BOUNTIFUL -- Someone cussed, and coach Scott Rampton had heard. Swearing wasn't tolerated, so he took a few steps onto the field and interrupted the huddling 12-year-olds by inquiring angrily who the guilty party was.
Without hesitating, Cameron Sodeberg popped out of the huddle and yelled, "Hey coach, it was Ramos."The same Matt Ramos who six years later responded to his father's question about a football opponent by saying their language was terrible? Of course it wasn't, Sodeberg wasn't really going to snitch on his best friend. Plus, as the designated team comedian, it was his duty to ease the rising tension.
Six years later 15 of those kids are still wearing Bountiful uniforms, and calling themselves best friends, and they'll all play key roles in the Braves' attempt at capturing the 4A state championship this Friday against Weber. When they were 12 those 15 friends went undefeated and won the championship. Many of those kids are one victory away from ending their careers in similar fashion.
Oh, and by the way, the foul mouth has gone undetected this entire time.
That Braves' season six years ago was Ramos' first in Bountiful. Even then he wasn't a gloater, but you know he took pride in doing some punishing.
The year before during his first season playing football, his father was in the military so his family was stationed in Hawaii. At the ripe young age of 11, and not exactly being the biggest kid his age playing alongside a bunch of Polynesians, his coach asked him to be the center.
His coach didn't feel any of the other chubby lineman could successfully snap the ball between his legs, so Ramos got the nod. Being outweighed at times by as many as 50 pounds, Ramos played and fortunately survived.
The next year the Ramos family moved to Bountiful where Ramos thrived in the Braves' youth programs for four years -- not playing center.
Prior to his sophomore season, Loren Ramos got word that his final military assignment would relocate him to Albuquerque for a year. Matt Ramos, obviously, took it hard because he had to say goodbye to his good friends.
"I grew up with all these guys that I'm playing with now," said Ramos. "I had this picture in my head that we would go through high school playing together. Then we moved away, it was tough."
Before the big move, Ramos asked his father to time him as he sprinted up and down the hills behind Mueller Park Junior High. The debate regarding how many he should run and what his goals were soon escalated.
The elder Ramos asked his son if he wanted to simply play football or be a champion. Confused still, Ramos said he wanted to play football. His father then said he only needed to run a few times. Ramos then asked his father how many if he wanted to be a champion?
"You'll know how many," said Loren Ramos.
Ramos ran, and ran and ran, and then as he kneeled down and puked, his father said, "Now you know what it's like to be a champion."
It's a lesson that Ramos will carry with him on to the field Friday, and one that paid immediate dividends as well.
Ramos played for Rio Rancho High School in New Mexico, a first-year school. Ramos' team got its butt kicked every week in compiling an 0-10 record. The running back never lost his cool and always told his father how much the team was improving.
"Just the varsity experience was overwhelming enough," said Ramos. "The winning and losing didn't phase me much."
When Mr. Ramos' military responsibility ceased, the family discussed future plans. Matt Ramos of course wanted to move back to Bountiful, and not so much for the football, even though winning again would be nice, but for the incredible friendships he had formed with former teammates like Jake Knighton, Seth Patterson, Cameron Jensen and Sodeberg.
The family agreed completely, and soon they were headed back to Davis County.
During Ramos' junior year the Braves lost once during the regular season before being shocked by Springville in the first round. Ramos never got mad, just like he never did during his winless New Mexico experience. Instead he simply admitted the better team won, but vowed to work harder for next year.
The lesson Ramos learned at Mueller Park with his father still sticks with him. Being a champion takes dedication, sweat and often pain.
In a game against Cyprus this year the running back dislocated his finger during the second quarter. After taping it up, Ramos returned and then in the third quarter the coaching staff called for a halfback pass. Were they crazy? Ramos' throwing hand had just been broken. Nonetheless, Ramos threw a touchdown pass.
Bountiful knows it's in for a tough game Friday, but Ramos has been training to be a champion for quite some time.