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Experienced Red Hawks Look To Take Next Step
The Ripon football team has finished with a 7-3 record in each of the past two seasons, which includes a
7-2 conference record in both of those years, with identical second-place finishes. With 12 senior starters this year, the Red Hawks are poised to take the next step, as they hope to capture their first conference title since 2001.
"The big thing we stress to the team is to play more consistently throughout a 10-game season," head football coach Ron Ernst said. "We have to get better every week because each game we play is against a tough opponent."
With more than half of their starters in their final year with the team, the Red Hawks hope that experience will pay off. Not only do they have a lot of seniority, but that seniority also has a lot of game experience, with many of them having started during the last two or three years.
"The seniors on our team are extremely positive and they've all worked very hard to get to where they are. They have the potential to be great leaders and this could be a very special group if they play up to their capabilities," said Ernst.
The most noticeable difference when the Red Hawks suit up at Ingalls Field won't be any of the players running on that field, but the field itself. An artificial surface was installed during the summer, instantly making Ingalls Field one of the best fields in the area, while also eliminating any possible injury risks that were associated with the previous surface.
"We now have a field surface that matches anyone in the conference and possibly the region. From a psychological standpoint, this could be an advantage for us, and it will give our field more of a college feel.
QUARTERBACK
Senior Tygh Walters (West Bend, Wis./West Bend West) and Sophomore Matt Miller (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep) will battle each other for the right to line up under center. Walters is coming off a season which saw him throw for 11 touchdowns, while Miller threw for 242 yards on 27 pass attempts in relief duty.
"Tygh is a great leader and both he and Matt are tremendous athletes. There's going to be a real good battle at that position, and whoever wins that spot is going to be a quarterback that can really do great things in our program. Both players possess the ability to take this team as far as it wants to go," said Ernst.
Even though Tygh started all 10 games last season, his first as the starter, there could be a competition for the position. No matter who wins the job, the Red Hawks are certain that they will have a quality starter, along with a quality back-up.
"They're both tremendous competitors and great leaders. The other players really rally around each of them, so there's no consensus on who they want to start," Ernst said. "They just want the best person in there that's going to get the job done."
RUNNING BACKS
The key to this year's Ripon team will once again be in the backfield, which finished last season with a school record 3,053 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns. Leading the way again this year will be senior fullback Scott Perkins (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago), who finished last season with 1,072 yards and 12 touchdowns, which both ranked second among Midwest Conference leaders.
"I expect Perkins to have an even better season this year. When a player has a great junior year, you'd like him to come back and have an even better year the following season, which I think he's capable of. The sky's the limit, as far as what he's able to achieve," said Ernst.
Senior Jon Larsen (West Bend, Wis./West Bend West) and junior Tyler Ruppert (Clintonville, Wis./Clintonville) will also get some playing time at fullback. That duo combined for nearly 500 yards and found the end zone three times last season.
"If Perkins is out or needs a rest at some point, Larsen is going to be able to come in and our team won't miss a beat," Ernst said. "All three returning fullbacks will be able to get the job done."
The slot back positions are anything but decided. The leading candidates will be junior Andrew Fink (Juneau, Wis./Hustisford) and sophomore Russell Maly (Mazomanie, Wis./Wisconsin Heights), combined with several incoming freshmen.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Both starting receivers are in their final season with the Red Hawks, having both started for the last two years. Seniors Ted Bartels (Lakewood, Wis./Wabeno) and Brian Felix (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) combined for 34 catches and six touchdowns last season, but it's their dedication to the team and doing anything that's needed of them that is even more valuable than their reception numbers.
"Bartels and Felix are both outstanding athletes and play with great desire. In our offense, the receivers won't get the ball thrown to them 20-30 times, so they have to make their impact in another way, which mostly means blocking for our backs," Ernst said. "Both players take a tremendous amount of pride in doing just that. They're great team players that understand their role, and they will make big plays when called upon, so I think they're in for another great year."
Seniors Robert Bergfeld (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) and Bob Wood (Port Washington, Wis./Port Washington) also return at the receiver position, along with a host of sophomores and freshmen.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The heart and soul of this year's Ripon team will once again be the offensive line, which returns four players for their senior season in guards Trevor Wirth (Verona, Wis./Middleton) and Nick Damico (Germantown, Wis./Germantown), right tackle Alan Olmsted (Bear Creek, Wis./Clintonville), and center Mark Leupold (Maribel, Wis./Denmark). There will be a competition for the left tackle spot, which was vacated by the graduation of All-Conference First Team selection Mike Strelow.
"The offensive line had a great season last year and I expect them to help our offense be even more successful this season. A lot will depend upon the attitude they have and if they decide that they won't be satisfied with another 7-3 record. Those are the guys that are going to take this team as far as it can go," said Ernst.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Collectively, the youngest position on the team is at defensive line, but that doesn't mean they lack experience. Senior Ray Anderson (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) will anchor the line after recording 27 tackles and one sack last season. Junior Kyle Farrell (St. Francis, Wis./St. Francis) will also play a big role in stuffing the run with his 6-6, 310 pound frame, while fellow junior Paul Braun (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) will see a lot of action. Sophomores Kyle Roy (Fredonia, Wis./Random Lake) and Jeff Trinka (Big Bend, Wis./Mukwonago) will also have big roles after combining for 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season.
"I'm looking for some great improvement at defensive line because we were so young there last year. We only lose one lineman, so we're expecting bigger things out of our sophomores, who now have one year experience under their belt," said Ernst.
One reason some players may have more success this season is that the coaching staff has altered their defensive scheme to cater to each player's strengths. That will put everyone in the best position to make a play.
"We're changing up our schematic philosophy just a little bit, which will enhance each player's ability to do some very good things," Ernst said. "We're going to be rotating a lot of people. Those guys all worked very hard in the off-season, and we're looking for them all to be much better this year."
LINEBACKERS
The linebacking core was a solid unit last season and looks to build on that success this year with the return of junior Ryan Andersen (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's), who was second on the team and 14th in the conference in tackles last season, with 81, to go along with one sack and one interception.
"Andersen is the only returning linebacker with any real game experience, but we have some kids coming back that did an outstanding job for us in back up roles last year that will now be expected to step up and get the job done," said Ernst.
Among those players that will see an extended role on this year's team are juniors Justin Bruehl (Wrightstown, Wis./Wrightstown) and Adam Firgens (Suring, Wis./Suring) and sophomore Tim Dreger (Verona, Wis./Verona).
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Probably the most veteran position on the team and arguably the most talented is at defensive back. The unit will be led by seniors Chris Kellett (Neenah, Wis./Neenah), Joshua Kraemer (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West), and Vince Spratte (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West), who all received All-Conference recognition last season. Kraemer led the team with six interceptions, to go along with 45 tackles and one sack, while Spratte led the Ripon secondary with 50 tackles, to go along with two interceptions. Kellett was also all over the field, recording 42 tackles.
"Spratte, Kraemer, and Kellett at our robber, bandit, and free safety positions are as good as it gets and will be a key to our success this year," said Ernst.
Sophomore Kurt Roeder (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam) will return at one starting cornerback spot, while the other will be occupied by junior Brad Fehly (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago), who sat out all of last year with a knee injury, but is now 100% healthy. Fehly was named MWC All-Conference Honorable Mention in both 2005 and 2006.
"We have the makings of one of the best secondaries in the conference. The five starters have played together for a long time now, so they know what each other are doing and how they think. They communicate extremely well, which is something a team needs to have in the secondary," said Ernst.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking duties will be done by committee once again, with Wood, Fehly, and Kraemer splitting time. Wood will likely handle field goals and extra points, while Kraemer will take care of kickoffs.
"We're not going to have the guy that can kick the 45 or 50-yard field goal, but if we get it in close, we've got kickers that are going to get the job done," said Ernst.
Returning for his second year as the punter will be Roeder, who had a 36.5 average last season, which included a long of 62 yards.
The biggest threat Ripon has on special teams will come via the return game, where they have one of the best return men in the country in Kraemer, who was named to the All-Conference First Team last season as a return specialist. He ranked third in the conference in punt return average (10.6) and fourth in kick return average (23.9), including one return for a touchdown.
"We work very hard on punt and kick returns, and it helps to have a great returner back there," Ernst said. "That's certainly a weapon that teams are going to have to be aware of."
SCHEDULE
Ripon's 2008 schedule is a tough one, as always, with games against all nine teams in the MWC, and a non-conference match-up at UW-Oshkosh, which will kick off the season on September 6 at 1:00 in Oshkosh, Wis. The Red Hawk's home games include Lake Forest, Illinois College, Beloit, St. Norbert, and Grinnell. In addition to UW-Oshkosh, they will be traveling to Knox, Carroll, Monmouth, and Lawrence.
"We play in a tough conference. There's not a team on our schedule that can't beat us, but at the same time, I don't think there's a team we play that we can't beat. We have to go into each week with the mindset that we are going to play up to our ability and control what we're able to control," said Ernst.
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