Ripon head coach Andrew Selgrad addresses his players Oct. 10 after a 41-14 win over Wautoma. In just his second season at Ripon, he led the Tigers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and just the fourth time in the past 15 years. Ripon also recorded its first winning season since 2009 this season as it enters the playoffs with a 6-3 mark.
Jonathan Bailey photo
Just two years after going 0-9 and a year removed from a 1-8 season, the Ripon High School Tiger football team is playoff bound.
Ripon earned a No. 7 seed in this year’s Division 4 bracket after posting its first winning season since 2009. It finished the regular season 6-3, with its latest win being a 35-0 road victory over Adams-Friendship Friday.
The Tigers, who are making their first playoff appearance since 2019 and only their fourth in the last 15 years, will travel Friday to Little Chute to face the No. 2 seed Mustangs.
Little Chute won the North Eastern Conference this season with a perfect 6-0 record. It is 8-1 overall, with its only loss coming to Winneconne to open the season.
The two schools have some familiarity with each other — albeit not in recent years — as they were foes in the Eastern Valley Conference from 2007 until 2015. The schools also played each other in the playoffs in 2018 — a game in which Little Chute won 37-7 at home. Little Chute was a No. 1 seed that year, while Ripon was a No. 8 seed.
Ripon, which is in the second year of head coach Andrew Selgrad’s leadership and system, has achieved much of its success this season on the ground. Eric Cumber is the leader of that attack as the senior has rushed for a state record 2,599 yards this season on 297 attempts (8.75 yards per carry), to go along with 33 rushing touchdowns. He also has a receiving score.
The previous regular season record was 2,307 yards, which was accomplished by Kenosha St. Joseph’s Adrian Davis in 2001. Davis finished the year, including the playoffs, with 3,422 yards. Cumber broke Ellis Minor’s single-season school record of 2,003 yards Friday, Oct. 10 in a 41-14 win over Wautoma. He ran for 440 yards and five touchdowns in the game.
Little Chute also has been a run-first team this season, with 2,808 of its 3,200 yards coming on the ground. Junior Reece Roten leads the way with 1,104 yards on 151 carries (7.3 yards per carry) and 12 rushing touchdowns. Juniors Jaden Hermsen, Charlie VandenHeuvel and Tyler Hietpas added 476, 446 and 344 rushing yards, respectively.
Hermsen also serves as the Mustangs’ quarterback. He completed 32 of 40 passes for 392 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
For more information on the upcoming playoff game, as well as Ripon’s 35-0 win over Adams-Friendship, check back later this week or pick up a copy of the Oct. 23 edition of the Ripon Commonwealth Press. It will include comments from Selgrad.