Led by Miguel’s four touchdowns, Hilmar beats Ripon in TVL opener.
The Trans-Valley League opener Friday between Hilmar and Ripon featured only 20 passes combined and lots of runs to the outside.
The two teams, both ranked (Hilmar No. 2 and Ripon No. 4) by The Bee, were physical and the defenses made it difficult for offenses to get in rhythm.
However, the Yellowjackets made a couple of more big plays than the Indians and won, 38-27.
“It was a game of attrition,” Yellowjackets coach Frank Marques said. “Our limited passing game was able to get them off balance.”
Hilmar (5-0, 1-0) junior quarterback Seth Miguel had 196 total yards and four touchdowns and with the Indians’ defense focused on senior running back Steven Silva, Miguel extended drives by faking hand offs and running for a couple of first downs.
“They keyed on Silva and I was able to make a couple of plays,” Miguel said. “We focused on the little things such as blocking and reading the defense.”
For Ripon, the game was about missed opportunities and injuries.
Senior running back Grant Wiebe had 41 yards and a touchdown on the game’s opening drive but didn’t return after he hurt his shoulder. Senior quarterback Nico Ilardi suffered a leg injury in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Already with a thin roster (21 players), senior running back Danny Hernandez had a heavier load in the second half. He finished with 18 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown and senior Brandon Rainer had nearly as many carries on Friday (eight) as he had in the first four games (nine).
Ripon (0-1, 4-1) missed a field goal as time expired in the first half and came up scoreless on two red zone drives in the second half.
“We had a chance to beat a really good football team,” Indians coach Chris Musseman said. “I told them I was proud (after the game) and I am still feeling good about the season.”
After 14 first quarter points, the Hilmar defense allowed zero in the second and third.
Marques said the team was sloppy in the fourth quarter and Hilmar had a couple of unsportsmanlike penalties.
The two-time defending CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI Champions have another big test next week when it hosts No. 1 Escalon (4-0), which had a bye.
“We have a 9 a.m. team meeting (Saturday) and we are going to start watching film,” Marques said.
This story was originally published September 20, 2019 at 11:38 PM.
