For the first time, the Ripon Christian Knights will play an actual home game.

They’ll host Mountain House at tonight’s Zero Week in the brand new RC Athletic Stadium, according Trey Ozenbaugh.

Kickoff is 7:30. Gates open at 4:30.

“This is exciting,” said the Knights senior lineman Will Kamps earlier this week. “We’ve talked about this day for a long time.”

While the preseason game will mark a “soft” opening of the $1.2 million facility, RC will the official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony in two weeks.

The Knights will host Linden that day, Friday, Sept. 11. To help celebrate this event, the RC Boosters Club has commemorative T-shirts going to the first 300 adults and 200 children at tonight’s game.

Supporters can wear the same T-shirts at the first soccer home game for the Knights against Central Catholic on Sept. 9.

RC is looking to play the Zero Week football game. “We really don’t know anything about Mountain House,” Kamps said.

The Mustangs are the newcomers to the Trans Valley League. They’re coached by Jason McCloskey.

RC officials were about 75 percent certain of playing in the $1.2 million facility earlier this week. They had a backup plan of moving the game to nearby Stouffer Field – the Knights had been sharing the stadium with neighboring Ripon High.

In 2012, RC received approval from the Planning Commission on the plans for the sports complex to tie in with the existing facilities.

Plans to go ahead began earlier this year with ground-breaking taking place in February.

Work has been ongoing since them.

Among the stadium’s unique features will be that of a 50-foot cross at the corner of the end zone near Maple Avenue.

Eddie Erdelatz, an RC assistant coach, is one of the catalysts behind the stadium project. He noted earlier this week that an anonymous donor forked out for the footing to the cross, which he called the ‘heart and soul’ of the school.



To contact reporter Vince Rembulat, email vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com