TIGERVILLE—In the end, it was Ramirez left, Ramirez right, Ramirez through the air, all adding up to North Greenville University winning the Conference Carolinas championship.
Senior quarterback Dylan Ramirez ran for three touchdowns and passed for another, leading NGU to a 34-20 win over UNC-Pembroke in the Conference Carolinas title game on a picturesque afternoon at Younts Stadium. NGU advances to the Division 2-A tournament against a yet to be determined opponent and date.
Ramirez did it with his arm, completing 15 of 20 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown. He also did it with his legs, rushed for 40 but three TDs. With his performance, Ramirez is now NGU’s all-time leader in passing yards with 9,679 and total touchdowns with 88, including 66 passing and 22 on the ground.
“We came out determined to win this game today,” said Ramirez, a senior from Cowpens, S.C. “We just weren’t going to lose. Everybody played well on both sides of the ball and it really was a team win. All this to the glory of God, above all.
“Winning today and keeping it going next week and the week after that is what matters most to me, much more than records. I’m thankful for those, but we win and play as a team.”
Nate Garner is in his first year as NGU’s head coach. A former NFL player with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, Garner has led the team to a 7-4 overall record, but the team went 6-0 in the conference to gain a berth in the title game.
A strong second half was ultimately the difference for the Trailblazers.
UNCP tied the game at 20-20 with a touchdown on their first possession out of the locker room in the second half, then the Trailblazers took over.
On their initial possession of the half, Ramirez connected with sophomore receiver Eric Rasheed on a 36-yard pass to the UNCP 34. Rasheed finished with six catches for 119 yards.
On the next play, Ramirez hit Sam Washam with a 28-yard dart to the six-yard-line. Ramirez again connected with Washam on a six-yard TD to complete the four-play drive and put NGU ahead 27-20. Washam finished with 82 yards on four catches.
Later in third quarter, the Braves drove to the NGU 33, but a sack by Diondre Glover resulted in a fumble and a 16-yard loss, killing the drive. NGU held UNCP on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter and took over at its own 36 to embark on the clinching drive.
The Trailblazers methodically drove 64 yards in 15 plays, converting four times on third down before Ramirez scored on third-and-inches from the one to make it 34-20 with 5:23 left. The drive bled nearly 10 minutes off the clock and effectively put the game away.
“The boys played together,” said Garner. “They’ve played together all year. It’s been an amazing year with the chemistry they’ve brought to play for each other, every single day to work together. I’m so proud of them. They played their hearts out today.
“We had to make some halftime adjustments because we had some stalls early on. But we had a good gameplan, and I’m just excited for the way my guys came out and balled out and went to work for me. Dylan Ramirez is one heck of a ballplayer. He set some records today and he’s just getting started. We want to keep this thing rolling.”
Jerrick Foster ended any hope of a comeback by the Braves, intercepting a pass at the NGU 21 with 2:23 left. He returned the ball 79 yards for a score, but the TD was erased by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Still, it put Ramirez and the NGU offense in victory formation.
The first quarter turned out to be the slowest for NGU’s offense.
The Trailblazers went up 3-0 on a 28-yard Cillian Bonner field goal on the game’s first possession, but Pembroke answered six minutes later on a one-yard pass from Tre Robinson to Jackson Karcher. A missed PAT kick left the Braves lead at 6-3.
NGU’s offense awoke big time in the second quarter, putting 17 points on the board, 14 in the final six minutes. Pembroke scored on a nine-yard run by Robinson to put Pembroke up 13-6, the Blazers drove 75 yards in seven plays, tying the game 13-13 on a two-yard TD run by Ramirez. Ramirez had completions of 23 and 16 yards to move the ball to Pembroke’s one-yard line.
NGU forced a three and out and Pembroke punted from their own end zone, giving the Trailblazers superb field position at its own 49. Ramirez hit Washam on a 39-yard completion on the first play, moving the ball to the Pembroke 11. Washam made a tremendous over-the shoulder catch bending all the way backward with a Pembroke defensive back draped on him.
Ramirez took it from there, running up the middle on a QB draw for 10 yards, then running off tackle for a one-yard TD, putting NGU up 20-13, which held into the half. Ramirez threw for 167 yards in the first half, rushed for 25 more and ran for a pair of TDs.
NGU beat UNCP twice this season, defeating them 20-7 at home on October 18. Reggion Bennett led all rushers for NGU with 81 yards on 10 carries. Both teams passed for 261 net yards and NGU slightly outgained the Braves 414-384. The Trailblazers did not turn the ball over, but UNCP committed two.
NGU President Gene Fant was thrilled to see the Trailblazers win the conference title in the conference’s first year.
“NCAA Division 2-A is in a lot of turmoil right now, but being in a conference that understand us, understands that we are a Christ-first institution is a big deal,” said NGU President Gene Fant. “To watch these young men compete and play at the highest level in this game is special, knowing they can used their athletic gifts to the glory of God.”