Belhaven’s Justin Ramirez Named CCS Goalkeeper of the Year

Belhaven sophomore Justin Ramirez has been named the 2026 Collegiate Conference of the South Goalkeeper of the Year, extending the Blazers’ run of winners to four straight seasons.

Ramirez made 15 starts and played more than 1,329 minutes this fall, recording 51 saves, three solo shutouts and a shared shutout. He posted a .708 save percentage and a 1.42 goals-against average overall.

His freshman season was spent mostly behind Danny Bahena, and Ramirez appeared in one match, playing 45 minutes against Tougaloo. Bahena won the conference award in 2024 and 2025, following Max Rudolph’s 2023 honor.

Belhaven opened the season with a tie and four losses before winning six consecutive games. Ramirez made five saves in a 2-1 comeback victory at Rhodes on Sept. 23, including a stop with 1:19 remaining. The win was Belhaven’s first over the Lynx since 2014.

He added five saves in a 2-0 win over LaGrange to open conference play. Against Millsaps three days later, Ramirez stopped an Ellis Dykes penalty kick with just over eight minutes left as Belhaven held on for a 1-0 victory and its sixth straight win.

Ramirez made a season-high eight saves in a 2-1 win over Piedmont on Oct. 17. Piedmont’s only goal came on a penalty kick in the 78th minute. Ramirez earned his first CCS Defensive Player of the Week award after making nine saves across wins over MUW and Piedmont.

He finished the regular season with four saves in a scoreless draw at Huntingdon. In five conference matches, he made 23 saves, recorded two shutouts and had a .793 save percentage. Ramirez was a three-time all-state selection at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Gray, Louisiana.

Source: Original Article