After a loss on Homecoming to Hughson, followed by a road loss at Ripon Christian, their backs were against the proverbial wall.

In danger of possibly not getting in to the playoffs, Escalon’s varsity football team needed a good performance … and they needed it against their longtime rival, Ripon.

Engel Field held some magic on Friday night, Oct. 24, as the varsity Cougars came together in a way that has been missing for much of this season; with the sideline engaged, the players on the field bringing high energy to each snap, and everyone focused on their assignments.

The end result was a crucial Trans-Valley League win, as Escalon held off Ripon by a 35-28 final in a back-and-forth battle.

“It was a much-needed victory and it moved us up in the playoff rankings,” head coach Andrew Beam said. “Shout out to the offensive and defensive lines for stepping up in this game, both of them played much better, especially the offensive line up front.”

The game had many bright spots, though the standouts were the five-touchdown night for sophomore Dylan Ball and the key fourth down interception late in the fourth quarter by senior Luca Cerasi, the pick sealing the victory.

“It felt right,” Beam added of stepping on to the field Friday night. “Leave it to a rivalry game with Ripon to get things going in the right direction.”

He also praised the team for sticking together through adversity, as Ripon seemed to counter every score the Cougars put on the board.

“Our kids took some bad punches but they bounced back,” Beam said, noting that the bounce back hasn’t always been the case this season.

But when they needed it most, the team found a way to bounce back.

It was 7-7 after one, and Escalon held a 27-21 lead at the half. Each team scored a touchdown in the third, Escalon adding a two-point conversion, and neither team got into the end zone in the final frame.

Ripon came in on a two-game losing skid and with the knowledge that Escalon has won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams.

“It was a completely different feel for this game,” said Beam. “Our opening drive was everything we’ve been chasing this season, everything we’ve been craving.”

Escalon took the kickoff and went on a methodical march down the field, eating up over five minutes and culminating with a six-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Ball from Logan Huebner with the point after from Ricky Chavez to go up 7-0.

“To Ripon’s credit, they came down and they scored,” Beam said, leaving the teams knotted 7-7 after one. “Then you have a 34-point second quarter.”

In the second quarter, Ball returned a punt 69 yards for the score with the extra point from Brody Abbott to put Escalon up 14-7. It was 21-7 Escalon shortly thereafter, with a 45-yard pass from Huebner to Ball for the score, Chavez adding the point after.

But Ripon returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards and tacked on the extra point, trimming the lead to 21-14.

On the next Cougar possession, the second play from scrimmage saw Ball run a seam route and Huebner dropped in the 65-yard pass for the score. Abbott’s kick went off the upright, giving the host team a 27-14 lead.

Ripon was quick to respond again, scoring on a 52-yard pass play with the kick good to make it 27-21.

With the Indians getting the ball to start the second half, a stop was key and the Cougars got it, forcing the punt. Escalon’s only points of the third quarter came on a two-yard run from Ball, then Huebner ran in the two-point conversion to make it 35-21.

Not to be outdone, a 16-yard run on a quarterback keeper and the kick saw Ripon get to within a touchdown, 35-28.

“Then nobody scored in the fourth quarter,” Beam said. “We had chances to score and we actually fumbled close to the end zone, Ripon got it and they took about six minutes off the clock on their drive.”

But that final drive of the game ended on a fourth down play deep in Cougar territory, as senior Luca Cerasi, in between two receivers, stepped in front of the pass and picked it off with less than a minute and a half to go. Escalon was then able to kneel it out for the win.

“Before the play, I saw that motion, I knew it was coming straight to me, they ran it like three times and they never threw it to either one of those guys,” Cerasi explained. “And I knew if I just split the difference, they’re going to throw it to one of them and I’m just going to break up the pass and luckily for me, they threw it to the guy behind me and I was just right there to pick that ball.”

Senior Chase Cumings came up with a couple of key catches to keep drives alive and said the team had to put their last two losses behind them and focus on the task at hand.

“It took every single guy on the roster to get fired up for this one; in order to win this one, we had to have every guy, all in, selling out, whether they’re on the sidelines cheering or whether they’re on the field with us, it was just a complete team effort,” Cummings explained. “I’m going to enjoy this one (win) the most out of any of them; this is the one I wanted.”

For Ball, scoring all five touchdowns, he said it was great to see the team firing on all cylinders, and he praised the work of his teammates for putting him in a position to make the big plays.

“It feels amazing … Hughson, it was a rough one, RC, it was even worse … I’m just really excited that we got this win,” Ball said. “I feel like our team has just rallied again and I know that we can just continue going off in the playoffs and be a contender for the Section, that’s what I want.”

Sophomore Jake Ferreira had a breakout game himself, with eight carries, two catches and three kick returns, contributing 172 all-purpose yards.

“All that really matters is getting the win,” Ferreira said, adding they can’t have any letdowns now as they prepare for Orestimba. “We’ve just got to carry our energy over from this week, get the ‘W’ and hold a spot in the playoffs.”

Quarterback Logan Huebner was 10-for-15 passing for 186 yards and threw three touchdowns; he also had six carries for 55 yards and five tackles on defense.

Mason Haverkamp had eight tackles, Co Northcutt had seven tackles, Luca Cerasi and Conner McDowell had six each, Daniel Marrufo had five. Ball and Cerasi each had an interception.

“We knew we needed to come back hungry this week and it’s Ripon, they’ve been our rivals forever,” Huebner said. “We just needed to come out with the energy and we did.”

For senior Co Northcutt, it all started with the energy in practice, and an attitude the team needed to bring out of the locker room.

“Everyone was just so energetic all week; not much had to be said because it’s Ripon, we’re old-time rivals,” Northcutt said. “Just the name, it just got us going, we had fire in our hearts and we went out here and we expected to win because that was the only outcome; that was the only outcome for us so I’m really proud of all our guys.”

Northcutt said he has been able to beat Ripon all four years he has played football for Escalon; at the freshman, JV and two years at the varsity level.

“It is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had, one of my core memories now,” he said about making it a four-peat against the Indians.

Escalon, now 2-3 in league play and 4-5 overall, will look to get to the .500 mark with a road game against Orestimba, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on Halloween night, Friday, Oct. 31.

“There’s still a lot to play for,” Beam said. “We have to stay sharp, take care of business at Orestimba and keep the forward progress going.”