Red-shirt freshman scrum-half Narissa Ramirez knew she was a great athlete, but she did not know that by the time she was a sophomore she would be a key component on the Eastern women’s rugby team.

Ramirez, who was captain of her basketball and softball team in high school, came to Eastern never having played rugby before.

After walking-on the team as a freshman she was forced to red-shirt because it was too late in the season.

Now, Ramirez leads the offense as the scrum-half, the quarterback of a rugby team. The scrum-half is the player who gets the ball out of rucks and scrums and passes the ball out to the backs or forwards depending on the offensive set.

After three games at the position, Ramirez looks as though she is destined for big things in her career.

Ramirez is at the helm of the Panthers’ offense, which has scored 140 points in three games.

“As a former high school point guard, she has good field presence and learned the scrum-half position quickly,” said Eastern head coach Frank Graziano.

Ramirez may always look cool and calm on the field, but she admits at some points it gets a little nerve racking. If she makes a bad pass, it could lead to another bad pass. Then everything can start to go wrong.

Ramirez has not made too many mistakes for the Panthers so far this season considering the Panthers (3-0) are heading to West Chester next weekend. After a huge win last weekend against Wisconsin Stevens-Point, Ramirez said she is sure the Panthers won’t let themselves get too cocky.

“We’re going into a game that we know is going to be the hardest game of the season,” Ramirez said. “So we are just working real hard to compete and get the victory.”

Ramirez said she believes the key to success for the Panthers will be defense.

“Defense creates offense like in any other sport,” Ramirez said. “If we push them back onto their side of the field, it just makes us that much more closer to scoring.”

Ramirez said she believes she can help the team by working on her decision making and communicating with the flyhalf.

“Last game it was a little tuff to hear my flyhalf because it was really windy, but I have to know where she is at all times,” Ramirez said.

Bob Shaunghnessy can be reached or at 581-7944 or at rrshaunghnessy@eiu.edu.

Eastern red-shirt freshman scrum-half Narissa Ramirez in action at Wednesday’s practice. (Chris Essig/The Daily Eastern News)

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Eastern red-shirt freshman scrum-half Narissa Ramirez stands atop fellow rugby players after Wednesday’s practice. Ramirez has helped lead Eastern’s attack, which has scored 140 points in three games. (Chris Essig/The Daily Eastern News)

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