RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon College football team battled back with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns Saturday afternoon, but Concordia University Wisconsin held on for a 38-14 victory at Hopp Stadium in the 2026 season opener.
After trailing 35-0 through three quarters, the Red Hawks found their rhythm offensively in the final period, scoring twice in a span of less than two minutes.
Graduate student Jack Berens (Wausau, Wis., Wausau West HS) led Ripon through the air, completing 19 of 28 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. He also added 16 rushing yards and scored Ripon's first touchdown of the season on a one-yard run with 11:26 remaining in the game.
Ripon quickly followed with another big play. On the Red Hawks' next offensive possession, Berens connected with junior Michael Sheely (Plymouth, Ind., Plymouth HS) for a 38-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 35-14 with 9:42 remaining. Sheely finished with three receptions for 54 yards and the touchdown, while sophomore Elantae Fleming (Phoenix, Ariz., Paradise Valley HS) led Ripon with five catches for 42 yards. Sophomore Zeke Clark (North Henderson, Ill., United HS) added three receptions for 29 yards.
Senior Treston Dekker (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan South HS) led the Ripon rushing attack with 17 yards on seven carries, while sophomore Jackson Bender (Elroy, Wis., Royall HS) added 12 yards on four carries.
Defensively, senior Deven Soerens (Cedar Grove, Wis., Cedar Grove-Belgium HS) paced the Red Hawks with 14 total tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack. Senior Zane Vetter (Mayville, Wis., Mayville HS) added 11 tackles, while sophomore Anthony Gassaway (Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Fort Walton Beach HS) and senior Nolan Perry (Genoa, Ill., Genoa-Kingston HS) each recorded seven. Perry also forced a fumble during the first quarter that was recovered by graduate student James Bradley (Oshkosh, Wis., Luther College).
Senior Ben Crock (Mount Vernon, Iowa, Buena Vista University) handled the punting duties for Ripon, averaging 27.8 yards on six punts, including one inside the 20-yard line. Sophomore Ryan Clayborn (Evans, Ga., Greenbrier HS) provided a spark in the return game, totaling 106 yards on four kickoff returns, including a long of 35 yards.
The Red Hawks will hit the road for their next contest, traveling to Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday, Sept 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 6pm.
