APPLETON, Wis. -- Ripon closed its 2025 football season in decisive fashion on Saturday, rolling to a 48-7 road victory over Lawrence University. The Red Hawks delivered a dominant all-around effort, finding the end zone in multiple ways and keeping the Vikings off the board until the fourth quarter.
Ripon wasted no time setting the tone. On the second play from scrimmage, freshman Ryan Clayborn (Evans, Ga., Greenbrier HS) broke free for a 56-yard touchdown run just 18 seconds into the game. The Red Hawks added two more scores in the opening quarter: a 7-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Brady Immel (Winneconne, Wis., Winneconne HS) to junior Evan Nehring (Whitehall, Wis., Blair-Taylor HS) and a 53-yard strike from senior Carl Travis (Burlington, Wis., Kenosha Christian Life HS) to sophomore Michael Sheely (Plymouth, Ind., Plymouth HS), taking a commanding 21-0 lead.
The momentum carried into the second quarter, where freshman Bilal Abdullah III (Racine, Wis., J.I. Case High) capped an eight-play drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 28-0 at halftime. Ripon's defense was the engine behind the dominant first half, holding Lawrence to just 42 total yards through two quarters. The Red Hawks consistently disrupted the Vikings' offense, allowing only 3.0 yards per play, limiting them to 52 rushing yards on the day, and recording five sacks. Junior Diallo Dubois (Rockford, Ill., Jefferson HS) led the charge with a team-high six tackles and 1.5 sacks, while senior Layne Marquez (Phoenix, Ariz., North HS) and fershman Erik Woodward (Juda, Wis., Broadhead-Juda HS) each picked off passes—Marquez returning his 42 yards for a touchdown. The defensive unit's relentless pressure set the tone for the game and delivered one of Ripon's strongest performances of the season.
Ripon extended the lead in the third quarter with a 1-yard rushing score from senior Ka'Jon Gray (Las Vegas, Nev., Valley HS), followed moments later by another defensive highlight. Marquez's interception return made it 41-0 late in the third, giving the Red Hawks a commanding advantage.
The team's final touchdown came early in the fourth quarter when junior Treston Dekker (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan South HS) powered in from eight yards out to cap a 50-yard drive. Dekker finished with a team-high 79 rushing yards as Ripon piled up 280 on the ground. Lawrence finally reached the end zone with 7:42 left in the game, but Ripon's lead was too large to threaten.
The Red Hawks outgained Lawrence 480-172, forced two interceptions, recorded five sacks, and controlled possession for more than 33 minutes. The win brings Ripon to a 5-5 overall finish and 5-4 in the Midwest Conference, closing the season on a dominant note.
