De’Shawn Ramirez, the elusive running back who dazzled fans with his speed and made secondaries look silly, has been suspended from Monrovia High School and the football team.

The junior-to-be currently is in summer school working to become eligible to attend Monrovia High, said Monrovia football coach Ryan Maddox.

“He’s in the process of going through some issues here on campus,” Maddox said. “He’s gotten himself suspended and he’ll start the year suspended. He’s got a process before he’s eligible to play football for us. Whether he’s part of the team or not we’ll see as we get closer, but as of right now he’s not practiced (with us) or part of the team.”

Maddox added that “there’s a chance for him to come back, yes.”

Ramirez, a 5-foot, 170-pound running back/safety was impressive, athletic, physical and not afraid of contact, adding depth to the Wildcats’ stable of running backs.

As a sophomore, Ramirez rushed for 851 yards on 104 carries and scored 10 touchdowns. He broke for runs of 59, 21, 62, 80, 22, 68, 39 and 24 yards, en route to an 8.1 yards average per carry. Ramirez also caught three passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He was just as dangerous on special teams, with five kickoff returns amassing 300 yards.

Ramirez was expected to be an integral part of Maddox’s lineup this upcoming season. Maddox said he hopes the suspension ultimately serves as a wake-up call.

“Everybody involved would hope this serves as exactly that,” he said, “and that he realizes that his decisions have consequences, and start making better choices. He’s a very talented football player. He’s a good kid. He just needs some direction and focus.

“All the coaches are trying to work with him, but he’s gotta want to take the necessary steps to get back in the right direction.”