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It took precisely one minute for Matty Ramos to find out how high he was on Army‘s 2027 recruiting board.
It didn’t take much longer for him to end his recruitment.
The Laxachusetts four-star 2027 attackman/midfielder by way of Milton (Mass.) was Black Knights head coach Joe Alberici‘s first call at 12:01 a.m. on July 1. That’s the date that service academies can first reach out to rising juniors. It was a moment that Ramos had dreamt of for a while. He wasn’t going to miss his opportunity and instantly committed to Army, becoming the Black Knights’ first commitment from a prospect in the 2027 class.
“I’m so pumped,” Ramos said. “I’ve been wanting this for a while and it was a really big goal for me. I’d like to serve my country. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while, and West Point gives me that opportunity. The academics are amazing. They’re like no other, and I feel lucky that I can be a part of that, as well as the rich history of lacrosse.”
Man with a Plan
Ramos went into July 1 with a plan and he stuck to it.
“Going into the call, I knew that I’d accept an offer if they gave it to me,” Ramos said. “Coach Alberici called me at 12:01 and told me I was his first call in the entire country, whcih was cool. He asked me about what my recruiting process was going to look like. I just told him, ‘Coach, I’m ready right now.'”
“I’ve always felt that calling,” Ramos said. “I want to be a part of something bigger than myself, serve my country and make it a safer place. That was a huge draw for me.”
The Black Knights are getting a versatile offensive player who’s continually racked up points wherever he’s gone. Ramos was an NLF at IMG All-Star this winter, then followed it up with a 35-goal, 18-assist sophomore campaign for Milton. He’s undersized, but makes up for it with high IQ, great vision and a comfort level with attacking defenses from all of the different spots on the field. Ramos has been an offensive catalyst for a Laxachusetts team that is one of the best in the country and is a legitimate contender to bring home the title at next week’s NLF National Championships.
He’ll also have the luxury of not having to worry about recruiting anymore. More importantly, though, it’s a dream fulfilled for him and his family.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Ramos said. “My family knew that I wanted this for a while. It was a really emotional moment for me, my dad, my mom and my brother. We’re really excited.”
Guinee Also Instantly Commits
The Black Knights have three commitments since July 1 and two of them are from Laxachusetts. Daniel Guinee also verballed to Army. He’ll join his brother, JP, at West Point. Like his running mate Ramos, Guinee knew that his recruitment would be over if Army offered. He got the call from Alberici about 20 minutes later and committed about 20 minutes and five seconds later.
“I was like a little kid on Christmas morning,” the Andover (Mass.) midfielder / attackman said. “I was so happy to get that call. It’s a dream come true to have Coach A call me. My eyes were kind of set on Army from Day 1. I fell in love with the school the second I learned about it when JP committed there.”
Unlike Ramos, there’s a deep military lineage in the Guinee family. It was that background that helped open his eyes to what West Point could do.
“Army’s culture and brotherhood sets it apart,” Guinee said. “It speaks to me how they operate. It’s an unreal school and will help build me up for my future. It kinds of sets me up for life.”
Family Lineage
Guinee might know a thing or two about brotherhood. Not only will he team up with JP at West Point, but he is one of 11 children in the family. He has seven brothers and three sisters – he’s No. 5, for the record – so the family feel at Army was right up his alley.
The Black Knights are getting a talented 6-3 midfielder/attackman type who was terrific as a sophomore for Andover. He posted a remarkably balanced 55-goal, 51-assist stat line. He doesn’t have a preference for where he plays, because he’s able to put together the best of both worlds.
“I love scoring goals, but I also like getting nitty gritty,” Guinee said.
Sounds tailor-made for Army.