Last night, Ramsay faced off against Calera at Legion field in Birmingham City School’s ‘Game of the Week,’ and the match up between the pair of three-win teams did not disappoint.
Calera, undefeated on the season, came into the game with everything to prove. MaxPreps currently has the Eagles ranked 40th in all of Alabama division 5A, whereas the opposing Rams sit at 26th.
Ramsay came into the game having only allowed six points in their last two games. This is in large part due to the play of their college committed athletes Karlos May, Jiquan Rogers, and Chase Holt.
Those three names were the difference in Calera staying undefeated and what actually happened.
In the first half, Calera came out and showed they were worthy opponents. For the first quarter of play, neither team was able to get into the end zone. With Calera’s Sophomore quarterback, Kristian Gallups-Whatley finding his way against the first elite defense he’s faced this season, this came as no surprise. The Rams forced multiple turnovers and lived in the backfield for the entirety of the first half; but they were supposed to.
Calera’s defense was shocking though. They matched the defensive effort and held Ramsay to one touchdown in the first half. The teams went into the locker room with a combined six points between themselves and a slight advantage for Ramsay.
However, on the other side of half time, intensity picked up.
The first score went to Calera, which put them ahead, and came off a screen pass that sophomore wide receiver, Xzavier Boone, took to the end zone. Boone is currently the Eagles second receiving yards leader and almost broke on multiple plays on the night. His third quarter touchdown put the Eagles on the board for the first time, and held the game at seven to six.
That would be the last touchdown of the quarter, as Ohio State and Clemson commits Karlos May and Jiquan Rogers forced turnover after turnover for the Calera offense. They were by far the most impactful players on the field last night.
The defense of both teams continued to reign supreme until the final minutes. With less than two minutes left and the score still a one point difference, the next team who scored knew they were likely to win the game.
Ramsay had the ball on Calera’s side of the field and was nearly in scoring range, and suddenly the ball came loose as it had many times last night. Calera’s sideline went crazy and everything pointed to them winning if they could grab a few final first downs.
This is where Ramsay’s defense showed how elite they really are. They forced Calera into a quick three and out and prevented them from killing more than a minute of clock time and got the ball back for their offense.
This time, the Rams offense made the most of the opportunity and punched a run into the front corner of the end zone with less than 50 seconds to go in the game. Calera’s side of Legion field was dejected.
However, the Eagles and their young offense had one final chance to pull a miracle out of their hat. All hope was drained when the Ramsay defense proved to be too much one final time, and ended the night with a forced fumble taken back for a touchdown by Karlos May. May and his partner and crime, Jiquan Rogers, were responsible for all of the Calera turnovers in the game.
After the game May told me, “The performance tonight started at practice this week,” and added “it was a short week, but the grind and dedication the boys got shows on Thursdays and Fridays.”
Ramsay and their stacked defensive line are looking to make sure the dedication continues to show in their next matchup against Pinson Valley, next Friday.
