Mustang Legacy Award

Dennis Simons was born in 1943 in Utah and grew up in Idaho, where he discovered a lifelong passion for sports. After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1971 with degrees in science and physical education, he moved to New Mexico to begin his teaching career with Gallup-McKinley County Schools. He taught in Gallup and Zuni before settling at Ramah High School, where he became a memorable PE and science teacher known for his outdoor bug collection projects and rigorous running activities.

Driven by his love for athletics, Mr. Simons spent seven years advocating to bring football to Ramah, leading to the establishment of the school's team in 1987. Although a near-fatal heart attack in 1987 delayed his initial debut on the sidelines, he later recovered and took over coaching duties. Under his leadership, the Ramah Mustangs achieved remarkable success, making multiple state championship appearances alongside his contributions to basketball and gymnastics.

After retiring in 2007, Mr. Simons remained an active figure in the community through his church service and frequent attendance at local sporting events until his passing in January 2019. His enduring legacy lives on through his large family, the hundreds of students and athletes he mentored, and the Mustang football program he fought so hard to create.

Grant Clawson was recognized in his nomination for this prestigious award as an exemplary educator who consistently went above and beyond to inspire students and colleagues.

Grant Clawson's decades-long career at the Ramah schools was defined by his commitment as a teacher, administrator, and influential coach. He first joined Ramah High School in 1991, teaching a wide range of subjects including Science, Vocational Agriculture, and Special Education. As a Ramah alumnus who loved competition, he eagerly transitioned into coaching.

Over his coaching tenure, his teams amassed over 150 wins, that combined, gave him a rate better than 500 and made him one of the most winningest coaches in Ramah High History. His teams were also able to captured a remarkable 12 District Championships, including an impressive eight consecutive titles. 

As a staunch believer that a coach must set an example, Grant was noted for his absolute demand for decorum and respect.  Above all, Grant viewed himself as a mentor, recognizing the profound responsibility he had in guiding young men and women to become the considerate, responsible adults the world needs. 

Don Roy Cox, known to the Mustang family as “Donnie”, is one of the few that can call themselves a Mustang State Champion.  Don played basketball, ran track, and his all-time favorite sport – football.  His dream was to come back to Ramah to teach history and to coach the Mustangs onto more victories. Don scored 20 touchdowns as a Mustang and Don could have played as a Mustang again for Western New Mexico University, but by the time the coach had called him he had already signed as United States Marine. 

Don served over 20 years as a United States Marine. After his service, he chose to return to his beloved hometown of Ramah.  While in Ramah, Don helped coach the JV girls basketball and boys football team. Don was also known as the voice of the Mustangs.  He loved announcing the football games doing mustang trivia.  He would get there an hour early to meet the opposing team’s coaches and get the names and numbers of each player so he could announce all the players by name. 

Don loved his school and cherished being one of the distinguished alumni of RHS.   He seized any opportunity he could to relate his growth and knowledge from Ramah high school into his everyday life. There was nothing he wanted more than to coach the Ramah Mustang Football team.  He said the only school he would ever coach for was Ramah.  He was dedicated and loyal to one school.  His school, his team, the Ramah Mustangs.

Mrs. Pamela Adams moved to Ramah in 1991 and applied for the high school Language Arts position at a time when the administration desperately needed a committed educator. Despite having 15 years of prior teaching experience, she faced a unique challenge: a rigorous four-stage interview process involving the principal, staff, students, and parents, followed by a daily schedule that required her to teach every single grade level. She quickly proved her dedication; when students anxiously asked if she would return for a second year, she playfully assured them that after 15 years at her last school, they would not get rid of her so easily.

During her 15-year tenure at Ramah High School, Mrs. Adams navigated numerous scheduling overhauls and became a driving force for academic advancement. She was directly involved in introducing Advanced Placement (AP) classes in English and Social Studies, and she established a dual-credit pathway allowing seniors to earn college English credit. Thanks to her students' hard work, classroom performance was exemplary, consistently ranking in the 90th percentile for English and writing. Her classroom operated under two legendary, ironclad rules: Rule number one, Mrs. Adams is always right; Rule number two, if Mrs. Adams is ever wrong, refer to rule number one.

Mrs. Adams retired in 2006, leaving behind a legacy of high standards and fond memories, particularly the wonderful chaos and mishaps of her drama class performances. Reflecting on the many humorous and bittersweet moments shared over the years, she considers all of her former students to be her "kids" and deeply cherishes her time at RHS.

Dr. Carnes Burson moved to the Ramah Valley in July 1986, accepting a teaching position at Ramah High School, where he and his wife raised their five children. Holding a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Burson was drawn to the area's rich cultural diversity after previously designing curriculum on the White River Apache reservation and serving as a local missionary. Fluent in Navajo, he was deeply dedicated to working with American Indian students, particularly the Navajo and Zuni people, and even taught adult evening classes on how to read the Navajo language.

Over a dedicated 23-year career until his retirement in May 2009, Dr. Burson taught a vast array of subjects—ranging from English and math to Spanish and Navajo—and passionately coached varsity, junior varsity, and mid-school sports. A former standout junior pentathlon athlete himself, he spearheaded a historic, state-bound girls' varsity volleyball program and coached basketball and track, famously memorizing student athletic records. He firmly believed sports were vital for academic excellence, a lasting legacy reflected in the fact that many of the area's recent coaches are his former students.

Beyond the classroom and court, Dr. Burson was a devoted community leader in the Boy Scouts and the creator of a popular school guitar club. An internationally recognized folk musician renowned for American Indian music, including the song Go My Son, he spent his summers conducting music workshops across various schools and performing worldwide. Carnes was a lifelong educator and was deeply grateful for his decades of teaching and coaching at Ramah High School.