When Ripon Christian moved to the Trans Valley League a year ago, there were questions about how the Knights would compete.

Questions were answered Friday night.

In just its second year back in the area’s best small school conference, head coach Phil Grams and the Knights find themselves two wins away from a share of the league title after a dominant 38-8 win over Escalon at Memorial Stadium.

“We talked since January about wanting to be on the road week 10 at Sonora for a shot at a league title,” Grams said. “This group has fully bought in, and I think you saw that in the way we came out here tonight.”

The win marks the first in program history for Ripon Christian (3-1, 7-1) over Escalon (1-3, 3-5). The Cougars had come into Friday night’s contest 5-0 against the Knights.

It became evident early on that it would not be a repeat of the 43-20 loss Escalon handed Ripon Christian a year ago. The opening drive for the Cougars ended in the red zone after an Aaron Van Hofwegen interception on fourth-and-goal. Two possessions later, senior defensive back Jackson Howell, playing in just his second game for the Knights after transferring from Big Valley Christian, intercepted a Logan Huebner pass to end another drive in a turnover for the visitors. The interception was the second of four turnovers on the night for Escalon.

“Jake Beukelman our defensive coordinator called a great game tonight,” Grams said. “Our kids like to get after it which helps a lot. You saw a lot of hats flying to the ball tonight, and we were able to make some big plays to help us get going offensively.”

It would be Howell himself that would capitalize on the Escalon turnover to put the Knights on the board on the ensuing possession. After a long run from Lushen Sanders put the Knights in the red zone, Howell took a pitch from quarterback Mason Tameling 18 yards down the sideline to put Ripon Christian up, 7-0.

The opening scoring drive would show a sign of things to come for the Knights, running for 285 yards on 36 carries just a week after they were able to find a win moving the ball mostly through the air across Maple Avenue against Ripon. After the third forced Escalon turnover in the first half in the form of a fumble recovery by defensive end Patrick Cory set Ripon Christian up in good field position, Sanders found a hole and went 56 yards for a touchdown to put the Knights up, 13-0. The run would be the first of two touchdowns on the night for the senior, who finished with 187 yards on 17 carries.

“I have to give all of the credit to our offensive line,” Sanders said. “They opened some big holes for us today, and we wouldn’t have come out on top without the work they put in up front.”

Receiving the ball to start the third quarter, Ripon Christian went 57 yards in 10 plays to make it a three-score game after Tameling (111 yards passing) found wide receiver Chase Bunnell from 19 yards out for a touchdown. The two-point try that also saw Tameling connecting with Bunnell through the air made it 21-0 midway through the third.

Bunnell did his best Jackson Howell impression on the ensuing possession, this time coming up with a turnover after scoring himself as he sacked Huebner and recovered the fumble ending the next Cougar drive. A 28-yard field goal by Van Hofwegen would put the Knights up, 24-0.

“Last year, they kind of beat up on us and talked some smack afterwards, so it was good to come out and have a big game defensively,” Bunnell said.

Ripon Christian would round out the scoring with touchdown runs from Sanders and Blake Stuit to finish off the Cougars, 38-8.

All that stands in the Knights’ way between a Halloween match-up at Sonora for a share of the league crown is a home date on senior night next week against Orestimba.

“There is no look-ahead to Sonora, our guys will be ready to go next week against an old Southern League rival on senior night,” Grams said.

Kickoff against the warriors is at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.