Ramsay got caught sleepwalking early, but a punt return for a touchdown woke the Class 5A second-ranked Rams from their slumber in a 41-12 victory over Carver-Birmingham in Thursday night’s Region 5 matchup at Birmingham’s Lawson Field.

Ramsay (8-2, 7-0) had clinched the region title last week and finished undefeated in Region 5 for a second straight season.

Following a pair of failed possessions from each team, Ramsay’s Zedrick Powell returned a punt for a touchdown and ignited a scoring run of 35 unanswered points in the first half. Ramsay took to the air on its next two drives with Kam Keenan connecting with Jacob Andrews on a 21-yard touchdown pass and Tremell Washington weaved 59 yards through the Carver defense to put the Rams up three scores.

Ashton Ashford extended the advantage to 35-0 before the halftime break, on back-to-back rushing scores.

Ramsay picked off Carver-Birmingham’s DJ Ward three times in the second quarter.

Carver-Birmingham (4-6, 1-6) went three-and-out on its first possession of the third quarter, but scored twice in the second half on 15- and 35-yard touchdown passes from Ward to Tman Threatt. Due to a running clock, Ramsay had only three possessions in the half and added a 1-yard touchdown pass from Washington to Jaquille Malone.

Star of the game: Washington. The sophomore receiver had three receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown in the first half and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the third quarter.

“We got a week off. All we have to do is stay disciplined. Just because we’re off doesn’t mean we don’t have to work. We got time to work, we got time to get some weights in and we got time to recover,” he said.

By the numbers: 19, the number of plays Ramsay ran following its first-quarter return touchdown, scoring on four plays for a 35-0 halftime lead. … 6, the number of consecutive wins for Ramsay in the series, which it leads 10-4 overall. … 4, the number of pass attempts for Ramsay in the second half.

Stat sheet: Ramsay – Keenan finished 7-for-11 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns and Ashford had seven carries for 53 yards and a pair of scores. Kristian Stinson had two catches for 83 yards, followed by Andrews with two receptions for 34 yards and a score. Malone caught his lone target for a 1-yard touchdown. Carver-Birmingham – Ward was 9-of-21 for 164 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Carver’s running game was held to negative yardage. Threatt had three catches for 73 yards and two scores and Dimitri Howard had a 58-yard reception.

Coachspeak: “We have to refocus and get our minds back right for the playoffs. I’m excited for my seniors. I have a really good group of seniors. When I first got the job, they stayed and for this to be their night, I’m excited and proud to be their coach.” – Ramsay’s Ronnie Jackson

What’s next? Ramsay concludes the regular season and will host a first-round playoff game in two weeks, while Carver-Birmingham hosts Cordova next week in its regular-season finale.