PATTERSON — There was little drama in the race for the Southern League team championship Tuesday at Diablo Grande.
That, once again, went to Ripon Christian. The Knights successfully defended their 2018 crown and officially earned the outright claim with their dominant effort in the league tournament. They finished with a 408, well ahead of runner-up Mariposa’s 481. Orestimba took third with a 577 with Gustine (580) and Waterford (604) following suit.
It wasn’t necessarily a pressure-free round for all of the Knights, however. Brothers Danton and Camdan Indelicato dueled for the MVP award on Thursday. They were the only two players to finish under par, with the elder Danton, a junior, prevailing with a 69. Camdan, a freshman, ended two strokes behind the medalist.
Denair’s Drew Pritchard placed third with a 72 and is an individual qualifier for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI Tournament set to take place next Monday back at Diablo Grande. Danton Indelicato is the reigning Division VI champion.
Another key contributor to Ripon Christian’s league tournament win was Darin Doek, who carded the fourth-place score of 81. Dylan Koolhaus added a 91, and Alex Berghorst a 96.