The tension was strong last Tuesday, when the Ripon tennis squad drove into enemy territory, to face their rivals in Escalon. The team was able to snag victory from the cougars by a narrow score of 5-4 matches in the first round of league. However, the stakes could not be any higher for this game. A potential victory could very well mean that Ripon would win their league, something that hasn’t been accomplished since 1987.

Two weeks ago, the Indians took a devastating loss against the Riverbank Bruins, with a score of 2-7 matches. With their record being 7-1, the Indians desperately needed to beat not only Escalon, but Mountain House, and Modesto Christian in order to maintain their league title. “It was important not to over hype anything,” says Coach Robert Mayfield. “I just told them, play your game, and the results will speak for themselves.”
The match resulted in what may have been the closest game the Indians had seen in years. With the score tied at 4-4, the final result lied in the hands of the #2 Girl’s Doubles team of Allie Hickman and Emily O’brion. In one of the closest contests in Ripon History, the girls were able to narrowly seize victory. After winning the first set and losing the second, the girls finished in a tie breaker winning by a narrow 10-7. ironically, the same situation took place last year for Ripon against Escalon but with the Cougars being the victors. With their victory over Escalon, and an easy win against Mountain House (8-1), the Indians only need to defeat the Crusaders on Tuesday in order to take the Tvl title. However, if they lose, the Indians will share a three way tie with Escalon, and Riverbank.