RAMONA – When entering Ramona via the winding state Route 78, motorists are greeted by a white sign.
“Welcome to Bulldog country” reads the sign with a caricature of bulldog between the words.
Bulldog country was in a festive mood last night after Ramona came back from a 21-point deficit to tie visiting Oceanside 33-33.
And Ramona welcomed the top-ranked Pirates into a Valley League showdown that ended with last-second dramatics.
Behind a loud standing-room-only crowd, the Bulldogs (8-1-1, 4-1-1) relied on their strength to tie the game with 27.6 seconds left. Ramona pounded the ball, running through the middle of the defense for Oceanside (9-0-1, 5-0-1).
Running back Joey Dambrose scored from a yard out to cut the Pirates' lead to 33-31. Dambrose added the two-point conversion, also with a plunge up the middle.
Ramona coach Damon Baldwin planned to call a rollout pass on the conversion attempt. His offensive line wasn't buying it.
“We're running up the middle, man,” Ramona center Derek Sauter said. “Right behind our O-line. It worked. It was a satisfying feeling. I wanted to cry.”
Despite Ramona's celebratory mood, Oceanside claimed the league title.
Oceanside most likely earned the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs when the San Diego section releases the pairings today.
With the tie, the Bulldogs helped their chances in getting the No. 2 seed in Division III, behind Cathedral Catholic. The tie also snaps Oceanside's 21-game winning streak but the Pirates remain unbeaten in their last 22 games.
“They never quit,” Pirates' coach John Carroll said of Ramona. “But we did not play well. We didn't line up well. This shows we're mortal. We just didn't play well. We had to play four quarters. Maybe we were tired.”
The Pirates, whose starters hadn't played into the fourth quarter in recent weeks because of blowout wins, moved the ball into Ramona territory with less then 10 seconds left, hoping to set up a game-winning field goal attempt.
But Pirates' receiver Demario Coleman couldn't get to the ground fast enough after making a 15-yard catch from quarterback Jordan Wynn.
Carroll tried to call time out with 0.7 left but refs said time had expired.
Instead, Coleman sat staring at the turf while Ramona players jumped around him.
“I was a little numb,” Baldwin said. “That was a phenomenal effort by these kids, this school, and the support that this community gave made it feel like a college game.”
Ivan Orozco: (760) 752-6758; ivan.orozco@tlnews.net
