GALESBURG, Ill. -- The Ripon College football team opened their 2025 Midwest Conference (MWC) campaign with a dominate win over the Knox College Prairie Fire, outscoring the hosts 50-7. Running back Treston Dekker (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan South HS) would lead the Red Hawks in scoring, rushing for three touchdowns.

The Red Hawks would waste no time in the MWC opener, taking the field against Knox and scoring on the first drive of the game with Dekker running in his first touchdown of the game from the 2-yard line. Not to be outdone, the Ripon defense would match the offense's immediate success, with linebacker Drew Love (Wausau, Wis., Marathon HS) forcing the turnover on downs with a fourth down sack in the Prairie Fire's first drive. 

Maintaining the momentum, Dekker would put another one on the board for Ripon on the very next drive, giving the visitors a 14-0 lead on another goal line rush. A quick four and out would give the Red Hawks the ball before the end of the quarter, with Ripon finishing the drive with another touchdown just seconds into the second, as running back Benjamin Timm (Campbellsport, Wis., Campbellsport HS) would find the end zone on a five yard rush. After two successful extra points, kicker Ben Crock (Mount Vernon, Iowa, Mount Vernon HS) would find his third attempt blocked, setting the Ripon lead at 20-0. 

Linemen Gavin Engh (DeKalb, Ill., DeKalb HS) and Diallo Dubois (Rockford, Ill., Jefferson HS) would shut down the next Prairie Fire set of downs with another fourth down sack, giving the Red Hawks the ball at their own 39. Dubois would be one of the two Ripon sack leaders for the game, with fellow lineman Desean Smith (Lake Park, Ga., Lowndes HS) also picking up 2.5 for the game. Smith would also lead Ripon in tackles for losses, picking up 3.5 for 18 total lost yards. 

Ripon's last score of the half would be quarterback Jack Berens's (Wausau, Wis., Wausau West HS) first touchdown of the game, connecting on a short pass to wide receiver Ryan Clayborn (Evans, Ga., Greenbrier HS), who would take it 17 yards to the end zone to give the Red Hawks a 26-0 lead going into halftime. 

The second half would be just as successful as the first for the Red Hawks, with Dekker again opening scoring for the visitors, breaking free for a 44-yard touchdown rush less than three minutes into the third quarter. With Ripon's defense again shutting down Knox, Berens would rush for his own touchdown late in the third to send the Red Hawks into the final fifteen minutes with a 40-0 lead. 

Crock would open the fourth for the Red Hawks, hitting a 30-yard field goal to give the visitors a 43-0 advantage. Not satisified, Ripon's defense would force a fumble on the next set of downs, with lineman Jermiah Mintz (Commerce, Ga., Commerce HS) picking up the ball to give the Red Hawks prime field position.

From the Knox 15 yard line, the Red Hawks would again find success, with quarterback Cale Barnhart (Canton, Ill., Canton HS) finding sophomore Brady Immel (Winneconne, Wis., Winneconne HS) for a ten yard touchdown reception. With the extra point converted, Ripon would stay at their 50 point mark, giving up a touchdown in the closing minutes of the half to claim a 50-7 win over their first MWC opponent of the year. Ripon's dominance is best shown in the rushing marks, with the Red Hawks gaining 286 yards while holding the Prairie Fire to just 44 rushing yards total. 

The Red Hawks return to action next week at home, taking on another conference opponent in Grinnell College. The Pioneers enter the game 1-1 this season, coming off a 24-0 win over Beloit College.