Kamehameha senior Ethanjames Ramos felt right at home when he signed to play football at Southern Oregon University, which won the NAIA title in 2014.
Kamehameha senior Ethanjames Ramos felt right at home when he signed to play football at Southern Oregon University, which won the NAIA title in 2014.
The BIIF Division II Defensive Player of the Year recently had a signing ceremony at Panaewa Park, where he grew up.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “A lot of people showed up, my coaches, old coaches, family, teammates from Kamehameha, ones from Panaewa who go to different schools, and the Panaewa Alii.
“I feel like Panaewa raised me and made me who I am. I couldn’t ask for a better place to grow up. It definitely made me feel good to sign there, and that I was doing something right.”
Ramos will be one of nine players from Hawaii on the roster and the only one from the Big Island for the Raiders, who finished 5-6 last year, including 5-5 in the Frontier Conference.
Southern Oregon coach Craig Howard, who delivered the school’s first national title three years ago, died unexpectedly in his sleep Jan. 20 at home. He was 64 and was the head coach for six years.
Charlie Hall, a high school coach at nearby Ashland High, was named the new coach. He was an assistant at six universities and was named conference coach of the year four times.
The Raiders, who were the NAIA national runner-up in 2015, return a veteran squad, losing just 15 seniors, including one starting linebacker.
Ramos, a 6-foot, 200-pound linebacker, took an official visit to the school on Tuesday and watched the spring game.
Earlier, he emailed the coaching staff, sent video and built a connection with SOU defensive coordinator James Gravelle.
“Coach G liked how I got to the ball and had a nose for the ball,” said Ramos, who scored five defensive touchdowns as a senior. “Southern Oregon was the first school I thought of with a few other schools. Me and my dad (Maui Ramos) read about the school and thought it was a good fit and sent highlights.”
But it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing from there.
“In the beginning, it wasn’t easy. Three or four months later, I got a letter saying that I wasn’t accepted,” Ramos said. “I wrote a letter to the school saying I would improve. I worked hard and really wanted to get into that school. A week later, I got an acceptance letter, called coach G, and he said, ‘Congratulations,’ and sent me a letter of intent. It went off from there.
“It’s a good feeling. It was my dream to play college football since I was a little kid.”
His younger brother, Kealohi Ramos, was among the crowd of supporters at the Panaewa signing ceremony. Kealohi is a third grader, 9 years old, and Panaewa Alii quarterback and, of course, a linebacker.
Most BIIF players sign their national letters of intent at their schools. But Ramos wanted all the youngsters, especially the Panaewa Alii players, to watch someone from their neighborhood reach a lifetime goal.
“It’s definitely a stepping stone for all the kids,” said Ramos, who has a 2.9 GPA and hopes to become a lawyer. “I wanted to set an example for the Panaewa kids who think they can’t do it. One thing that laid the process for me was my schooling. You’ve got to be a student first. You need a positive attitude every day and work harder than your opponent.
“My brother is like me. He’s not the biggest kid, but I tell him you have to be physical and have the biggest heart.”
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