A family reunion 10 years ago helped set Nolan Lingley's path toward Malibu.
“There was a family member who was at a family reunion I went to as a little kid,” Lingley said. “He played baseball there at Pepperdine and so I looked into it. It's in Malibu on the beach, Christian school, Division I baseball — it had everything I was looking for.
“It has been my dream school since I was 8 years old,” he added. “The fact that I had an offer from them made it an easy decision for me.”
Lingley's picturesque glimpse into this new beginning dulls the painfully anticlimactic end to his scintillating three-plus years at Ripon Christian. After committing to the Waves in January, he had planned on having a signing ceremony to celebrate the achievement in late March. That same week, the state began its lockdown to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Lingley wound up signing at home without the fanfare.
A well-rounded student-athlete, Lingley — who commutes from Tracy — misses every bit of his daily grind at Ripon Christian. Also a winner off the field, Lingley ranks fourth in his class with a 4.14 GPA and he's one of four senior athletes representing Manteca-area schools to earn the A. Dale Lacky Scholarship from the Sac-Joaquin Section.
“To put that commitment (to Pepperdine) and the future aside for a few months was going to be nice,” Lingley said. “I was going to be able to put everything I had into my high school team for one more season. Everything happens for a reason, and I hope to make the best of the situation.”
Lingley has dealt with setbacks before. During the 2018 football season, he suffered a shoulder injury that required a second surgery and kept him sidelined as Ripon Christian made its run to the SJS Division VI championship game. He was able to make it back in time for the baseball season, and what a season it was for the Knights shortstop and ace pitcher.
Lingley was named MVP of the Southern Athletic League as the Knights captured a share of their third title in four years. He piled up 41 RBIs — good for 10th most in the state, according to MaxPreps — while hitting .446, six homers, 10 doubles and four triples. As a pitcher, he finished 7-2 with a 1.47 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 62 innings. And at shortstop, he boasted a .976 fielding percentage, committing only two errors.
The 2019 campaign did not end as expected for the defending SJS Division VI champion Knights (19-8), however. They were dropped to the consolation bracket by Mariposa then eliminated by Waterford — both SAL rivals. Fifth-seeded Waterford went on to beat Mariposa twice to complete its Cinderella streak to the championship.
Ripon Christian went 1-3 in its shortened 2020 season, and it was halted just as reinforcements had arrived from the NorCal championship basketball team.
“I thought we were going to have a good team again after losing only two seniors last season, so I was confident we were going to get back there (to the section final),” Lingley said. “I definitely feel like we should have won it last year.”
Lingley is happy to at least get in a full varsity season in football, even if the Knights were stopped short of reaching another championship game. They did run the table for a second straight SAL crown, and Lingley, who played quarterback, was named Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year (2,055 yards, 18 touchdowns) — the same award he earned for baseball as a sophomore during RC's historic 2018.
“I love football, that was a blast,” Lingley said. “I love it like I do baseball. Being part of that team, I'll have memories that will last forever and hopefully make that next step and win a section championship. I'm glad to be part of that group of men taking those steps to get there.”
He considers himself fortunate to be part of two programs that have raised expectations during his time at RC. The baseball team has been a contender under John De Visser, but it wasn't until 2018 that the Knights were able to come away with their first section title in the sport. Lingley will be rooting from afar as his mentor and former team look to continue their winning ways.
“He's everything as a coach and as a man,” Lingley said of De Visser. “We talk on the phone often. He does his best to get me to where I'm going and help me prepare. He played at the Division I level himself so I he is someone I can relate to. I couldn't be happier to have him as my head coach in high school.”
