‘Last trip to Hilmar and it’s a sweet one.’ Escalon, Loureiro upset TVL champs

In his final trip to Hilmar High, Mark Loureiro left nothing in his bag of tricks.

The limping legend of Escalon football kept the Yellowjackets guessing in a 28-14 victory on Friday evening that was seemingly plucked from an archive full of classics.

Yes, it was a vintage affair between small-town giants, a Trans-Valley League opener that featured punishing blows, wild momentum swings and a bit of daring play-calling by the Sac-Joaquin Section’s all-time winningest coach.

Four different players found the end zone for the Cougars, but it was a much-maligned defense that rose to the occasion in Loureiro’s final trip to Hilmar.

Challenged by the coaching staff in practice, the defense responded with a first-half shutout, three sacks and a game-sealing interception. The win announced Escalon’s intentions: After missing the postseason the last two years, the Cougars are a championship contender again.

“This is a pivotal game right here,” said Loureiro, who announced his would be his 29th and final season over the summer. “We told the kids, ‘When you start league off, everybody is 0-0; everyone’s in first place.’ We got two tough road games on our schedule – Hilmar and Ripon – and this is the first one. By getting this one, it takes a little pressure off us down the road. Coming in and defeating the major champs is a major, major feather for our program.”

After Hilmar tied the score with 14 points in a two-minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters, Escalon showed its finishing kick. The Cougars closed with two touchdowns as Loureiro wrung his playbook.

Quarterback Steven Grossi threw a 10-yard jump pass to Nash Satnat to make it 21-14. That play was set up a 41-yard reception by sophomore Kaden Christensen, who dazzled in his return from a knee injury.

On the biggest series of the night, the run-first Cougars attacked through the air. Grossi was 3-for-3 on the drive for 75 yards.

“It’s the riverboat gambler – this is my last year,” Loureiro said. “There’s nothing to save. I took some chances I wouldn’t normally, because I wasn’t going to end my career holding these things in my pocket. We had all cannons firing tonight.”

Elliot Mello rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Jake Lewis had 16 carries for 51 yards.

Lewis didn’t find the end zone, but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound running back was tasked with the toughest yards. He moved the pile on a third-and-4 on the Cougars’ final drive, picking up 5 yards.

Four plays later, Mello stepped out of an ankle tackle and sped into the end zone.

“When it got tough we were able to fight back and answer,” Loureiro said.

Out of sorts for most of the night, Hilmar came to life in the third quarter.

Isaac Sparks broke loose on a 56-yard run and Gaven Azevedo made a circus catch at the 1. Joao Silveira hammered it home to cut the deficit to 14-7.

After a quick three-and-out by the Cougars, Hilmar tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tristan Crowley found Bryan Millan streaking down the sideline all alone to make it 14-14.

Until that point, the Yellowjackets struggled mightily. Hilmar committed 10 penalties for 75 yards and rotated its quarterbacks, junior Ryan Teixeira and Crowley.

While Hilmar searched for answers, Escalon welcomed back two playmakers.

Christensen missed the last two games with a bruised knee. He suffered the injury in a loss to Liberty of Madera, and then sat out games with Liberty Ranch and Patterson. Loureiro feared the injury might be season-ending.

Hilmar (3-3, 0-1) wasn’t so lucky.

A shifty, physical playmaker, Loureiro moved Christensen around the field, seeking out space and matchups.

On Friday, he set up his 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter with a 50-yard punt return. Christensen also had a 32-yard run on a sweep, along with his 41-yard catch.

“We were shocked to get him back,” Loureiro added. “We had planned not to get him.”

Hugo Alcala also scored a rushing touchdown for Escalon (3-3, 1-0). Alcala scored on a 10-yard burst in the third quarter after sitting out the first half for disciplinary reasons.

Lucciano Dutra halted Hilmar’s final possession with an interception, the game’s only turnover. Trent Cummings, Jacob Walden and Lewis each had a sack for Escalon, which celebrates homecoming next week against Mountain House.

“We’ve been on our defense hard. We haven’t tackled well. I thought we played a great first half of defense. All of sudden we go to sleep for five minutes, but we woke up and finished.

“I’m really proud of these kids. My last trip to Hilmar and it’s a sweet one.”

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 12:37 AM with the headline "‘Last trip to Hilmar and it’s a sweet one.’ Escalon, Loureiro upset TVL champs."