Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year only 5-foot-7, but has much bigger game
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BVM) 鈥� There鈥檚 one game that stands out for head coach Adrian Ortega when thinking about what a fierce competitor Joziah Ramos was for the Atrisco Heritage Academy boys basketball team over the course of his decorated high school career.聽
The two-time defending state champion Jaguars were trailing district rival Cleveland by 28 points at halftime of a Jan. 29 home game, but the 2019-20 Gatorade New Mexico Boys Basketball Player of the Year willed his team back.聽
鈥淚t was just an incredible, refuse-to-lose type of performance,鈥� Ortega said.聽
Even while being guarded by 6-foot-6 Tre Watson 鈥� one of the top Division I prospects in the state 鈥� the 5-foot-7 Ramos scored 46 points to lead the Jaguars to a remarkable come-from-behind victory.聽
鈥淚t was a game that was very lopsided in the first half and fans were out of it after a while,鈥� Ramos said, 鈥渁nd at halftime coach just told us that we need to give the fans some hope and that鈥檚 what we did; we all fought back.鈥澛�
Ramos has had that fight for quite some time, and he鈥檚 needed it because he doesn鈥檛 have the size to go with his talent on the court.聽
鈥淚鈥檝e always played taller and older guys playing up whenever I was younger, so I鈥檝e always had to face that,鈥� Ramos said. 鈥淚 know that wherever I go I have to prove myself.鈥澛�
Ramos has been proving himself since he started contributing for the Jaguars as a freshman, but he began making a much bigger impact his sophomore season when he averaged 17.9 points and helped lead Heritage to its first state title. He was named the USA Today New Mexico Player of the Year as a junior in 2018-19 after averaging 23.7 points and leading the Jaguars to a second straight 5A state championship. As a senior, the District 1-5A Player of the Year averaged 19.9 points while leading Heritage to the Sweet 16.聽
It鈥檚 all been thanks to a work ethic and toughness that Ortega said he hasn鈥檛 seen from a player in his 20 years of coaching.聽
鈥淗e鈥檚 in the gym before school, he鈥檚 in the gym in the offseason and he鈥檚 a kid who plays through injuries … His toughness is just unreal. He鈥檚 just tough and he plays bigger than his stature.鈥澛�
He鈥檚 also developed a game that helps make up for his lack of height and makes him tough for opponents to defend.聽
鈥淗e kind of has an NBA game,鈥� Ortega said. 鈥淗e knows how to control his body. Most kids have a jump stop; he has a side stop, a euro step, he just knows how to score. … He鈥檚 faced double teams, face guards, all kinds of defenses and he鈥檚 still able to put up his points. His speed and his awareness to create space, I鈥檝e never seen anything like it.鈥澛�
Ramos maintains a 4.42 weighted GPA as he鈥檚 excelled in the classroom just as he has on the court. Ramos credits his mom, Anabel Cadena — the Heritage head dance coach — for keeping him focused.聽
鈥淚n elementary school my mom would always tell me for games or school if I had good grades or if I scored this many points I would be able to get something,鈥� Ramos said, 鈥渟o I鈥檝e always strived for good grades ever since I was younger and I still do today.鈥澛�
Ramos鈥� accomplishments on and off the court will both benefit him at the college level. He didn鈥檛 see any interest from Division I schools, which he believes is because of his size, but that doesn鈥檛 bother him.聽
Ramos picked Division II Western New Mexico University where he鈥檒l have a chance to continue to prove himself on the court.聽
鈥淏ottom line is I just want to play,鈥� Ramos said.
