RIPON, WIS. - On a dreary day up at Ripon, the Prairie Fire and Red Hawks took the field under the lights and Ripon controlled the game on their way to a 30-7 victory over Knox.
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Abdul Bangura and Aaron Estes were forces to be reckoned with on the Knox defensive line throughout the evening as they both racked up double digit tackles. Estes also tacked on a forced fumble and a sack against the Red Hawks. Bangura also helped out the Prairie Fire on special teams, booting seven punts for 280 yards and pinning Ripon inside their own 20-yard line once.
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Ripon was able to score a touchdown in every quarter of the contest, and tacked on a safety early in the fourth quarter as they put up 30 points while holding Knox to seven.
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Knox's touchdown came off a Jaizon Balthazar 36-yard rush to paydirt in the fourth quarter.
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The Red Hawks stifling defense tallied four sacks and held the Prairie Fire to just 75 yards through the air.
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Balthazar was Knox's leading rusher with 51 yards on the ground for an incredible 12.8 yards per carry.
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The Prairie Fire fall to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in the Midwest Conference. They will return to the Knosher Bowl next Saturday to take on U Chicago at 1:00 p.m.
