‘In a good position’: Ripon Christian beats Orestimba in key Southern League game
After giving up 63 points in the season opener to Central Valley Christian, the Ripon Christian High School football team did not allow a single point in its next three games.
Friday night, Ripon Christian coach Phil Grams knew Orestimba could be the team to snap the Knights’ streak. Games between the two teams have historically been shootouts loaded with league title and playoff implications.
In their eight previous matchups, the winner between the two went on to claim the league championship six times. Entering Friday night’s matchup, both teams had four wins and four losses. In 2021, Ripon Christian won a 45-42 affair. The 2018 matchup, another Knights win, went down to the wire, finishing at 23-17. Orestimba won a 2015 shootout, 49-43.
The streak of holding opponents scoreless ended at three and a half games.
Ripon Christian was able to keep Orestimba’s offense off the board in the first half of Friday night’s game but the Warriors scored twice in the second.
The Knights offense out-executed, out-physical-ed and outscored Orestimba, earning a fourth straight win and advancing to 2-0 in Southern League play, 42-12.
“Our kids play for the joy of the game,” Grams said. “They love being out here playing football, and you can tell by their play. And they like being physical, too. That’s the brand of football we’re playing and it worked tonight.
“I told them tonight before the game, ‘You guys put the money in the bank starting in the winter and it’s time to cash that in tonight,’ and they did.”
The Knights return four offensive linemen from last season’s Division VII section championship team and have made it a point all season to be more physical than their opponents. Friday night was no different as Brady Grondz, Grant Sonke, Trevor Van Elderen and other Knights rushers combined for 235 yards. Sophomore quarterback Mason Tameling also completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior Jace Beidleman.
“When you can run the ball, that protects your defense, and our defense is a handful with the scheme that we run,” Grams said. “With the guys we have back from that championship team and this group of seniors … is blossoming into something special.”
The Knights scored five of their six touchdowns on the ground. Grondz rushed for three on a pair of eight-yard runs and a 15-yard scamper. Van Elderen rushed for a 10-yard score in the second quarter and Sonke plunged through the middle for a two-yard score in the third quarter.
“We play tough,” Grondz said. “I want to thank my line. They did a great job protecting me, the quarterback and everyone who got the ball today. They were relentless.”
Injuries, youth hurt Orestimba
The Warriors narrowly won their first game over Davis but have since gone 1-3.
In their Week 3 loss to Los Banos, they lost starting quarterback Alex Millan to a collarbone injury on their fourth offensive play. Junior Jacob Valenzuela has filled the starting quarterback role.
Against the Knights’ stingy defense, he completed nine of 23 passes for 123 yards and touchdowns of 37 and four yards.
Orestimba coach Aaron Souza believes his team had moments that could have shifted the balance of the game. They gave up a fourth-down conversion on a fake punt in the first half, gave up a touchdown on fourth and eight, and gave the Knights an extra five yards multiple times by committing offsides penalties. A scoreless first half gave Ripon Christian all the momentum.
Juan Esquivez was the bright spot on the Warriors’ offense in the first four games with 655 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Knights kept him in check all night with a swarming defense.
“I thought we had moments where we could have closed the gap,” Souza said. “We just didn’t get enough signature plays on defense and we did nothing in the first half on offense.”
Orestimba has juniors in, getting their first varsity experience all over the field. Coaches also started two sophomores on defense. Junior running back/linebacker Allen Garcia received a pair of penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a disqualification.
“I didn’t like the way we handled getting punched in the mouth in the sense of, we talked a little too much,” Souza said. “We were a little more undisciplined than I would have liked. I think our team has to learn how to rebound and continue to flow through that adversity during the course of a game. I didn’t see any quit in us, but we need to be able to handle that and keep playing ball.
“It’s not an excuse, but youth plays a factor, there’s no way around it.”
They can meet again
Both coaches are expecting the two sides to match up down the line.
During the playoffs, the Knights and Warriors will be in Division VII no matter who wins the league.
“I have no doubt that we’re going to see them in the playoffs and we’re going to have to adjust because he’s (Souza) going to have a plan and an answer. It’s a big-time win for our program tonight.” Grams said.
Entering the year, Ripon Christian, Orestimba and Le Grand were expected to be three of the league’s top teams. Orestimba beat Le Grand last week and the Knights won Friday night’s contest. The win propels Ripon Christian to the top of the Southern League standings with five weeks left in the regular season. Ripon Christian plays Le Grand on Oct. 6.
“You’ve got to win this one to have a shot,” Grams said of how Friday’s win affects the league standings. “We’ve still got Waterford, Le Grand and other games down the road. … It puts us in a good position, but the Southern League isn’t won.”
