Ripon wins thriller in final seconds to claim state 4-AA championship
The Ripon High football team’s storybook season ended with a dramatic final chapter Saturday night.
Nathan Valdez kicked a 36-yard field goal in the driving rain with 28 seconds left in the game and the Indians defeated Highland of Palmdale, 31-28 in the CIF State Division 4-AA championship game at Stouffer Field.
It was a sensational ending to an unforgettable season as the Indians finished 14-1 and claimed league, section and state titles. And all that with a 20-player roster.
The most important player on that roster Saturday might have been the Indians’ senior kicker.
Valdez made four important extra points and with the game tied at 28 and the rain falling hard, he coolly drilled the field goal that will be remembered in Ripon for decades to come.
“That was the best feeling in my life,” Valdez said. “Knowing that I just kicked the game-winning kick for state championship is the best feeling you could ever have.”
Ripon coach Chris Musseman said he had complete confidence in his kicker as he sent him out to win the game.
“He came to me at the beginning of that (final) drive and ... said ‘Coach, get me in range and I’ll make it,’ “ Musseman said. “I’m going to trust my kid.”
Musseman not only put his faith in his kicker, he had complete trust in his quarterback, too.
After Highland (12-4) tied the game on a 14-yard touchdown run by Isiah Creech with just over 4 minutes left in the game, Musseman sent senior quarterback Nico Ilardi onto the field and said, “Nico, get us down the field.”
At that point, the rain — which had only started a few minutes earlier — was coming down hard.
“We kind of turned it back over to our quarterback,” Musseman said. “He’s the leader of our group and has been for years. ... It’s Nico’s team.”
Ilardi said he was confident he could move the Indians down to get the winning score.
He said the mood was positive as the offense huddled up before starting the drive at its own 38-yard line.
“We were all thinking ‘game time,’ “ Ilardi said. “We knew we had to put points on the board, whether it was a touchdown or field goal.
“It feels amazing. It feels great.”
What preceded Valdez’s game-winning kick was a game of ups and downs that saw Ripon bolt out to a 21-0 lead only to see it vanish.
Senior running back Grant Weibe ran for two touchdowns and senior defensive back Danny Hernandez returned an interception 38 yards for a TD to give the Indians what appeared to be a comfortable lead.
But Highland, which made the 308-mile trip up north on Friday, never gave up.
The Bulldogs pulled within 21-14 on a 59-yard double-reverse pass with 23 seconds left in the first half, then took the lead in the third quarter, 22-21, on a 3-yard TD run and 2-point PAT run by Joshua Clark.
Wiebe said Ripon was never fazed by Highland’s comeback.
“We’ve been through a lot this season and so many games have taught us so much,” he said.
Ilardi connected on his only TD pass of the game in the fourth quarter, throwing a nice 15-yard loft to senior wide receiver Troy Brogan.
Ripon’s defense held Creech, Highland’s star running back, in check for much of the game. He suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter that appeared to slow him down a bit.
The Indians defense also recorded five sacks on the night.
But this game will likely be most remembered for the kick that started a huge celebration in the small town of Ripon.
“I had to trust my team, trust my self and knew I could make that kick,” Valdez said, “and it happened.”
This story was originally published December 14, 2019 at 10:44 PM.
