After winning a share of the Palomar League title, Bulldogs head to playoffs on Nov. 14

For most of the season, Ramona High football coach Damon Baldwin has felt his playing was playing uphill.

With an enrollment right around 1,300, it isn’t easy competing against schools like Poway, Steele Canyon and Mission Hills that can draw twice as many players.

But now things are more equal.

That’s because the Bulldogs, who finished the regular season with a 5-5 record and a share of the Palomar League championship, will play in the Division 3 playoffs where they are seeded No. 3 and draw a first-round bye.

When they return to action on Friday, Nov. 14, they’ll have a home game against the winner of the Brawley-Christian contest this Friday night.

“We scheduled up because I knew it would make us better,” said head coach Damon Baldwin. “Playing with a running clock in the fourth quarter is no fun. We played the Open Division No. 1 seed, Mission Hills (a 52-0 loss), but we learned from it.

“Now we’re where we belong (playing against teams their own size) and we’re completely healthy. It has been tough since COVID with the numbers coming out but for the playoffs we’ll have 56 kids suit up, counting the kids we’ve called up.”

Baldwin is especially pleased with the progress of junior quarterback Ryan Shaw.

“He completed 19 of 20 passes (for 210 yards and two TDs) against Valley Center last week and the incomplete pass was a dropped touchdown,” he said. “He has become extremely efficient (112 of 167for 1,556 yards with 18 TDs) completing a high percentage of his passes.

“In that game (a 29-27 loss to Valley Center costing the Bulldogs the undisputed league title), we fumbled twice inside their 20-yard line. We can fix the things that went wrong in the next two weeks. I’ve been very pleased with our defense all season.”

Running back Tim Paredes had a 100-yard game (17 carries 105 yards and a touchdown) versus Valley Center and versatile two-way player Wyatt Mallinson again was a key target at TE, catching a touchdown pass to give him six on the season.

Central Union of El Centro earned the No. 1 seed and Army-Navy was No. 2.

Should the Bulldogs advance to the semifinals, they figure to face Army-Navy, a private all-boys boarding school in Carlsbad, on the road.  The Warriors compiled an 8-1 record.

Naturally, no head coach admits to looking ahead but Ramona has a history against Central Union (8-2) and he knows that team well.

“We’re in the playoffs now and there are no easy games,” said Baldwin, who has gone to the playoffs 20 of his 21 years. “But we’re 100 percent healthy and I really like this group. They are a delight to coach. Whoever we play at home (in the quarterfinals Nov. 14), they’re going to get Ramona’s best.”

FLAG FOOTBALL FALLS

Ramona High’s girls flag football team (12-11) won a league title and captured its first-ever Division 3 playoff game, 13-6, over San Dieguito Academy.

Then they ran into a buzzsaw as No. 4 seeded Brawley from the Imperial Valley ended their season, 40-0.

Against San Dieguito, juniors Holley Hoffman and Kynzie King had big nights as Hoffman was 13 of 19 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. King was on the receiving end of seven passes for 73 yards and both scores.

With just five seniors on the roster, the Bulldogs figure to be even stronger in their third season next fall.