Ramona High football coach Damon Baldwin was asked what he thought of Montgomery High, the Bulldogs’ opponent on Friday night.

“Which team?” he replied.

What might seem like a silly question, actually makes sense.

The Montgomery team that started the season went 2-3 before making a bold move, putting 5-foot-11 freshman Isaiah Mena-Malijan at quarterback and moving talented Andie DeAnda to wide receiver/running back.

Since then, the Aztecs have won six straight games heading into the section Division 4 quarterfinal game, where host Ramona is the top-seeded team.

“It’s a tale of two teams, really,” said Baldwin. “When they made the change at quarterback they became a different team. They have a lot of quality athletes, as always. We’re going to have our hands full.”

He concedes that the 2-8 Bulldogs have played a tougher schedule — thus the higher seed — but just watching film, he has gained a lot of respect for the team from the South Bay.

Completing almost 60 percent of his passes (87 of 148) for 1,512 yards, 19 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions, Mena-Malijan is certainly no longer a freshman experience-wise.

By moving the versatile DeAnda, a junior who completed just 47 percent of his passes, to wide receiver/running back, the Aztecs gained someone who has 23 receptions for 401 yards and four TDs as well as a running back who has gained 155 yards on 34 carries with one TD.

He’s the No. 2 receiver, behind the 448 yards on 20 receptions by Zantez Thomas, and No. 3 rusher from Montgomery where Amio Fox’s 413 yards leads the way. Of course, there is always the threat of DeAnda launching the ball downfield.

“We’ll have to play a mistake-free game and control the ball,” Baldwin said. “I believe the home crowd will be a big factor. The key will be to come out with focus and intensity.”

Ramona’s Ryan Shaw (71 of 124 for 1,010 yards, nine TDs) has settled in as the starting quarterback, getting the ball to receivers like Noah Badilla (25-414-4), Ethan Grajada (13-221) and Wyatt Mallinson (12-222).

Timothy Paredes has rushed for an even 500 yards while Juan Robles (215 yards), Grajada (167) and Dominic Cromwell (142) are part of the Bulldogs’ “run by committee.”

All-Palomar League first-team linebacker Grajada leads a defense that has improved as the season progressed. Junior defensive end Mallinson was also recognized as a second team All-League player.

Where Ramona has a huge advantage is that they have played a very tough schedule, especially in the Palomar League.

“Six or seven of our opponents have been in the Top 10 at one time or another or are playing in Division 1,” Baldwin said in reference to teams like San Marcos, Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo and Del Norte. “We look at this as our second chance. We have gotten a handful of players back who were injured and playing in Division IV, this is where we belong.

“By playing the top teams like we do, we have learned a lot. Like it or not, by playing the schedule we did played a huge role in being seeded No. 1 and having the home field advantage. Sure, we could schedule easier teams and win, but that wouldn’t help us in the long run.

“We’re still a very young team and a lot of players have gotten playing time. We’re hoping that this year will prepare us not just for the playoffs, but for the future. You could say we’re battle-tested but we’re still 2-8 and Montgomery is 8-3.”

Baldwin, as the North County Conference representative to the Football Playoff Committee, said it’s still too early to determine if the current playoff system, compiled by MaxPrep and CalPreps, is superior to previous systems, but the first-round playoff numbers would support that.

“We had three teams make the playoffs who hadn’t won a game but played tough schedules,” he said. “Two of those teams (St. Augustine in Division 3 and Mira Mesa in Division 4) won and the third (fellow Palomar League team Fallbrook) lost by one point.”

Looking at the brackets overall, only two teams seeded beyond No. 8 — No. 9 Del Norte in Division 1 and No. 12 Monte Vista in Division 5 — pulled upsets.

“When the season is over, we’ll meet and discuss everything,” said Baldwin, who in his 30 years at Ramona has seen any number of playoff proposals. “Right now, I’m just worried about a Montgomery team that is very talented.”