Ripon erases 24-point deficit to advance to first section title appearance since 1996
Some had tears in their eyes while others screamed with excitement.
Ripon High had just clinched its first championship appearance since 1996 with an improbable 34-33 victory over Amador in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V semifinals on Friday.
The thoughts running through the minds of the coaches and players: “We did what?”
Somehow, someway, the Indians (11-1) erased a 27-3 deficit, capping the remarkable comeback when senior quarterback Nico Ilardi connected with junior wide receiver Mason Knight for the go-ahead 28-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes, 30 seconds remaining.
The play call was supposed to be a wheel route pass to senior running back Grant Wiebe but Ilardi saw Knight open and from his back foot, threw a perfect pass for the score.
“At the last second, I put it up for him,” Ilardi said.
Knight was one of the many unsung heroes for the Indians. He entered the game with only two receptions and 52 yards all season. Friday night, when it mattered most, he had seven receptions for 94 yards and the touchdown. Three receptions on the final drive went for first downs.
“They were playing soft coverage and we saw him,” Indians coach Chris Musseman said. “Mason hasn’t been the read this year, but he’s a great athlete.”
Knight said for the last two weeks he knew his moment was coming. He worked to stay ready.
“Tonight was just my night,” he said with a grin on his face.
Early on it was all Buffaloes (10-2) as they led 13-3 after the first quarter and 27-3 midway through the second. Ripon attempted to convert a fourth down attempt on its own 33-yard line with a little under 2:30 remaining in the half but wasn’t able to get it.
“People were ready to leave,” Musseman told the team. “We showed resiliency and heart.”
Amador fumbled on the next play, with the ball bouncing off the quarterback’s knee. It went 20 yards toward midfield, where Indians senior Troy Brogan recovered it.
“I just jumped on top of it and held on for dear life,” Brogan said.
Ilardi connected with senior running back Brandon Rainer for nine yards and the touchdown to trim the deficit to 17 with a little over a minute left in the half. After Ripon recovered the onside kick, Ilardi scored on 2-yard run with one second remaining in the half.
“The kids have amazing fight and we (coaches) were on the headsets just saying we needed to catch a break,” Musseman said.
Ripon senior kicker Nathan Valdez made his second field-goal early in the third before Amador senior wide receiver Augustus Gendey caught a one-handed touchdown with 6:43 left in the third to increase the lead to 33-20.
Ilardi scored on a 1-yard run on the next drive and finished the night 24-of-35 for 233 yards and four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing).
Both teams exchanged punts until the Indians’ game winning drive.
After Knight’s touchdown catch, Wiebe deflected an Amador pass on the next drive on fourth down, and Indians senior running back Danny Hernandez ran for a first down three plays later to seal the game.
Brogan said the group, most of whom have played together since their days with the Ripon Chiefs youth team, have a group chat they started last spring with the name: “2019 Section Champs”.
They get their chance for a title next Saturday at noon against Center at Sacramento City College.
Escalon 40, Sonora 14: The game was tied at 14 midway through the third quarter before Escalon (11-1) scored 26 unanswered points. Seniors Garrett Nash and Jacob Walden both had fumble recoveries for a touchdown for the Cougars, who will play Hilmar in the Division VI title game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Lincoln High School.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 12:15 AM.
