Late-game touchdown seals Hughson victory over Escalon in TVL rivalry
Staring down a fourth-and-eight in the fourth quarter of a one score game against Escalon, Hughson needed a play to keep the drive, and the game, alive.
With the ball on the 42 yard line, 2 minutes, 50 seconds left and the Cougars ahead 21-17, only a first down guaranteed the Huskies a shot at remaining undefeated.
In most cases, teams go with a play at the top of the call sheet. One the quarterback and offensive coordinator drilled and discussed the entire season. But Hughson went to a play they hadn’t run all season.
Senior receiver Malakai Sumter lined up in the slot, creating a mismatch with a linebacker guarding the speedy receiver that Arizona-bound quarterback Robert McDaniel would surely recognize and exploit.
As Sumter went in motion and ran his route, a miscommunication in the Escalon secondary left him wide open around the 25 yard line where McDaniel found him. Sumter caught the pass and tip-toed down the sideline and into the end zone as the crowd at Husky Memorial Stadium erupted. A successful extra point by Noe Pacheco helped the Huskies secure the 24-21 win.
“As soon as I went in motion and I saw nobody was over there with me, I knew it was going to be an open play,” Sumter said. “I saw Robert scramble for a little bit and he looked back to my side and I just knew as soon as I caught it I had to run.”
Said McDaniel with a smile: “I knew I would take my guy against a linebacker.”
Hughson coach Shaun King said the team started working on the play before the season started and kept it in their back pocket. He says they almost called it last week against Ripon Christian. They tightened it up this week in practice and used it on the biggest play of their season.
“It’s great when you work on something all week and it comes to a big point of the game, you put it out there, use it and it works,” King said.
Hughson stayed calm
There were times on that final drive when the Cougars could have panicked. But the team took on the persona of its quarterback, who will soon play in the Big 12: cool, calm and collected. Unfazed.
“I have a lot of faith in my team and I know what they can do,” McDaniel said on how he remains calm. “The plays they can make surrounding me, there’s not really anything to be nervous about.”
He completed passes for two fourth-down conversions on the game-winning drive, one to Max Mankins for 15 yards on fourth-and-10 and the other to Sumter for the final score.
“It’s hard to punt when you’ve got a Power-5 quarterback,” King said. “With Robert, I always believe we have a chance.”
The connection with Sumter was McDaniel’s third touchdown pass on the day. He connected with his younger brother, Bryce, for a 30-yard score on the game’s opening drive and a 25-yard touchdown to take a 17-14 lead with 4:02 left in the third quarter.
Pacheco made a 23-yard field goal just before the end of the first half. Valente Soria sealed the win with an interception with 1:12 left in the game.
Escalon had its chances
Escalon coach Andrew Beam said he will remember the call he made on fourth-and-three in the fourth quarter for a long time.
The Cougars, leading 21-17, put together one of those long drives they’ve patented over the years. The 12-play possession stretched from the end of the third to the middle of the fourth quarter, converting on third and fourth down to put pressure on the Hughson defense.
On the final fourth down of the drive, the Cougars ran the ball to the left on a play that gained them positive yards all night. Hughson’s Max Mankins, who will play football at Air Force next year, ran through the line, dropping the Escalon running back at the line of scrimmage to give Hughson possession and set up the game winning drive.
“They adjusted to it really well,” Beam said. “They made the play and we didn’t.”
Escalon grabbed its first slice of momentum in the first half after stopping Hughson on fourth down on the Cougars two yard line, then driving 98 yards and converting on two fourth downs in nearly six minutes to tie the game at 7-7. Throughout the night, they seemed to have an answer whenever they needed it. Most of the time it came from star freshman, Dylan Ball.
Ball caught a 30-yard touchdown pass, returned a kickoff 87 yards for a score. Ben Gonzalez scored Escalon’s other touchdown on a 28-yard run.
“He’s one of the best freshmen in this area and maybe even the state,” Beam said of Ball. “Doesn’t play like a freshman.”
Matchup with Sonora next for Hughson
The 2024 TVL champion could be crowned next week in Hughson.
The Huskies host Sonora in a game that features two undefeated teams with legitimate chances at finishing the regular season perfect.
Hughson’s three non-league wins came against Ceres, Central Valley and Pitman and they beat Ripon, Ripon Christian and Escalon in their first three TVL contests. Sonora beat Oakdale, Livingston and Antelope before TVL play where they bested Escalon, Orestimba and Hilmar.
The Huskies will also get one of their top weapons back when Lawson Aviles returns after serving a four-game suspension. King says with the emergence of Lincoln Sousa, who filled in for Aviles, the Huskies could roll out five-receiver formations in the near future.
Last season, Hughson upset Division VI top-seed Sutter in the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals and Sonora, the No. 2 seed in 2023, fell to Bradshaw Christian. The Cougars beat Bradshaw Christian 40-39, claiming a section title in comeback fashion.
But before they worry about next week’s opponent, King says a celebration is in order. Then, they will prepare for Sonora’s run-heavy offense that features three rushers with over 250 yards on the ground.
“We’re gonna celebrate tonight and get back to work tomorrow,” King said. “Last year, we thought we were going to see each other in the section championship game so it’s been a long time coming. We look forward to them coming down here.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2024 at 9:11 AM.
