Hughson High football season ends with 42-14 loss in CIF Northern California bowl
In his final post-game address of the season, Hughson High football coach Shaun King took off his hat, raised it above his head and saluted the seniors.
The class of 24 players who poured everything into the program. They include players in their first varsity season to those like Carlos Guizar in their third and Malakai Sumter, Max Mankins and Robert McDaniel who were each called up to varsity in 2021. They were leaders, stat sheet stuffers and role models for kids from the community who watched in the stands and younger players in the Hughson High football program.
“To the seniors,” King said during his postgame speech, “my hat’s off to what you have done for this town and this team. I owe you…”
The Huskies (13-1) season, and the high school careers of those 24, ended Friday night in the CIF Northern California Division 4-AA Bowl Game in a 42-14 loss to St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma (13-1). Hughson never led in Friday night’s NorCal title game, falling behind by as many as 35 points before adding a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Whether they won or not, Friday would have been the seniors’ last game in front of their home crowd and they wanted to end their careers at Husky Memorial Stadium with a bang. Instead it was disappointing for a second straight season at home in the NorCal Bowl, but only 14 teams make it this far and end their season with a win.
King reminded his players of that. Encouraging them that a loss this late in the season does not define the impact they have had on the town—the seniors especially.
Some have been part of a budding dynasty, winning three straight section championships, a 2022 NorCal title and 2022 state title. They have also played in three straight NorCal Bowl games, extending their season into December in 2022, 2023 and 2024. They also helped lead the Huskies to three straight 10-win seasons and this season, a Trans-Valley League title and the program’s first 13-0 record since 1997.
“It’s a historic run that we were able to accomplish,” senior defensive end/tight end Max Mankins said. “Didn’t always have the greatest outcomes, but we still had a great three-year run.”
King echoed his senior captain’s thoughts: “They’ve been here three times, there’s not another senior class that can say that. We owe them a lot of gratitude. They have been a part of changing this program.”
It’s tough to beat a defending state champion. Hughson learned that Friday night.
The Mustangs were dominant in every aspect of the game. Their defense held UCLA-bound quarterback Robert McDaniel to just 10 of 19 passing for 92 yards and one touchdown while forcing three interceptions. St Vincent de Paul’s offense ran around, away from and through would-be Huskies tacklers. The Mustangs scored on their first play of the game on a 62-yard connection from Gabe Casanovas to Joseph Phillips and never looked back.
St. Vincent scored on three of their five first-half drives and opened the second half on a scoring drive, building a lead even the Heart Attack Huskies could not overcome.
But one thing Hughson did do was fight.
McDaniel hurt his ankle after a late hit out of bounds and laid on the ground for nearly five minutes. He jogged off and only missed one play before he was back in. Four plays later, he completed his only touchdown pass to Mankins, an Air Force commit, to make it a 14-7 game and give the Huskies some momentum.
“We always feel like we’re in a game, it just didn’t happen this time,” McDaniel said.
Mankins was playing through an injury of his own after hurting his knee in last week’s section title game and Sumter has been playing through a shoulder injury since the Hilmar game.
But they made no excuses.
The senior class can say their final drive on their home field resulted in points. Trailing 42-7, the Huskies marched 64 yards down the field in the fourth quarter, finishing off the drive with a two-yard run by Eli Wilbanks, who rushed for 130 yards and a score on 21 carries.
“In every single game, we’ve had great fight,” McDaniel said.
The Mustangs were physical up front and their receivers blocked well for running back Mason Caruregli, who ran for 144 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries. Hughson started slow, racking up two false start penalties and a sack on its first drive and surrendering a three-and-out on its second.
“They were doubling up Bryce and they did a good job,” King said. “They’re a great team with a great coaching staff. In the state playoffs you have to be playing your best ball. And tonight, we did not play our best ball.”
With the loss comes the end of the career of one of the best quarterbacks to come out of Hughson.
Robert McDaniel passed for 96 career touchdowns, over 7,000 yards and completed over 60% of the attempts in his career.
“He’s a generational talent,” King said of McDaniel when asked to describe his quarterback. “I’m glad he had the confidence in us and the coaching staff to stay at Hughson. Because teams all over would want him and he had the confidence to stay with us.”
McDaniel and the rest of his classmates trusted the process, stayed loyal to the hometown and produced one of the most memorable runs in Hughson history.
This story was originally published December 7, 2024 at 6:52 AM.
