Last-second stand gives Hughson D-6 section title over Summerville, ending 22-year drought
When Hughson High football coach Shaun King returned from the team’s preseason retreat , he had one thought: If his squad played football better than it camped, the school’s 22-year championship drought could end this year.
King says the kids struggled on the outdoor trip and some were in bed by 9 p.m. But if they brought it on the gridiron, all would be forgiven.
“That camping trip was so different and so odd, we just hoped they could play football,” King said. “And that’s one thing they can do, is play football.”
The second-seeded Huskies got all they could handle from No. 1 seed Summerville in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI Championship at St. Mary’s High School on Saturday afternoon. After an uneventful three and a half quarters, the Bears woke up, coming within a single point of the Huskies with 10 seconds left.
They didn’t fold. A defensive stop sealed the 14-13 win, ending the championship drought that lasted just over two decades.
They would learn their fate in the CIF State Northern California Playoffs on Sunday afternoon.
“There was a lot of doubt with these boys and they didn’t believe it one bit,” King said. “Since Day 1, we’ve been going hard and we don’t believe in ‘I can’t’ and they’ve proven a lot of doubters wrong.”
The Huskies’ (11-2) first possession was slow and methodical. The 20-play drive lasted over 10 minutes, ending with an Alex Villarreal three-yard touchdown at the beginning of the second quarter.
“(We got) great pushes from our offensive line and our whole entire offense.” said sophomore quarterback Robert McDaniel.
The Bears (11-2) responded with a long drive of their own, but a goal-line stand by Hughson, led by linebacker David Burns, kept Summerville ahead and gave it a 7-0 lead heading into halftime.
“Our defensive leader is David Burns,” King said. “He’s a beast, he’s a leader ... they look up to David.”
Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter.
Liam Bridgford capped a 13-play drive aided by two Summerville offsides penalties with a one-yard touchdown run to seemingly put the game out of reach at 14-0.
Summerville went into the game scoring 32 points a game with five games of 40 or more points. In the final 10 minutes of the game, the Bears showed their scoring prowess.
First, it was the defense.
Kail Elkins picked up a fumble deep in Hughson territory and with nothing but green in front of him returned it for a 17-yard scoop-and-score with just under eight minutes left. On its ensuing drive, Hughson was forced to punt on fourth and nine, giving Summerville the ball back with 1 minute, 40 seconds, left.
Momentum was on the Bears’ side and on a day when the offense didn’t produce for the majority of the game, Summerville ran its final two minute drill to perfection.
Quarterback Braylon Leveroos went 6-for-6, with a three-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Leveroos to bring them within one point. Instead of playing for the tie, they went for two. Defensive back Gavin Stone knocked the game-winning pass attempt to keep the Huskies ahead with 10 seconds left.
“I couldn’t believe we put ourselves in that situation again … but that’s playoff football,” King said. “We knew, in the section championship, there’s a reason why everybody’s here … these are two good football teams and that’s what it came down to.”
Just when it looked like the drama was over, the scrappy Summerville team made another play, recovering an onside kick, giving it possession at the Hughson 41-yard line.
Hughson came up with its final defensive stand, forcing two incomplete passes. Celebration commenced.
“I felt confident in our defense to get a stop on that last stand,” Burns said. “I knew we had the team to win, we just needed to stay confident in ourselves and keep our momentum.
“We knew what we had to do. We all wanted this for Hughson because it has been so long. We knew we had to get a stop and we’re not gonna lose.”
It was the third time in as many postseason games Hughson won by five points or less. Two of the Huskies’ playoff wins were by one point.
“The last three games, I don’t know what this team is doing to me,” King said. “I don’t know why we have to make these games so close three weeks in a row … but we’re still going.”
King said he believes the Huskies’ ability to stay together during the face of adversity was built during that preseason camping trip.
“These boys don’t believe in the word ‘quit,’ they never give up, and they believe in each other,” King said. “It’s a tight team.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2022 at 9:43 AM.
