After each having a week off, the Ripon Indians and the Liberty Ranch Hawks will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Ripon has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with four straight losses, while Liberty Ranch will come in with ten straight wins.
Last Friday, Ripon came up short against Hilmar and fell 33-21.
The losing side was boosted by Andrew Shaw, who rushed for 33 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 82 yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Liberty Ranch against Galt two weeks ago as the team secured a 54-16 victory. The contest marked the Hawks' most dominant win of the season.
Liberty Ranch's win came from a few key players Ripon will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ryan Ogas, who rushed for 74 yards and one TD on only six carries, and also threw for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passing touchdowns (two). Andrew Quinn was in the mix too, providing Liberty Ranch with two scores.
Liberty Ranch was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 339 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 314 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Liberty Ranch's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Joe Lara, Eston Tucker, and Kyle Quaresma, who each picked up one sack apiece. Tucker was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making eight total tackles in addition to snagging an interception.
Liberty Ranch's record now sits at 10-0. As for Ripon, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Ripon has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 217.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberty Ranch struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 392.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ripon took a serious blow against Liberty Ranch in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 35-0. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
