THE PREPS : Boys’ Player of the Week : Ramstack Chooses Not to Make Choice, for Now

Basketball or football?

Mark Ramstack’s problem is one few Mater Dei High School basketball players have faced.

Although there have been some who have played both sports--Mike Mitchell, Mike Kelly and Kevin Rembert--none have had the choose between the two. They have left the football cleats at Mater Dei and continued with their basketball careers.

But Ramstack doesn’t know what shoes he’ll be filling in college.

“If it’s football season, you’re a football player. If it’s basketball season, you’re a basketball player,” said Ramstack, the starting quarterback on Mater Dei’s football team last fall. “But, the way things are going right now, I’d have to say I like basketball more.”

The way things are going for Ramstack on the basketball court, it’s easy to see why.

Ramstack, The Times’ player of the week, scored 29 points and had 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in Mater Dei’s 87-70 victory over St. Bernard Wednesday in the Southern Section 5-A semifinals. He followed that with 19 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in a 74-65 victory over Bishop Amat in the final.

“Mark is playing on another level right now,” Mater Dei assistant coach Phil Bellomo said.

Said Ramstack, “I just decided that we were going to win the championship this year.”

That decision was easy, but choosing between his two sports, well, that’s another matter.

“Right now, I really couldn’t choose one way or another,” said Ramstack, a 6-foot-3 senior. “I’m just going to let my instinct guide me.”

Several schools have contacted in Ramstack the football player, including the University of Texas El Paso and Northern Arizona. But few have shown interest in him as a basketball player.

But, until recently, Ramstack wasn’t having the type of season that would attract college recruiters. During the regular season, he averaged 6.9 points, playing steadily at point guard.

“Obviously, it would be preferable to go to a school that would let me play both,” Ramstack said. “But there are not too many places that will let you do that.”

Even at Mater Dei, Ramstack found it difficult at times to juggle the two sports.

“The coaches have been really good about it but have so many good players in the basketball program, that if you miss the first few weeks because of football, you’re far behind them,” he said. “I imagine it would be even more like that in college.”

Of course, Mater Dei basketball Coach Gary McKnight does offer a decision-making suggestion Ramstack.

“He should just walk into the USC locker room and see the size of their football players,” McKnight said. “It makes basketball look preferable.”

Mark Ramstack

Mater Dei High School

Position: Point guard.

Height, Weight, Class: 6-3, 185, Sr.

Last Week: Ramstack scored 48 points in two games, as Mater Dei won the Southern Section 5-A championship. He also had 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the two games.

Season: Ramstack averaged 6.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.