CHICAGO, Illinois — The Ripon football program dropped a back-and-forth season opener at North Park on Saturday night, falling 42-41 to the Vikings at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
Ripon (0-1) scored with 14 seconds remaining in the game and elected to go for the win with the two-point conversion. However, North Park (1-0) thwarted the two-point play as the pass by Ripon quarterback Jack Berens sailed out of the back of the end zone.
In an entertaining game that featured one tie and four lead changes, North Park got on the board first with a touchdown run on its opening possession after Ripon started with the ball and punted. After another Ripon punt, Nolan Perry picked off a pass in North Park territory, returning it to the NPU 5 and putting Ripon on the doorstep of the end zone. It only took two plays then as Connor Ramage barreled into the end zone for a two-yard score, tying the game at seven.
Following a North Park punt, Ripon started a drive near midfield and cashed in with another score. On a 3rd and 3 from the NPU 4, Berens rushed in the end zone to give Ripon the lead right at the end of the first quarter.
The Vikings inched closer on their second drive of the quarter. Starting inside the Ripon red zone after an errant punt, a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matt Eck to Mason Wilson brought the score to 14-13, but Wes Schneider blocked the PAT attempt and Ripon stayed in front.
Ripon added to its lead towards the middle of the quarter. Berens again scored on the ground, this time from 30 yards out on a 3rd and 13, as Ripon went in front 21-13 with 7:28 left in the half.
North Park responded before half, coming within a point again at 21-20 after a 40 yard touchdown pass with 2:19 on the clock. Forcing Ripon to punt again before intermission, the hosts marched down the field in less than 30 seconds, scoring on a 43 yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left in the half. North Park took a 27-21 lead into half.
The Vikings carried momentum into the third, scoring to start the second half on a 42 yard touchdown pass and adding to their lead.
Trailing 34-21 with 5:27 left in the half, the Red Hawks continued to chip away. Starting a drive at midfield, Berens connected with Alex Mosqueda on a 43 yard touchdown pass, bringing Ripon with six at 34-28 with 2:36 left in the quarter. The period ended with the hosts leading by a touchdown.
After a North Park missed field goal, the Red Hawks took advantage and pulled in front once again with under three minutes left in the game. After a lengthy drive that started at their own 44, the offense converted multiple third downs, picked up a favorable defensive pass interference call and cashed in – Berens' third touchdown run of the day gave Ripon a 35-34 advantage after the successful PAT by Ben Crock.
North Park started its game-winning drive at its own 34 with 2:35 left in the game. On a 3rd and 10 from the Ripon 17, Eck found Wesley McCloud for the go-ahead score. McCloud then converted the two-point play and the Vikings led 42-35 with one minute left.
Ripon had to work quickly starting from its own 32 and did just that – a 38 yard completion from Berens to Mosqueda brought the Red Hawks down to the opponents' two yard line. Two plays later, Berends rushed in and the Red Hawks were within one at 42-41. However, the two-point conversion attempt was errant and North Park remained in front.
Crock attempted an onside kick, but the hosts covered it and kneeled their way to a season-opening victory.
Berens was 10-of-19 for 131 yards with one touchdown through the air. His top receiver was Mosqueda, who caught five passes for 88 yards with a score.
On the ground, Berens rushed the ball 14 times for 70 yards and four scores. Ramage had a team-high 20 attempts, netting 61 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Perry led a balanced Ripon unit with eight total tackles and an interception. Gavin Engh and Zane Vetter each chipped in six tackles.
As a team, North Park had a 448-272 total yards advantage and a 329-131 edge in passing yards, but Ripon controlled the ground game and had a 141-119 advantage there. Ripon had only five penalties for 45 yards, while the Vikings racked up 138 penalty yards on 14 infractions.
NEXT UP: Ripon hosts Grinnell at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 14 from Hopp Stadium for the Red Hawks' Midwest Conference and home opener.
FOLLOW: Follow Ripon College Red Hawks Athletics on Facebook and @RiponRedHawks on Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to riponredhawks.com for all information, releases and schedules.
Ripon Falls in Wild Opener at North Park, 42-41
/seasons/2024/boxscores/20240907_2yyk.xml
2024
Ripon
41
North Park
42
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripon (0-1) | 14 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 41 |
| North Park (1-0) | 7 | 20 | 7 | 8 | 42 |
Sep 07, 2024