How Los Gatos star found way to college scholarship

Ripp had 69 tackles in spring, then summer offer

After COVID-19 robbed him of a true junior season, Jake Ripp knew he would have to spend the summer before his senior year scavenging for college scholarship offers. The leading tackler in the Central Coast Section this past spring hadn’t gotten a nibble. That vacation to Florida? Canceled. Instead, he and his mom, Katy, hit the road.

From one camp to the next — UC Davis, SJSU, Sac State, Cal, UCLA, Boise State — offers finally began rolling in. The week before practices started for the fall season, Ripp gave his verbal commitment to Boise State. As the leader of a linebacking corps at Los Gatos that features three of four returning starters, Ripp said it was important to give his full focus to the fall, when the Wildcats will attempt to repeat as SCVAL De Anza division champions.

“I don’t want anyone doubting where my attention is,” Ripp said. “I want to get another ring.”

Ripp admitted the hectic summer forced him to miss some workouts with the team at Los Gatos. (“It is what it is,” he said. “I’m kind of pissed I had to miss all these (workouts), but I had to if I wanted to play at the next level.”)

But his teammates admired what time he was able to dedicate to them amid everything.

The Wildcats are breaking in a new quarterback, junior Jake Boyd, who said it’s been the 7-on-7 tournaments this summer where he’s been able to grasp the offense (in which Ripp also stars as a tight end, both as a receiving threat and the Wildcats’ best blocker).

“Him being able to come to them,” Boyd said, “it gained a lot of our respect because he’s trying to get schools to offer him. Even though these games don’t matter, it’s really important he’s here to help us.”

Ripp’s trip to Florida was the casualty of the camp at Boise State, the visit that earned him his offer and sold him on his eventual college destination. A small price to pay.

Ripp, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, said Boise State coaches liked his size and the “game speed” he brings to the field. He’s following in the athletic footsteps of his parents. Katy, his mom, had a decorated collegiate volleyball career and played professionally, and his dad, Joe, was a longtime volleyball coach at Los Gatos.

Between Ripp and fellow seniors Lucas White and Jack Saul, Los Gatos’ linebackers should be as strong as ever. They were responsible for 83% of the Wildcats’ tackles between their four starting linebackers last spring.

“Three of our four starters at linebacker are back,” coach Mark Krail said. “I feel really good about that position.”

Ripp, alone, with 69 tackles, was involved about one in every six times a Los Gatos defender brought down a ball carrier.