Name: Tony Ramunno
School: Class 5A Lewis-Palmer Rangers in Monument, member of the National League
Record: 3-0 in 2005, all nonleague games; 100-73 overall
Coaching résumé: Assistant at Lewis-Palmer from 1983-88, Rangers head coach 1989-present
Life lines: Age 46, native of Steamboat Springs; graduated from Steamboat Springs High School in 1978; earned degree in industrial education/technology and business administration from Western State, 1983, and master’s in technology and curriculum from the University of Phoenix, 2003
Back in his day: Two-way guard for Sailors from 1974-77, played in senior all-state game; offensive lineman for Western State
What he has done lately: “It was a scoring fest,” Ramunno said.
He’s not kidding – a 47-44 overtime victory against Coronado on Friday night featured three lead changes and five ties.
Deadlocked at 41-41 after regulation, Coronado had to settle for a field goal on its opening possession.
Then the Rangers took over, went for it on fourth down – “We were short by a credit card on third down,” Ramunno said – and scored on a plunge by Jake Nordby.
“It was homecoming and our place, which was packed, just went nuts,” Ramunno said.
Lewis-Palmer, which runs a double-slot offense under John Pounder, now an assistant for the Rangers after leading Hinkley for 20 years, has rolled to 137 points this season, an average of 45.7, tops in Class 5A.
Coaching runs in the Ram- unno family with brothers Joe, who led Palisade to multiple state titles in the 1990s, the head coach at Mesa State and John guiding Eagle Valley High School. Their father, Carl, formerly of Steamboat Springs, is in the National Coaches Association Hall of Fame and also the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for service to the sport.
Note: The Denver Broncos high school coach of the week, in its 10th year, will have 10 honorees in the regular season. NFL Charities will present a check for $1,000 to each school’s program. A coach of the year will be announced at the Broncos’ Dec. 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens at Invesco Field at Mile High and will receive $2,000. Coaches are selected from a panel consisting of Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post; Billy Thompson, the Broncos; Susie Wargin, KUSA-9; Marcia Neville, KCNC-4; and Andy Lindahl, KKZN-760 AM.
