Lethal Combo: Central Valley High star scores on field, in classroom

Ozzie Ramos, All-District Soccer MVP

SCHOOL: Central Valley High

GRADE: Junior

POSITION: Center midfield

ON THE FIELD: Ramos picked up where two-time All-District MVP Daniel Ochoa left off, guiding the Hawks (24-3-2) to a Western Athletic Conference champion- ship and Sac-Joaquin Section championship game appearance. The Bee's Boys Soccer Player of the Year set the speed and tempo for a potent Central Valley offense, recording 22 goals and 14 assists. He had hat tricks against Golden Valley and Los Banos, and four games with two assists. His presence was missed in the Division 3 final on Nov. 10, when he missed the season's biggest game to attend a college showcase on the East Coast. "It was one of the hardest decisions I've made. I worked the whole season to get to that point, and to miss out was tough," Ramos said. "It was difficult to leave my teammates, but I had faith in them. Our high school, it's not a one-man team. Everyone plays."

OFF THE FIELD: Ramos was one of only two students at Central Valley High to achieve a perfect score on the CAHSEE, the California High School Exit Exam, according to coach Omar Leon. Leon carries a weighted 3.9 GPA with a fall course load that included AP English, AP Spanish and Honors Physics. … When he's not playing soccer, he's training for his next match, mixing weight-lifting with conditioning drills.

LOOKING AHEAD: Ramos has three targets going into his senior season: 1) defend Central Valley's WAC championship; 2) repeat as Bee Player of the Year; and 3) lift the Hawks — the Buffalo Bills of the Sac-Joaquin Section soccer world — to their first blue banner. "Hopefully we can take care of that. We realize we could have made history," Ramos said. "We're definitely motivated for next year."

QUOTABLE: "He's a very complete player. They were used to his leadership in the middle. It sucked that he wasn't there, but he's a 4.0 student. He wants to play pro and I have no doubt he can with those academics and skill." — Omar Leon, Central Valley coach