Lake Central sophomore Brody Ramirez isn’t surprised by his success.
Ramirez, a 6-foot, 220-pound linebacker/running back, prepared for his breakout season. But he also has people around him, particularly senior linebacker Tyler Becich and defensive coordinator Mike Bork, to push him.
“I did expect it,” Ramirez said. “Playing next to Tyler Becich makes life easy. He’s like a big brother to me. Our D-line is super good, super fast.
“It’s our whole defense and our defensive coordinator. He’s a super good defensive coordinator. I’ve learned so much from him. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve had in my life. From the beginning of the year to where I am now, it’s because of Tyler and coach Bork.”
Ramirez has 103 tackles, second on the team only to Becich’s 106, as the Indians (3-6) get ready for a Class 6A sectional opener at Penn (7-2) on Friday night. Ramirez also has a team-high six tackles for loss with two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception.
He has impressed first-year Lake Central coach Pete Koulianos.
“He’s a hard worker,” Koulianos said. “He’s very instinctual on the field. He’s starting to become a leader for us on defense. We’ve been using him some on offense a little bit here and there, our last game in particular. He’s very versatile. He’s going to be a good one.”
Ramirez showed glimpses as a freshman, playing primarily on special teams. He said he lined up more on offense, rushing for 87 yards on nine carries, before earning an opportunity on defense late in the season. He made six tackles.
Entering this season, Ramirez anticipated he’d again get more reps on offense than on defense. But he has three carries for 16 yards.
“Originally, I thought I was going to be playing running back this year,” he said. “But they needed me on defense. We had a deep running back room, and there was an opening at linebacker. I just wanted to be on the field.”
Ramirez, who was listed at 5-11 and 180 pounds last season, put in the work to get that opportunity.
“I’ve gotten so much stronger,” he said. “All of my lifts have gotten better. I’ve gotten so much faster.”
Sophomore running back Jacob Turley has seen the results.
“He’s a skilled player,” Turley said of Ramirez. “He brings a lot of excitement. He’s a very good team player. I’ve been playing with him for a long time, and he’s just a great player all around.
“He’s great on and off the football field as well. He’s a funny guy. He’s nice to everybody. He always makes sure everybody is good around him.”
Ramirez’s father, Mike, is a 1999 Clark graduate and a 2017 Hammond Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Mike Ramirez excelled in football, in which he was an all-state selection at quarterback as a senior in 1998 and set 12 program records; basketball, in which he scored 1,000 career points; and baseball.
Brody Ramirez’s aunt Lori Moore Smith, a 1999 Lake Central graduate and a 2006 Lake Central Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, starred in soccer, basketball and track. In soccer, she was a two-time all-state selection and had a history-making career at Valparaiso University, earning induction into its Hall of Fame in 2008.
Coming up through the ranks, Brody Ramirez said there was a temptation to attend a high school other than Lake Central, but he didn’t waver.
“I always was going to come here,” he said. “All of my family except my dad came here and played here. I love this school.”
Ramirez played on Lake Central boys basketball’s freshman team last season and played baseball through middle school. But he has decided to focus exclusively on football. He is eager to build the program.
The Indians suffered four of their six losses this season by one score, with the exceptions being Crown Point and Merrillville, the area’s top two teams in the regular season.
“Our record doesn’t show who we are right now,” Ramirez said. “We’re a way better team than our record shows. We should be above .500. It hurts. But those close games, we need to win. But everyone’s record is 0-0 right now. I’m excited for Penn on Friday. I like the challenge. We’re going to try to shock some people.
“We’re going to be very good very soon. We’re going to get better.”
