The Ripon Chiefs junior varsity football team crushed the Calaveras Jr. Redskins 24-0 to earn its second straight Motherlode Valley Football League championship Saturday at Escalon High.
The JV squad finished 12-0 under head coach Brian Wood and is 23-0 overall since joining the MVFL.
It was a defensive battle at the start as Ripon took an 8-0 lead into halftime.
The Chiefs drew first blood on their opening drive highlighted by an 18-yard, first-down circus catch from Aiden Benzinger. The series was punctuated by Nico Illardi’s 11-yard toss to tight end Matthew Padilla. Nathan Valdez booted the conversion kick to cap first-half scoring.
Ripon’s defense preserved the early lead with a few big stops, the first being a fourth-down play deep in its own territory. Late in the second quarter, Beau Dionio notched the first of four turnovers for the Ripon defense with an interception. Benzinger and Illardi each picked off passes in the second half, while Leobardo Ochoa recovered a fumble.
Ripon came out strong once gain to open the second half, scoring on Dorian Dougherty’s 4-yard run. He was set up by fullback Gunnar Bertsch’s 50-yard scamper. Illardi (6 of 9 passing, 85 yards) put it out of reach with a 27-yard touchdown jaunt in the fourth quarter.
Valdez ended up 3 for 3 on point-after kicks, and Padilla helped the defense’s cause by blasting three punts totaling 98 yards.
The MVFL All-Star Game takes place this Saturday at Riverbank High. Representing the JV Chiefs are William Barnett, Caleb Delgado, Mason Terry, Benzinger, Bertsch, Dougherty, Illardi and Ochoa.
Novice
Chiefs 18, Sonora 0
The Chiefs claimed their first win at the novice level.
Isaiah San Nicolous scored all three of Ripon’s touchdowns and was aided by a dominant effort by the offensive line.
The tone was set defensively when Logan Rines sacked the Jr. Cats’ quarterback. Jory Sarratt later recorded a sack of his own, and Ethan Day blocked a pass at the line of scrimmage on the game’s final play. Michael Jeoffrie contributed two interceptions.
