RHS Athletic Director Gives Peek Inside 2013 Football Season

By Damon Baldwin, athletic director and head football coach at Ramona High School

The 2012 Historical run to the CIF Championship Game of last season is in the record books and the community has had a chance to exhale after a phenomenal playoff run that packed the stadium for weeks in November here in “Football Land! Coach Damon Baldwin and his staff have officially began the 2013 season with 11 spring football practices scheduled to run from May 22 to June 6.

This season promises to be extremely exciting in Ramona. The Bulldogs will compete in the always-tough Palomar League again and come CIF playoff time they will compete in the very tough Division I bracket in the newly-designed football playoff divisions.

The Bulldogs have what many experts are saying the toughest 10 game schedule in the San Diego Section. Ramona will play four teams in the new Super "OPEN" Division and five teams in Division I on their schedule. The Bulldogs will have six home, regular season games, which the Athletic Department is hoping for record crowds this year as the exciting 2013 season begins.

Team Preview Capsule

Offense

Sophomore Marco Cobian takes the reigns as the Quarterback for the Dawgs. Many of the Division I college scouts that have traveled to Coach Baldwin’s office this year have remarked that this kid will be special. Coach Baldwin thinks Marco's future as a QB is open-ended meaning: "He can take his game to the highest level if he chooses to!"  

Finding a backup to the Marco is priority and Christian Dominguez and Tanner Williams have the ability to start on most varsity teams so this will be strength for the Dawgs. Running back should once again be a force for Ramona. 

Potential County Rushing Leader Nathan Cherek, Teddy Schenck and Super Junior Brandon Gansch will anchor the 1-3 combination the Bulldog offense requires. This tandem reminds Baldwin a lot of the Ryan Morgan-Tyler Jackson tandem that was legendary here 3-4 years ago. Justin Villagrana will also carry the ball and provide depth. Tight end promises to be strength for the Dawgs... Division I college recruits Matt Lawler (Air Force Academy Football Scholarship) and Christian Drews (University of Utah) headline a very deep position. Drews will actually move to the hybrid spot of the H -TE and will play fullback. 

Ben Barnat and T-Bone Williams will be main players at this group along with All CIF potential Lawler. The Wide Receiver group will have the most new faces, but Starters Garrett "playmaker" Binkley and Tanner Williams return. Garrett Dart, Colton Harris, Colton Jansen and Wyatt Scott all provide excellent depth and ability. Wyatt Kent moves from tight end to wide receiver as well. 

The offensive line is the biggest question mark as it will have three new starters. Returning starters Patrick Hastings and William Rieve will anchor the line with all of the other positions being fought for through August camp. 

Finding a center to take over for ALL CIF Josh Allen is important and SR Trae Rodriguez has worked hard to get this chance. Coach Baldwin likes the kids in this group and says that if this group can come together another run at the CIF Title will be possible. 

Defense

Special Teams 

This area should be very strong as both kickers Tyler Vargas and Brandon Duarte return. This tandem may be the best in San Diego this year. Punters Tanner Williams and Colton Jansen will compete for that spot and the long snapping position which is so critical will be challenged by Teddy Schenck (last year’s starter), Keyshaun Crichlow and Karl Sapper up from the JV squad. Short snapper Trae Rodriguez returns for PAT and field goals. The special teams areas will be coached by the entire staff and not lead by one person like in some years.

Coaching Staff:   

Ramona continues to operate one of the strongest North County football programs with the least amount of on campus coaches in the county. Baldwin has only two on-campus, full-time coaches in WR coach Mike Ernst and assistant coach Billy Clark. The rest of the coaching staff comes from other jobs and occupations and Baldwin says he loves the dedication and commitment to the kids from all of his staff. 

The staff is mostly the same as last season with the addition of Chris Lohman (former all-league offensive lineman for Baldwin in 2005) and Rheynard Morgan moving to the Running Back position after mostly working with off-field quality control and equipment. 

Offensively, Baldwin will coach the offensive line and coordinate the offense; former three-year varsity player Erik Ernst will handle the QB duties and coordinate the JV offense; former RHS graduate Chris Lohman will handle the JV offensive lineman. 

RHS teacher and NJROTC leader Mike Ernst will coach the wide receivers. 

Defensively Baldwin made some slight changes with the positions, as defensive coordinator Stephon Pace will coach the secondary for the varsity, while 25-year coaching veteran Gene Andrews will move to linebackers. Coach Andrews will also coordinate the JV defense. 

Brent Harvey, who has been in the program for seven years, will become a full time varsity coach and handle the defensive line. Brent is a very bright coach and is someone that will be a future varsity coordinator one day soon. Phillip Skora will handle the JV defensive line and assist Coach Harvey with the varsity line as well. 

Coach Billy Clark is now back after a short break and will handle the JV defensive backs and wide receivers for the offense in the fall. Jeremy Drews will lead the freshman staff which is mostly new but has a tremendous background at all levels of football. The freshman staff has added former RHS and college lineman George Cobian and Shawn Boyd, along with longtime youth football coach and administrator John Pecoraro. Ben Cass returns for his second season on the freshman staff along with newcomer Robert Mason.

Bulldog Angels and Managers

The Bulldogs currently have 10 "Bulldog Hydration Specialists" and one manager in Emma Lisowski. The staff is looking for more managers and hydration people. If interested contact coach Baldwin at his email on the school website. These positions are invaluable. Filmers are also needed if interested contact Baldwin or Coach Morgan.