Nine things to watch as Oakdale, Patterson, Hughson battle for section football titles
It all comes down to this weekend.
Three Stanislaus District high school football teams will play for blue banners at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.
Oakdale in Division III, Patterson in Division IV and Hughson in Division V all have a history of playoff success and this year’s squads are looking to add to the traditions.
Oakdale is in its first title game since 2021, competing against Vanden, another playoff regular. It will be a contrast of styles, putting the Mustangs’ run heavy offense against a 3,000-plus-yard passer out of Vanden.
Patterson is looking to avenge last season’s last-second D-IV finals loss. The Tigers fell to Escalon after leading the entire game but giving up a touchdown and two-point conversion with 36 seconds left. Hughson is also back in the title game after an appearance in 2023. The Huskies, in fact, are in their third straight section title game. They won it in D-VI in 2022 and 2023 and are now in the D-V game as the undefeated No. 1 seed.
Three Stanislaus District teams, three things to look out for each game. Here are nine story lines to watch for in this weekend’s Sac-Joaquin Section football championships.
No. 1 Oakdale (9-3) vs No. 3 Vanden (10-2)
When: Saturday, Nov. 30, at 3 p.m.
Where: Sacramento City College
Division: III
Will there be nerves for Oakdale?
No current players were on the team in 2021, the last time Oakdale made a section final. In fact, a lot was different. Wes Burford, Chase Lopez and Richard Lopez had not taken a varsity snap, Manteca still was in the D-III bracket and current head coach Garrett Martin still was an assistant. Will there be nerves for the top team in the Division with so many new faces in new places? That remains to be seen. What we do know is that the Mustangs are battle-tested yet again. Martin called their season-opening loss to Sonora, a D-IV finalist, a “wake-up call.” They took on Escalon in a game that went down to the wire and played Vista del Lago before starting Valley Oak League play. They finished third in the league behind Manteca and Central Catholic.
The Mustangs’ unsung heroes
Martin wouldn’t say anything about the team is a surprise to him this season. He said he feels it takes away from the kids. But he would say the offensive line has continued to produce week in and week out. They have blocked for Burford, a 2,000-plus-yard rusher, Lopez, a 1,000-plus-yard rusher and Lopez, who went over 500 rushing yards on the season Friday night with a career high 235 rush yards and five touchdowns in the section semifinals. Martin said that sometimes what they do flies under the radar, but he’s proud of the front five’s ability to buy into blocking concepts and responsibilities week after week.
Can Oakdale slow down Vanden’s prolific quarterback?
For Oakdale to be successful, they’ll have to stop the head of the Vanden snake, senior quarterback Kalani McLeod, who boasts 3,144 passing yards, 12th in California, along with 26 touchdown passes. He spreads the ball around and has at least four touchdown passes to four different receivers on the season. But as impressive as he is on the field, first-year coach Mike Clark said he’s even more special off. When Clark took over the program after last football season, McLeod, a junior at the time, was all in with the change. Clark said the two exchanged text messages regularly and made sure they were on the same page entering McLeod’s senior year. The two-year starter has his second straight season of over 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns and has cut his interceptions in half. Clark said he has become more of a leader this year, too.
No. 1 Twelve Bridges (12-0) vs No. 2 Patterson (7-5)
When: Friday, Nov. 29, at 3 p.m.
Where: Sacramento City College
Division: VI
How will Patterson’s tough schedule help it?
Patterson has been through a gauntlet on its way to its second straight section final. The Tigers played one of the toughest schedules in not only its division but the entire Sac-Joaquin Section. They played California of San Ramon, a North Coast Section D-I playoff team, along with Lathrop, Merced and Vacaville, which all made the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. That was just in the preseason. They took on D-III top seed Oakdale and top-four seeds in Divisions I and II in Central Catholic and Manteca, respectively. They finished the regular season 5-5, which coach Rob Cozart admits caused a bit of stress. But quarterback Max Medina said that inside the locker room, no one thought another section final appearance was out of reach. They proved the No. 2 seed was deserved by beating East Union and Sacramento High. Last season, the Tigers were leading Escalon for the entire D-IV title game until the Cougars scored in the final seconds. This season, they are hoping to take home a blue banner.
How will Patterson slow down Twelve Bridges’ rushing attack?
There’s one question Patterson is likely asking itself this week in practice: How will it slow down Braeden Ward. The senior running back is No. 9 in California in rushing yards (2,151 yards) and adds 32 rushing touchdowns with 10 100-plus yard outings in 12 games. He is also third in the state in total points (222) and total touchdowns (35). He adds over 500 receiving yards and three scores, too. And if for some reason the Rhinos can’t get the rushing attack going, it doesn’t hurt to have a senior quarterback in Connor Flaherty, who has passed for 2,262 yards and 21 touchdowns with just two picks.
Experience vs. Inexperience
Patterson has been there before. Last season’s D-IV championship game drives the Tigers, who returned all of their offensive and defensive production from a year ago. Max Medina and Noah Cozart, both school record holders in passing and receiving, respectively, are bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced. Last season’s leading rusher, Jeremiah Lugo, had another productive season this year and was joined by Coby Joseph to round out a balanced backfield duo. Defensively, last season’s leader in tackles for loss (22 in 2023) and sacks (10), Tresor Mulumba, is also back and having another great season. The Rhinos, however, have played the entire season with a chip on their shoulders after graduating a lot of offensive and defensive production, including their 2023 starting quarterback, leading rusher, leading receiver and nine of their top 11 tacklers. This year’s team heard the noise from people saying they would not reach their second straight section title game and answered the call. They follow a 12-1 2023 with a 12-0 record entering Friday.
No. 1 Hughson (12-0) vs Sutter (11-1)
When: Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m.
Where: Sacramento City College
Division: V
TVL has prepped Hughson
It’s a narrative that rings true every year: The Trans-Valley League schedule prepares its teams for the postseason better than any other small-school league in California. Hughson was tested by Ripon Christian in a 28-21 win, defending four-time section champion Escalon, winning 24-21 and beat D-VI finalist Sonora in a dramatic 52-51 game in three straight weeks. Coach Shaun King said senior leadership has propelled them through their perfect season. Three- and four-year varsity players like Robert McDaniel, Malakai Sumter, Max Mankins, Carlos Guizar and others have been the ultimate leaders. They start practice before the coaches get there, get in extra work and bring the younger players along.
Sutter makes the switch to more challenging section
This is just Sutter’s third season in the Sac-Joaquin Section and the football program’s first section championship appearance. After decades in the Northern Section, Sutter made the switch to the SJS and made the section semifinals in 2022 and 2023, suffering losses both seasons as the No. 1 seed to TVL teams. The losses were in 2022 to Escalon and last season to the same Hughson team by one score. But this is what they came to this section for. Head coach Ryan Reynolds says the school made the decision to seek out a move to the SJS because despite so much success in the Northern Section, the program was not getting better. Changing sections allowed them to play new and fresh competition. Reynolds said as a coach it was fun to prepare for new teams and a higher level of competition Sutter faced in the Sac-Joaquin Section. He says that losing in the semifinals was “foreign and tough” but added they had to sharpen their pencils and get over that hump. They did that and will face Hughson in a rematch of last year’s semis.
Can Hughson stay unbeaten in battle of the Huskies
Hughson is looking to continue its dream season. Its perfect record through 12 games is its first time going 12-0 since 1997. That year, they won a state title and finished a perfect 13-0. The Huskies are battle-tested. They’ve seen it all over the past three-year run that included back-to-back section titles and a state championship. Their experience over the past few seasons has given them the confidence that as long as there’s time on the clock, they are never out of a game, leading to the nickname “Heart Attack Huskies.” Sutter is a run-first team with two players over 800 rush yards and a combined 27 touchdowns.
2024 Sac-Joaquin Section Championship Games
Friday, Nov. 29 at Sacramento City College
Division VI: No. 1 Bradshaw Christian vs No. 3 Sonora, 11 a.m.
Division IV: No. 1 Twelve Bridges vs No. 2 Patterson, 3 p.m.
Division II: No. 1 Rocklin vs No. 3 Grant, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30 at Sacramento City College
Division V: No. 1 Hughson vs No. 2 Sutter, 11 a.m.
Division III: No. 1 Oakdale vs No. 3 Vanden, 3 p.m.
Division I: No.1 Folsom vs No. 2 Oak Ridge, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30 at St. Mary’s High, Stockton
Division VII: No. 1 Summerville vs No. 2 Stone Ridge Christian, 3 p.m.
