Ripon High battled a tough Hilmar team Friday for the better part of three quarters.

But the Yellowjackets eventually wore down RHS to capture the Trans-Valley League opener at Stouffer Field, 28-14.

"Their size got us in the end," said Ripon coach Cole Williams, adding, "Hilmar is a great team.”

Ripon (0-1 TVL, 2-3 overall) welcomed the return of Andrew Shaw from injuries. "He gutted it out," Williams said of his senior quarterback.

The Yellowjackets (1-0, 5-0) drew first blood, engineering a six-play, 96-yard drive. Quarterback Cohen Felber found Lucas Belo open up the middle. The senior running back turned that into a 58-yard scoring play, helping lift his team to a 7-0 lead.

Ripon, however, wasted very little time answering back. Ace Dougherty broke loose on the first play from scrimmage, racing 80 yards to paydirt. Santiago Hernandez's extra-point kick tied things up at 7-7.

After both teams traded a pair of possessions, RHS was back in business early in the second quarter, capping off an 86-yard drive kept alive by two big Hilmar penalties with Shaw hitting Nikolai Vitz on a 7-yard touchdown pass.

Down 14-7, the Yellowjackets answered back with Felber connecting with Gage Gonzalez on a 44-yard pass play, followed shortly by Adam Branco's 12-yard scoring run.

Tied 14-14 at the intermission, Hilmar ended Ripon's opening drive of the third quarter with Nathan Ayala's interception at his own 33.

Felber took control of the game late in the third with a couple of long runs and a pass completion that helped set up Belo's second TD of the game. His 9-yard run gave the Yellowjackets the lead, 21-14.

Hilmar added an insurance score at the 8:30 mark of the fourth quarter with Felber's strong 31-yard TD run.

"We fought hard," Williams said. "But then we didn't execute (on plays).

"We have to clean up on the mistakes and get back at it."

Dougherty on offense finished with 127 yards on nine carries with a TD. The Ripon defense held tough through most of the game.

Next up for RHS will be on the road at Hughson.

Prior to kickoff, Ripon High held a moment of silence for the father of Hilmar standout lineman Justin Ortiz. Anthony Ortiz passed away earlier in the day with the younger Ortiz — the 6-7, 300-pound senior is Fresno State-bound — opting to play the game.