Get to know Ripon Christian QB Travis Zuidervaart

Ripon Christian quarterback Travis Zuidervaart completed 10 of 17 passes for 209 yards and three touchdown passes – and scored another on a 1-yard sneak – in leading the Knights to a 35-28, come-from-behind victory over Stone Ridge Christian (Merced) on Friday night at Castle Field in Atwater.

The Bee caught up with Zuidervaart on Saturday morning and asked him about the comeback against the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII champs, what it’s like playing in RC’s new stadium and the legacy he and his teammates would like to build in the new facility.

Q: First things first: How do you pronounce your last name?

A: The U is silent. Zuidervaart.

Q: So, “Zuider” rhymes with cider, and “vaart” rhymes with heart?

A: Right.

Q: What goes through your mind when you’re down 21-0?

A: We just had to get the offense rolling like I knew we could. Will Kamps was dominating his guy, and he was calling for us to run the ball right behind him. For me, it was just a matter of completing passes when needed to let our offense keep rolling.

Q: You cut the deficit to seven points and then Stone Ridge Christian stretched it back to 14. Was there any concern that you’d run out of gas?

A: We were the more physically fit team and we wore them down. At halftime, I think they knew we had more, and they didn’t have anything left in the tank. I knew our defense was going to step up. They got me the ball back with a stop on fourth-and-goal from the 5. They made a huge stop on their leading rusher (Austin Rees). Our defense just stuffed it. We got the ball with 5:09 left, and I looked over at coach Trey (Ozenbaugh) and said, “Let’s work some magic.”

Q: You actually used those words: “Let’s work some magic”?

A: Yes. We scored on a 33-yard pass to Jonah Lewis to go up 35-28 with about a minute left.

Q: The official grand opening, with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, of your school’s new stadium will happen this Friday when you host Linden. But what was it like playing there for the “soft opening” Week Zero against Mountain House?

A: It was nice to get the jitters out. This will be our second time there, and now it’s just a matter of going out and doing what we do. The coaches are great about keeping the distractions to a minimum with the whole new-field thing.

Q: Everybody wants a reputation of being tough to play at home, like Oakdale High at The Corral. You guys have a chance to create that kind of legacy. Is that important to you?

A: It’s a great opportunity to put ourselves on the map. We’ve done that with the stadium; now it’s time to do that with our play and let everybody know who we are.

Q: What did you like best about playing in the new stadium on Aug. 28?

A: I love the cross that anchors our new stadium. I’m actually sitting on the field now, looking at it. Who’s not going to remember that cross? You can see it driving by on the freeway. I’m sure it will be a memory for a lot of other people, as well.

Joe Cortez

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Get to know Ripon Christian QB Travis Zuidervaart."