Ripon looks ahead after blanking Amador

RIPON -- Tyler Swortfiguer hops on a sore hamstring. Josh McCreath's knee aches. It's playoff time, and the unbeaten Ripon High Indians feel the pain.

But when you're 11-0, it doesn't hurt quite as bad.

Ripon, making school history with each outing, limited Amador of Sutter Creek to 54 net yards Friday night for a 40-0 win in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 playoffs.

The Indians, the Trans-Valley League champions, captured their first playoff victory since 1997. Then again, they didn't register an unbeaten regular season since 1983.

Ripon made fast work of the Buffaloes (7-4), thanks to three touchdowns — two receptions and one rushing — by Anthony Baciocco. McCreath, the Indians' battering ram on offense and relentless edge-rusher on defense, pounded for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 23 attempts.

An artillery gun stationed at the north end of Stouffer Field saluted each one of Ripon's six touchdowns. Next week, Central Catholic, a 63-20 winner over Bear River, will try to silence that gun.

"You have to play them (Central Catholic) sooner or later," Ripon head coach Chris Johnson said. "It goes through them."

Swortfiguer, Ripon's tenacious inside linebacker, has limped through most of the season (hamstring). So has McCreath (knee). It's too late, however, to sweat injuries.

Ripon's seniors were motivated by last year's upset loss to Livingston in the first round. Idle last week, they couldn't wait to restart against Amador.

"We all felt we left something on the table last year," Johnson said. "We said this would not be our last game."

Scouting Amador wasn't difficult for Ripon. Both run a hybrid Wing-T, and Indians defense coordinator Darin Higgins used that familiarity to shut down the Buffaloes.

The result was six first-half turnovers, five of them interceptions, that escorted Ripon to a 19-0 halftime lead. Safety Josh Clark was responsible for three of the picks off quarterback Jacob Griffin.

"He (Clark) is one of our toughest kids," Johnson said. "He doesn't like to lose."

Ripon's Kyle Wengel twice found Baciocco for touchdown passes during the first quarter. The second, a 32-yard downfield strike on fourth-and-23, energized the Indians.

Baciocco cemented Ripon's command early in the second half with a 35-yard rip into the end zone. The rest was left to McCreath, who moved the pile with his straight-ahead drives.

Amador, limited to 3 net yards during the first half, reached only the Ripon 27. The win was decisive, and Ripon thought ahead.

"It gives us momentum," Baciocco said. "To be the best, you gotta beat the best (Central Catholic)."