Ripon boys basketball chases elusive TVL title, place in school history

Justin Graham, Eder Zuniga and other members of the 2004-06 Ripon High School boys basketball teams rarely come back to campus, but their legacy fills the gymnasium they helped christen.

They were the last to win a league championship, and their accolades decorate the foyer. There are trophies, newspaper clippings, murals and a jersey celebrating a golden era in Indians basketball.

Graham was a star at San Jose State and played briefly overseas. Nathan Clark closed his college career at UC Davis, and Danny Moulyn played two seasons at the community college level. Zuniga still chases the dream in a professional league in Mexico.

Together, they helped lead the Indians to three consecutive Trans-Valley League championships and a Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV final berth in 2005.

“Those last championship teams had some incredible players. They never wanted to lose. The TVL was crazy back then, and those teams could come in and just blow out people,” Ripon coach Rod Wright said. “That team ... you’re talking about four college basketball players. I’ve had nothing close to that since.

“I have kids that work hard and play hard, but those were four college athletes. They refused to lose, and they liked each other. They shared the ball; that’s the biggest difference. You hope to get a team like that in your career once.”

In the decade that has passed, Wright has had to contend with Modesto Christian – which boasts a state-best 155-game league winning streak and now competes in the Modesto Metro Conference – and the ebb and flow of talent at a public school.

“Without Modesto Christian, we might have hung up three more,” Wright said with a sincere chuckle.

The dry spell could come to an end Tuesday evening when Ripon (22-4) hosts across-the-street neighbor Ripon Christian (17-7) in a winner-take-all TVL finale. Both teams are tied atop the standings at 10-1. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., after the varsity girls game.

Ripon Christian is the defending champion.

The Indians won the first meeting 53-52 on Jan. 26 on a tip-in by forward Cody Haines with 1.6 seconds left on the Knights’ court, and those were the only points scored by either side in the final two minutes; that’s how close the TVL race has been this season.

“Both of us at 10-1 makes for a great (storyline) going into the last game of the season to produce a champion, but they know the only way you’ll be remembered in history is by putting that little number up there,” Wright said, pointing toward the basketball banner on the wall opposite his bench.

The amount of empty space on the banner is glaring.

“People look up there and see Class of ’57, and most of those guys you don’t know. They do know ’04 and ’05 because they were young and their parents were coming to games,” Wright said. “They know those teams. This is an opportunity for them to say, ‘This is how good I was in high school,’ and they can point to their team.”

So, just how good are today’s Indians? At 22-4, have they put themselves in the same stratosphere as the other great teams in Wright’s long tenure? The Ripon High alumnus cringes. In his eyes, it’s not a fair comparison. Not yet, anyway.

There are subtle similarities between the two eras, though, beginning with central casting.

The Indians are led by an experienced set of guards, including a transfer from Mexico with Zuniga blood flowing through his veins. Junior Cole Stevens is a third-year point guard who leads the team in points (18.1) and assists (3.5). He often leans on Aaron Paschini (16.4 points), a junior who can slash and shoot. Senior Jose Medina is a burst of energy off the bench. He is Zuniga’s cousin.

And then there’s the matter of league and section title hopes. Tuesday’s outcome will determine which path the feuding neighbors take through the postseason.

With a win, Ripon would be a top seed in the D-IV tournament with a guaranteed home game. A loss would likely put the Indians on the road against a field that will include undefeated Liberty Ranch, three-time section finalist Central Catholic, Mother Lode monsters Summerville and Calaveras, and West Campus and Mesa Verde of the Golden Empire League.

Ripon Christian will likely be a top seed regardless of the outcome. The only question is: Which division? A win would lift the Knights into the D-IV bracket, while a loss would keep them at D-V with schools of similar size.

“There are all kinds of layers to this,” Wright said. “For them, they want the league, but they don’t want to play in Division IV. We want the league title because we need a better seeding.”

Ripon has won at least 20 games for the first time in 10 seasons, and the last nine have come in succession. Ripon Christian will fight fire with fire. The Knight have won five in a row since their last-second loss to Ripon.

“We’ve been on a nice roll,” Wright said.

But has it been historic? Tuesday will tell.

This story was originally published February 15, 2016 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Ripon boys basketball chases elusive TVL title, place in school history."