SLIPPERY ROCK — Mike Ramirez isn't normal.

He's a kicker on the football field who loves to tackle. He's a goal scorer on the soccer field who craves assists.

He has a rock star hair cut and a choir boy's smile.

And he's turning in a fall sports season at Slippery Rock High that most only dream about.

"Mike Ramirez is a great athlete," said Slippery Rock football coachClyde Conti, who, after years of pursuit, finally got Ramirez to come out for his team as a kicker. "He plays so much soccer, we rarely see him. We don't see him until Friday nights, but he continues to be a key contributor for us."

Ramirez has sent kickoffs booming into the end zone, punts into the coffin corner and has shown the leg strength needed to make 40-yard field goals.

The senior also has been a feared tackler on special teams.

Yes, tackler. That's Mike being Mike.

Ramirez made two stops on kickoffs Friday against Titusville and isn't afraid to stick his nose into the fray.

Perhaps that is the wrestler in him.

"I'm not afraid to make a tackle," Ramirez said. "It's just like soccer. You read the hips to tell whether they are going to juke or not. That makes it easier to make a tackle."

It used to be the only tackling Ramirez did was on the soccer field — and sometimes the wrestling mat.

But with his friends, Conti and even his father urging him to join the football team, Ramirez finally relented.

On the soccer field, there is a lot about Ramirez's game to like. He has turned in a dominant season, scoring 20 goals and assisting in 10 others.

Those numbers are even more impressive because they have come under heavy scrutiny from every opponent.

Ramirez has seen one, and sometimes two, players mark him in every game. That has made scoring opportunities scarce.

"I do see it as a sign of respect," Ramirez said. "It does get really frustrating at the same time. I like to have the ball on my feet. I think my touch and my shot are my biggest strengths, but when they put two kids on you, it makes it tough."

Still, Ramirez enjoys a crisp pass to set up a teammate for a goal more than a bending shot off his own foot that finds the net.

He needs 12 goals to reach 100 in his career. His 56 career assists, though, is the number that makes him smile the widest.

"He is so unselfish," said Slippery Rock boys soccer coach Anthony Buzard. "When teams are double-teaming him, he sees that as an opportunity to get others involved. He's a great passer and he keeps our offense clicking."

His wrestling background helps him in both football and soccer, Ramirez said.

A 171-pounder on the wrestling team during the winter, Ramirez isn't shy about imposing his physical will during the fall months, too.

"Absolutely, that is one of his strengths," said Buzard. "His size and strength help him in so many ways."