Basketball Game Preview: Sonora Wildcats vs. Ripon Indians

Sonora has won four straight games at home, while Ripon has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The two teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. without much rest having both just played. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

On Thursday, Sonora didn't have too much trouble with Hughson as they won 61-43. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 444th, while the Huskies are ranked 954th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Sonora got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Noah Wright out in front who posted 17 points. That's the most points Wright has posted since back in December of 2024. Luke Otterson was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Ripon's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of Ripon Christian by a score of 57-55. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Indians have suffered since February 27, 2024.

Sonora is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 17-8 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.8 points per game. As for Ripon, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-10.

Sonora barely slipped by Ripon when the teams last played back in January, winning 42-41. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Ripon's Marcus Madoski, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Sonora still be able to contain Madoski? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.