Boys soccer: Round Lake can be proud of Ramirez
As he knocked in goal after goal on high school soccer fields, Freddie Ramirez was always driven by one goal.
"Watching Freddie mature and seeing his attitude change and him wanting to get better on and off the field was something big," said Round Lake coach Hugo Tellez, who brought Ramirez up to the varsity as a freshman three years ago. "He always tells me, 'I just want to make Round Lake proud.' "
Ramirez wears Panther Pride on his jersey, and his coach, for one, couldn't be prouder of the senior. Recognized this season as an all-stater, Ramirez is the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County boys soccer all-area team. He led Round Lake (16-4) to the North Suburban Prairie Division title, before he and his teammates lost to Libertyville, which is playing in the Class 3A state semifinals Friday.
"Freddie was a huge reason why we were in every game this year and were successful," Tellez said. "I've had Freddie since he was a freshman, and he has matured every year. This year he has been more than a captain."
Since Ramirez's arrival, Round Lake has won consistently.
"We developed a great bond over the years as a family," Tellez said.
Ramirez was the leader on the field, setting school records for goals in both a season and career. After scoring a school-best 34 goals last season, he netted 24 more this season to bring his career mark to 87, passing former Round Lake all-staters Mauricio Salgado (86) and Jordi Rubio (85). Both Salgado and Rubio were teammates of Ramirez three years ago.
"Mauricio is one of my best friends and helped me out my freshman year," Ramirez said. "I learned a lot from him - how to be a striker and how to finish more, but mainly to enjoy the game. It took a couple of years to learn it all. This year, I got used to playing with my teammates. It was all the communication."
Ramirez's skills dazzle. He attacks relentlessly in the final third of the field.
"He's very fast on the ball and has the ability to beat anybody 1 (vs.) 1 or 2 (vs.) 1 anywhere on the field," Tellez said. "His speed and his ability to shred double teams is something special to see in games."
Younger Panthers are watching. Alejandro Sotelo, a junior, has already learned a great deal from Ramirez. They've been teammates the last three years.
"Playing along side of him has been a good experience," Sotelo said. "Having him out there with his talents makes it a lot easier. He seemed to always have two defenders on him, and he handled that well. I've learned a lot from him."
After Stevenson beat Round Lake in the Highland Park regional semifinals to end Ramirez's career as a Panther, Sotelo approached his friend and teammate.
"After that game, I walked up to him," Sotelo said. "I said, 'It was good to play soccer with you. It was a pleasure.' "
Sotelo was proud.
Freddie Ramirez, the skilled striker, had struck again.