How the TVL has prepared Hughson, Escalon for Saturday’s state championships
Hughson coach Shaun King has led the Huskies to their first state championship game in school history.
His team is battle-tested. It has won four close playoff games, each by less than a touchdown, and placed second in the Trans-Valley League behind Hilmar.
Hughson went 5-1 in league play, with a win over Escalon, which will appear in its second state championship in three years.
The league sent five of its seven teams to the playoffs and produced two section champions, raising the question: Is the TVL the best small school league in the state?
“Because it has a lot of depth to it, and because it’s hung together as a small school league in that D-V to D-VI range, I think yes, it’s been the best small school league top to bottom for the past 10 to 15 years.” said California sports historian and CalHiSports.com writer Mark Tennis.
The history is there. Tennis says that in the CalHiSports.com archives, Hughson was named the top small school team in California in 1933. Ripon won Division V Team of the Year in 1982 and 1983 and the site named Escalon and Hughson their Small Schools Team of the Year in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The Cougars also earned the award in 1993.
“The longevity of programs and a lot of the coaches have been in place for a long time,” Tennis said. “ The competition has bred a lot of outstanding rivalries and made everybody better.”
Hughson and Escalon each have one more home game in the 2022 season. The Huskies will host Muir in the Division 5-AA state title game and the Cougars welcome Northwood in the Division 4-AA championship. Both games are at 6 p.m. Saturday.,
Winning tradition
There aren’t many small school leagues that have had success at the section or state levels like the TVL.
Six schools have combined for 28 Sac-Joaquin Section titles. Escalon (11), Hilmar (8), Hughson (5), Ripon (2), Livingston (1) and Modesto Christian (1) have all brought home blue banners. Since the CIF implemented the North-vs-South state championship model in 2006, each program has advanced to at least one state title game.
Escalon (2010, 2019), Modesto Christian (2009), Hilmar (2018) and Ripon (2019) join Central Catholic as the only local teams to win small school state championships in the bowl game era.
“When you look at the fact that Modesto Christian, Escalon, Hilmar, Ripon and Hughson have all made a state title … that’s pretty crazy.” Escalon coach Andrew Beam said.
The TVL’s physical brand of football prepares teams well for the postseason. It’s football in its purest form. Communities pack stadiums and create a playoff atmosphere.
“To play in the TVL, you have to be physical,” King said. “That’s always been the M.O. and it’s never changed.
“It’s a tough, hard-hitting league. Every game is like a playoff game. The detail from every game is from some of the best coaches in the Valley. That’s why we compete so well with bigger schools.”
That winning tradition will be tested once again in this year’s state championships.
When Hughson and Escalon take the field Saturday, it will be the second time in three postseasons that two TVL teams play for state titles.
Escalon and Ripon won state in 2019.
Hughson (12-2) takes on Muir High of Pasadena. The Mustangs (9-6) are a fast, athletic team from the Southern Section and won their fifth section Division 10 title and their first CIF Southern California Division 5-AA Regional Championship. this year. Despite entering the playoffs with just four wins, the Mustangs have been dominant on offense and defense.
Running back Jachai Pulley rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the regional championship win and quarterback Brandon Valencia has connected with Jeremian Calvin and Turran Williams to provide a balanced offensive attack.
The defense has played nearly perfectly. After allowing 21 points in their first playoff win, the Mustangs have allowed 14 total points and shut out two opponents.
They’re fast, they’ve got great size and we’re gonna see if they can play physical football,” King said. “We will have to play our best football of the season on Saturday.”
While Hughson is looking for its first state championship game win, King believes his team’s playoff run has prepared the team for nearly anything it can encounter.
“We’re battle-tested,” he said. “These past four weeks, we’ve been down … and we’re still playing football.”
Escalon 12-3) is hunting its second state title in three seasons. A Northwood team that Beam knows will bring its offensive firepower to Engel Field stands in its way.
The Timberwolves (14-1) enter Saturday’s matchup riding a 12-game win streak. They brought home a Southern Section Division VIII title and a CIF Southern California Division 4-AA Regional Championship.
They are led by running back Adam Harper, who has rushed for over 2,000 yards in his senior season and quarterback Eugene Miyata, who has nearly 2,000 yards passing and has thrown 25 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
“Northwood is very talented on offense,” Beam said. “They run a ton of formations and they’re going to try to put us in some binds on defense.”
Family atmosphere
Each league match-up brings its own unique element.
Escalon and Hilmar are almost guaranteed to play twice a year and have played for multiple section championships. Hughson, Ripon and Livingston also bring their unique rivalries to the league while Modesto Christian is back on the rise after qualifying for the playoffs this year for the first time since 2018.
“They have great rivalries,” Tennis said.
Said Beam: “The rivalries are rooted in respect. We talk about it in our meeting as coaches. Once the playoffs start and we’re not playing each other, we’re rooting for each other.”
While it’s all business when they face off, when TVL teams play other schools, they share film and give one another advice.
“We talk to each other,” King said. “I’ve gotten messages from Ripon, Modesto Christian, Hilmar, Escalon … we have each other’s back.”
The Huskies played in their first section championship since 2000 this year. Beam gave King advice on things from weekly practice schedules for a Saturday afternoon game to presenting at the Sac-Joaquin Section’s championship breakfast.
“I was just telling him little things like what to expect at the breakfast and to have a short speech ready,” Beam said. “Just sharing things that were shared with me from the guys that had been there before.”
Hughson and Escalon are programs with different levels of success coming into Saturday’s games, but they both represent the same league, one that has stood for success through the history of California high school football.
“A TVL coach told me … it’s about if you’re playing your best ball in the dance. If you can get through a TVL season healthy, you’ll have a good shot.” King said.
