It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win — a playoff win, at that.

The second-seeded Liberty Ranch football team held off a ferocious No. 7 Ripon team for a 30-28 victory in the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs on Friday at Hawk Stadium.

Liberty Ranch running backs Andrew Quinn and Joe Lara piled up more than a hundred yards on the ground in the first half alone to help carry the Hawks to victory. Quinn finished with 197 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, and Lara finished with 151 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

The run game has been a strong point all season for the Hawks, which find themselves at 11-0 this season, despite an offensive line held together at times with duct tape and chewing gum.

“It’s a combination of our offensive line being coached very well, but also our running backs being competitors,” said Liberty Ranch coach Warren Schroeder. “I mean, there were plays here tonight where the only reason we got the first down was because of the extra effort of Quinn or the extra effort of Lara or the extra effort of Wyatt (Corriea), all three of them I remember plays specifically in the game where it was on their talent, because we missed blocks on certain plays, and it’s their talent that got us the first down to get us a lot.”

The two main running backs took a beating, with Quinn spending time with the training staff during the team talk after the game, and Lara beating himself up over a missed play in the final minutes.

But while Schroeder was proud of his players and their effort, the coaching staff had some things to say afterward about sloppy parts of the game, such as penalties that pushed Liberty Ranch back on its final drive when it had a chance to put the game away.

“You know, bye weeks have never been our friend, and obviously that had something to do with it. But a win’s a win, and we’ll fix things that need to be fixed and look forward to the next game,” Schroeder said. “The bye was helpful for the recovery of some of our players. So, yes, in that sense, it was helpful. But to take a week off, I don’t think any coach is a big fan of that, besides the, you know, getting healthy part.”

Liberty Ranch’s final drive took the Hawks as close as the 26-yard line with a chance to ice the game, but consecutive holding penalties pushed them back toward midfield, and pooch punt by quarterback Ryan Ogas left Ripon (5-6) a chance from their own 28-yard line with 3 minutes remaining, needing only a field goal to win.

But Ripon quarterback Andrew Shaw suffered a non-contact leg injury after an incomplete pass on the first play of the drive and would not return to the field. With backup Jacoby Salinas under center, the Indians gained a first down before the drive stalled at midfield, and a failed fourth-down attempt sealed the game for the Hawks.

Liberty Ranch started the game with a strong drive, marching 80 yards in six plays for a Quinn touchdown. The teams traded fumbles before Ripon’s Matthew Gaines hit paydirt with a 41-yard run to tie the game.

Liberty Ranch’s next drive stalled on the 10-yard line, where James Rangel nailed a 27-yard field goal, which would turn out to be the difference.

Ripon took the lead on another long touchdown, this one from quarterback Shaw, who finished with 42 rushing yards and two scores. The teams traded leads, with a quick Liberty Ranch drive ending with a 14-yard Lara touchdown before Ripon’s shaw scored on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter.

Liberty Ranch took the lead for good with a minute left before halftime when Ogas, facing a fourth-and-six from the 15-yard line, launched a pass targeted at receiver Cole Maguire. A defensive back got a hand on the ball to tip it up, but Corriea was underneath it for an unexpected touchdown catch and a 24-21 lead.

“That’s the playoffs, right? I mean, these kids are young. We got a young squad. Most of them are juniors, and this is their first experience with the playoffs,” Schroeder said. “And every game’s got to be a learning experience for them. And again, luckily, we came out with the win here so we can go back and kind of fix some things and get ready for Ripon Christian next week.”

A last Ripon drive before halftime ended with a combined sack by Liberty Ranch’s Eston Tucker and Soni Takafua.

The teams traded field position in the third quarter with no scores before Liberty Ranch broke through with Lara’s second touchdown, a 7-yarder to cap a six-play drive. Ripon responded with a big kickoff return by Gavin Duran, setting up a short drive for a 1-yard touchdown dive by Kael Rangel.

Liberty Ranch got the ball with about 8 minutes remaining, and while the Hawks’ final drive failed to produce points, it took five minutes off the clock.

The Hawks will host No. 3 Ripon Christian (9-2) next week in the semifinals. Ripon Christian also had a close call on Friday, beating Amador 28-26.