Baldwin said.

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