By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

West St. John’s stellar linebacker and LSU commitment Ronnie Feist won a lot of games while a member of the Rams. And while his West St. John football career concluded last month, he had the opportunity to make a big contribution to one more victory at the prep level on Thursday night.

Feist got extensive playing time and forced a fumble during the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game that featured 90 of the nation’s top senior athletes showcasing their ability on ESPN.

Feist’s “White” team came away with a dominating 49-16 victory over the “Black” team. Feist forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, as he played both on special teams and at outside and inside linebacker.

West St. John coach Robert Valdez has never been short on superlatives about Feist, who helped his Rams reach the Class 1A state championship game this season. After watching his defensive leader play on Thursday, he got to watch his star from a different perspective and came away impressed.

“When he’s here, you almost don’t even realize how big Ronnie is. I saw him on TV and thought, ‘Wow, he’s big,’” said Valdez. “He definitely passes the eyeball test. To see him execute like he did last night, against some of the best the country has to offer, it made me feel a lot of pride for him and for our community.”

Feist did not play much inside linebacker while at West St. John, mostly playing as a rush-end from either the defensive end or outside linebacker spot.

But Thursday saw Feist play where he’s projected to fit as a part of the Tigers, and his coach felt he acquitted himself well.

“They played a 4-3 and he played some middle, some outside,” said Valdez.

“He was in pass coverage … I was very impressed. For playing as a standup linebacker for the first time, he made an impact. The sky is really the limit for Ronnie.

“He has all the God-given ability in the world, and he showed it against the best.”

Feist had 44 tackles for loss and 19 sacks this season despite missing three games due to injury and, by his own admission, never being 100 percent.

But one wouldn’t know it to watch him, as Feist gave a national television audience a view of the kind of football played in Edgard.

“I’m proud of him and the people of our town are proud of him,” said Valdez. “We’re a small school and this is a small town, and we take a lot of pride in seeing one of our own do great things. I know he has great expectations for himself, and I believe in him.”