RIPON — The Justin Graham era has officially begun.
Following a storied prep career at Ripon High, Graham returned to the Indians two years ago to serve as an assistant alongside long-time head coach Rod Wright. Graham assumed the reins Saturday night and did so in dramatic fashion, directing the Indians to a 55-41 non-league win over Patterson.
“This feels good,” Graham said. “A friend of mine is the baseball coach here and he texted me and wished me luck.”
Ripon (1-0) went cold a bit in the third period with the Tigers (0-1) closing a 28-19 halftime deficit to just 31-29 before the Indians exploded on a 16-0 run to put the game away. Ripon led 47-29 midway through the third quarter before Patterson hit four 3-pointers in a row to make the score closer than the game was..
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