Back under center: Ramasco enjoying return to football

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Sun file photo / John M. Steiner Jamestown College’s Gus Ramasco has shown promise as the Jimmies’ quarterback. Ramasco returned to the sport after spending some time away from football.

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Some time away from football was all Gus Ramasco needed to realize he still wanted to play.

Ramasco, who came to Jamestown College in 2009 from Winnemucca, Nev., played his freshman season with the Jimmies, but then decided to take a break.

“I was a 3-sport athlete in high school. I don’t know if you’d call it burnout or whatever. … I wanted to see what it’d be like to be a regular student,” he said.

But the itch to play returned and Ramasco decided to scratch it.

“I really missed it,” he said. “I just felt like I had to give it another chance, and if I was going to play, this was the place I was going to do it,” he said.

He wasn’t promised anything by new head coach Shawn Frank. When fall camp started he was in a 5-way battle with juniors Brady Yrjo, Jared Williamson and freshman Beau Erickson and Alex Hernandez for the starting job.

Ramasco emerged late in the camp as the clear No. 1 and has shown evidence as to why he got the nod.

Through four games, he’s completed 53 percent of his passes for 657 yards. He’s tossed four touchdown passes, but also has been intercepted four times. Take away a shaky game against Wisconsin-Stout, and he was not alone that day, and his numbers would be even better.

“There’s a good plan in place to for us to be successful, we just have to be more consistent as a team,” said Ramasco, an exercise science major. “We’ve had some rough spots, but we have a lot of good players. We’re going to keep working hard and improving.”

Frank expects Ramasco to continually progress.

“He’s a goal-orientated kid. He wants to do well and he wants his teammates to do well,” Frank said.

Going from Nevada to Jamestown straight out of high school was a bit of a culture shock, but he clearly has adapted well.

“Obviously the weather is the big thing. But I love North Dakota. It’s worked out pretty well for me,” he said.

The roster has also gone through a major turnover.

“When I first got here there weren’t a lot of out-of-state guys, now there are a lot,” Ramasco said.

Ramasco and his roommate, leading tackler J.T. Petsch, originally from Mesa, Ariz., demonstrate that.

The Jimmies (1-3) face a tough test on Saturday when they host 20th-ranked Valley City State (2-1). If they run the ball as effectively as they did against South Dakota Mines — nearly 300 yards — they should give the Vikings all they want.

“As a team, we’re confident we can have a good season,” Ramasco said. “What we showed (Saturday), that’s what we’re capable of doing.”

Sun sports editor Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at dselvig@jamestownsun.com

Tags: sports, jimmies, football