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FALL STARS
Ripon Christian’s Van Vliet, Kamps share MVP honor for football
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Michael Kamps bolts past the line of scrimmage with help from Ripon Christian tackle Drew Van Vliet (52) against Delhi. They’re the Manteca Bulletin All-Area Football Co-MVPs. - photo by Photo by WAYNE THALLANDER

The word “us” is displayed in the back of every Ripon Christian helmet, signifying the selflessness and unity on the school’s football team.

And so, it is only fitting that the Knights’ two senior captains, Michael Kamps and Drew Van Vliet, are rewarded together. The two-way starters helped raise expectations for a program already on the rise, helping it reach important milestones this past fall. They are the Manteca Bulletin’s All-Area Co-MVPs.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Van Vliet was named the SAL’s Most Valuable Player. He lined up at every spot on the defensive line, finishing with 103 tackles (29.5 for loss), 11 sacks, three force fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a turnover returned for a touchdown.

Kamps is a Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the SAL. He compiled 1,632 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground and was also Ripon Christian’s second-leading receiver with 30 catches for 429 yards and eight scores. His 226 points is ranked No. 3 in the SJS, according to MaxPreps. 

Kamps was also an outside linebacker on defense, where he contributed 55 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Ripon Christian’s impressive season ended with its only defeat — a 57-14 drubbing administered by eventual state champion Hilmar — but it was quite the run leading up to that point.

The Knights put a halt to Orestimba’s three-year reign in the Southern Athletic League and finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record for the first time. Nine of those 10 games were blowouts, three of them shutouts. The only one to go down to the wire was their thrilling 23-17 comeback win over Orestimba, which had a 23-game league winning streak snapped.

Kamps and Van Vliet set the team’s sights on the SAL crown and 10-0 regular season, with little regard to how that would affect its postseason prospects. A second-place finish in league would have placed the Knights in the Sac-Joaquin Section’s Division VII bracket, where the Knights were runners-up in 2016. Winning the outright league title forced them to compete in the far more competitive Division VI, while SAL rival Denair — RC crushed the Coyotes, 35-7 — dominated en route to claiming section and state championships.

Ripon Christian, however, proved worthy in Division VI by knocking off top-seeded Modesto Christian 25-13 in the semifinals — unquestionably the most significant win in program history. 

Kamps was among the Knights’ shining stars, as he rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, caught a TD pass while racking up eight tackles and an interception on defense. Van Vliet did his part at left tackle, paving the way for Kamps while allowing quarterback Cade Alger to pick apart the Modesto Christian for three touchdowns. Van Vliet dominated in the trenches and was often matched with towering 6-7, 250-pound defensive end Xavier Carlton, who has 15 offers from NCAA Division I programs.

Here’s a look at other top athletes from the fall season:


GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Mia Van Lewen, Ripon, senior: The Indians (25-12) advanced to a CIF State NorCal Regional Championships final for the first time since 2008 with Van Lewen as their anchor.

The 5-foot-9 outside hitter was a consistent contributor and Ripon’s kill leader in six of its seven postseason matches, including all for in the NorCal tourney. For the season, the two-time All-Trans-Valley League first-team selection rapped a team-high 404 kills along with 410 digs.

Van Lewen paced Ripon 22 kills and 27 digs in a thrilling 25-19, 15-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-12 comeback win over top-seeded Madera South in the NorCal Division V semifinals. The Indians then dropped a 25-17, 25-22, 26-28, 23-25, 14-16 heartbreaker to Washington Union in the final. Van Lewen suffered a concussion late in the match but still led the team with 21 kills and 22 digs.


Team: S Kacy Bolding, Manteca, senior; OH Jahsita Fa’ali’i, Lathrop, Jr.; OH Savannah LeBarre, East Union, sophomore; OH/MB Mackenzie Miller, Ripon Christian, senior; S Kaitlyn Morenzone, Manteca, senior; DS Deven Stokes, Ripon, senior.


BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Marco Perez, East Union, junior: Perez spearheaded East Union’s second straight Valley Oak League title run, taking third place in the VOL finale. The Lancers dominated the regular season, and the future looks bright with the frosh-soph squad also winning league.

Perez was the area’s top performer at the Sac-Joaquin Section Finals. He was seventh in Division III and crossed the finish in 16 minutes, 55.9 seconds, improving his previous time at the Willow Hills Reservoir course in Folsom by well over a minute. As a team, the Lancers placed fifth.

Perez qualified for the CIF State Championships in Fresno, where he finished in 97th place out of 203 competitors in 16:56.7.


Team: Abrahim Alsaidi, Ripon, sophomore; Brian Arevalo, Weston Ranch, senior; Bennie Dimas, Ripon, sophomore; Jesse Hurtado, Sierra, senior; Maury Ortiz, East Union, freshman; Hakyeom Park, Ripon Christian, sophomore.


GIRLS CROSS

COUNTRY

Julia Vezaldenos, East Union, senior: Lancers coach Rick Cuevas always saw the potential in Vezaldenos, who broke through in her final season and was the lone female from the area to reach the state meet.

She’s a three-time all-league finisher and placed fourth in her final appearance in the VOL Championships. Vezaldenos took off from there. In the SJS Division III Finals, she ended up fifth with a career-best time on a 5-kilometer course (20:36.3).

Vezaldenos finished 127th out of 214 at state, clocking a time of 20:38.4.


Team: Brianna Rodriguez, Manteca, senior; Sabrina Caldwell, Sierra, junior; Emilee Craighead, Manteca, freshman; Megan Oblin, Sierra, senior; Maria Soto, Lathrop, senior; Lydia Waters, Ripon, freshman.


GIRLS GOLF

Bianca Toledo, Ripon, junior: The Indians remain competitive in the Valley Foothill League North Division despite graduation losses, claiming at least a share of three of the past four championships.

They’ll have a target on their backs next year with their top four players returning and Toledo among those leading the way. She was low-medalist with a 90 in the VFL North mid-season tournament at Micke Grove Golf Links and placed sixth with a 95 in the league finale. 

Bret Harte defeated the Indians by narrow margins in head-to-head matches, but Ripon outpointed the Bullfrogs by more than 15 strokes in tournament play.

Toledo was again the team leader in the SJS Division V Tournament, carding a 95.


Team: Melinda Amick, East Union; Zoe Bremer, Ripon; Madi de Graaf, Ripon Christian; Kylee Eberle, Manteca; Michelle Evan, East Union; Bryana Gavino, Sierra; Kennedy Goodnough, East Union; Bella Gonzales, Manteca.


GIRLS TENNIS

Kaitlyn Rausa, Sierra, junior: Rausa three-peats as the All-Area Player of the Year after making a third consecutive appearance in the VOL singles finals. 

After winning the title in 2017, she was knocked off by Central Catholic Colleen Ballatore, 2-6, 4-6. Rausa’s only three losses in league play were to the Raiders sophomore.

Rausa did end the season accomplishing one of her goals — win a match in the competitive SJS Division II Individual Tournament. She opened with a well-earned 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win over Ania Lobsinger of Ponderosa before falling to top-seeded Laura Wadsworth of Armijo, 1-6, 2-6.


Team: Makenna Condit, Manteca, senior; Sahiba Kaur, Manteca, sophomore; Ellie Kim, Manteca, sophomore; Nadia Petrovic, Sierra, junior; Julia Tang, Manteca, senior.