On April 21, Ripon High’s girl’s varsity soccer team faced off against Sierra High School in a pre-season scrimmage. This scrimmage was a great way for the team to practice and get a feel for each other’s style of play. Having not played Sierra for many years, this practice game was an eventful way to kick off the 2021 season.

The scrimmage started off in Ripon’s favor, as we were awarded the kick-off to begin the game. The Lady Indians started off strong, connecting passes and matching the physicality of Sierra. Within the first 15 minutes of the game, a goal was scored by Ripon High’s Katie Martin. With a beautiful pass from the midfield, Katie was able to find the back of the net which awarded Ripon with a 1-0 lead.

The scrimmage was divided into four twenty-minute halves to ensure that players weren’t over-exerting themselves. This also allowed for extra coaching and instruction between halves. After a successful first half, Sierra stepped up the intensity and scored their first goal in the second half. This acted as a major confidence booster for the Timberwolves, as they put the ball in the back of the net what seemed like countless times after their first goal.

The game began turning south for Ripon as players one by one became exhausted. Stuck with having to wear long sleeve jerseys and having only 11 players, the odds were not in our favor. While the players played a physical and technical game, Sierra pulled through with a 7-1 lead in the fourth half. After a long final 20 minutes, the final score ended up being 7-1 and Sierra took the win.

While the final score may have reflected poorly on Ripon, the team has plenty of time to practice and improve together as a team before the official start of the season. With a roster of skilled and polished players, the team holds great potential. The 2021 season seems like a promising one for the RHS girl’s varsity team.