After an incredible match to make the playoffs, the RHS football team was looking to make the most of it. The team had all the talent needed to make a run in the playoffs, they just needed to be more disciplined. However their flaws held them back in the playoffs, as they suffered a loss to Liberty Ranch in the first playoff game, with a score of 35-0.
On the offensive side of the ball, RHS has only improved as the year went on as the running game and passing game was looking dangerous for others. However the offense struggled all throughout the game as they didn’t score a single touchdown against Liberty Ranch. The team couldn’t get anything going offensively in the entire game.
Meanwhile, the defensive side of the ball has been the strength of the RHS lead. They played like that unit in the first quarter, as they only allowed one score in the first quarter. However they began to falter in the second quarter as they allowed 14 points. With the score being 21-0 at the half, the defense needed to step up to give their offense a chance to win. The defense would do exactly that, shutting out Liberty Ranch’s offense. The RHS offense, though, couldn’t score with the opportunity given to them by the defense. By the fourth quarter the defense was getting tired and the offense couldn’t get anything going. The defense went on to let Liberty Ranch score 14 points in the fourth quarter ending the game with a score of 35-0. 
Senior defensive end Cade Escalonte, stated,“A bright spot for the team would most definitely be the brotherhood that we had and the family that was connected between all of us, especially the coaches as well. I feel like everyone was more connected this year… if anything bad happened we would have each other’s backs.”
Even though the season didn’t end as they wanted it to, the RHS football team still was able to make the playoffs despite all the drama this season. There will be many questions for the team, like who will be the new head coach? What will the new varsity team look like? There are many questions, but one thing is guaranteed though, RHS football will never stop fighting for Ripon.
