Games to Watch: Inside Hughson’s starting QB decision ahead of TVL opener
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Freshman Hudson Baldwin named Hughson's starting QB after strong Week 4 start.
- Pitman seeks playoff legitimacy in final non-league test against Atwater.
- Escalon, Sonora, and Davis face key league openers with playoff stakes rising.
Not many high schools have a quarterback battle four weeks into the season, but that’s what happened at Hughson. A senior and a freshman battled for top signal caller duties and after the final nonleague game, Shaun King went with the young guy.
With ITS QB1 named, Hughson takes a perfect record this season and a 21-game win streak against Sac-Joaquin Section opponents into Friday’s Trans-Valley League opener against Ripon. The latter is undefeated this season and led by a junior class that knows nothing but winning from the youth levels through high school.
In other TVL action, Escalon makes the trip up to Sonora. The Cougars are coming off a game where they were without two-way starters, including Carter Yates-Perreira, but got a big win last week. Sonora is coming off a win over Division I Turlock, keeping its record perfect, but the Wildcats are also playing without a key player in fullback Tommy Sutton.
Central Catholic and Patterson also face off as Valley Oak League action kicks off in Week 5, and Davis hosts Central Valley at Johansen High for homecoming and its Western Athletic Conference opener. In nonleague action, Pitman hopes to continue on its historic start. The Pride travel to Atwater in a measuring stick game against a team with playmakers all over the field.
Here is a preview with extra reporting on strategy, player availability and Hughson’s quarterback battle in this week’s Games to Watch.
No. 10 Ripon (3-0, 0-0 TVL) at No. 6 Hughson (4-0, 0-0 TVL), 7 p.m.
The four-game quarterback competition ended last week and Hughson coach Shaun King is going with the young guy. Freshman Hudson Baldwin will start the Huskies’ TVL home opener, the first game of the Huskies’ league title defense, Friday against Ripon. Baldwin and senior Russell Spaulding battled all spring, summer and preseason in a tight contest that came down to last Friday’s game against Linden. King said he let both know going into the game that they would alternate drives and whoever played better would emerge as the starter. Baldwin completed seven of nine passes for three touchdowns in Hughson’s 28-21 lead. A lefty, Baldwin is a good deep ball thrower and is very comfortable playing from under center. But we haven’t seen the last of Spaulding. He will have packages within the offense that King said will be key to helping the Huskies throughout league play and the postseason.
The TVL is tough once again and King knows it. He said every game could be a possible “game of the week” candidate, and with playoff spots at a premium, it will be a dogfight to get high-caliber wins for a good seed in the small-school divisions. This is the first year in King’s career at Hughson with a returning running back, and Eli Wilbanks has not disappointed. He is ninth in the section in rush yards (551) and has three rushing touchdowns. Lawson Aviles has seen his offensive role expand this season. He leads the team with four rushing touchdowns and continues to catch passes at receiver. The Huskies know Ripon is fast and physical. Lineman Tipeti Pani continues to be a gamewrecker, someone King said you always have to watch.
Both teams enter the top 10 matchup undefeated, and a win this week will look good on either’s playoff resume.
Pitman (3-1) at Atwater (2-2), 7 p.m.
One more game to continue to put Pitman on the map. First-year head coach Braden Plaa said the fast 3-1 start has been good to see, and early success has been good for morale among the guys in the program, around the school and in the community. There have been highs and lows. One high, a 3-1 start that already matches the Pride’s highest win total since 2018. They have been able to have a good offensive identity, and defensively, they are improving, working on limiting explosive plays and keeping the game simple.
This week’s game against Atwater is a measuring stick for the Pride. They are going against a team that has dynamic playmakers and is in the early running to be a playoff team. The Falcons beat Vacaville and Gregori, which could end up fighting with Pitman for a playoff spot out of the CCAL. Pitman’s defensive principles and ability to limit explosive plays (plays of 20 or more yards) will be tested this week against the playmakers Atwater comes with. Quarterback AJ Banks had one of the best statistical games in the state earlier this season, Durrell Morrison has 443 rush yards and five touchdowns, and Sylas Austin has 568 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Plaa expects a playoff-like atmosphere for the Pride’s preseason finale and he knows that if the Pride want to get into the playoffs this season, they’ll have to win games like the one they’ll play Friday.
No. 5 Patterson (1-3, 0-0 VOL) at No. 1 Central Catholic (1-3, 0-0 VOL), 7 p.m.
The Tigers and Raiders are still two of the area’s best teams, though their records may not show it. They are the product of tough nonleague schedules, playing playoff teams from different sections with the hopes of preparing them for Friday night: league play. The Valley Oak League is one of the toughest in the section, and in Patterson’s first season back in the league last year, it was one of the six VOL teams in the postseason and made its second straight section title game. A lot has changed since last season, but what hasn’t changed is Royale Tago’s production. The senior, playing in a hybrid linebacker/edge role, is still one of the team’s top tacklers and has forced two fumbles. Jace Johnson’s two-way star continues to rise as a tight end/defensive end. The junior has a team-high six tackles for loss with three sacks and has recovered a fumble on defense. Offensively, he has caught 11 passes for 92 yards while helping out on blocking assignments. The Tigers have played Northern California perennial playoff teams, narrowly losing to Merced and California of San Ramon. They finished nonleague play with a win over last season’s WAC champion, Lathrop, and a loss to Valley Christian.
Central Catholic is coming off the emotional high of a dramatic first win in Southern California, a victory that put it back at the top of the Stanislaus District rankings. More good news: Kayden McHenry and Chase Perino’s connection continues to thrive and Carter Meeks had his offensive workload increased, recording career highs in carries (12) and rush yards (72). Broden Thomas also came back from an injury, recording his first defensive stats this season and making an impact on special teams, blocking a field goal.
No. 7 Escalon (2-2, 0-0 TVL) at Sonora (4-0, 0-0 TVL)
Sonora is rolling after knocking off Division I Turlock, despite an injury to top fullback Tommy Sutton, to stay unbeaten on the season. Sutton isn’t expected to be back for a while, but if they can continue to get increased production from yet another talented junior class, the Wildcats might make good on their bid for a TVL title and second straight section, NorCal and state titles. In Sutton’s absence, Steven Olley II rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Senior Cash Byington (111 yards, 2 touchdowns) also had over 100 yards on the ground as the Wildcats rushed for 374 yards as a team. Sonora finished with just one TVL loss last season and will look to start its league schedule on the right foot.
Escalon enters league play on a high of its own. Despite key injuries through their first four games, the Cougars finished nonleague play 2-2, and their two nonleague losses went a combined 7-1 to start the year. Friday is the first of three key games to start league play. They have Sonora, Hilmar and Hughson, and all could have major playoff implications. The good news is two of those games are at home, but first the Cougars make the trip up the hill to the defending state champion Wildcats. In an injury-riddled preseason that included losing three two-way starters against Chavez, Carter Yates-Perreira injured his shoulder against Oakdale the next week. The two-way starter did not play last week in the 35-28 win over Lodi.
Central Valley (1-2, 0-0 WAC) at Davis (1-2, 0-0 WAC) at Johansen High, 7 p.m.
Davis’ nonleague schedule was tough, and with young players on the line, the Spartans finished with a 1-2 record. In their lone win so far, returning junior quarterback Caleb Zaragoza threw four touchdowns and did not have an interception. Davis didn’t have any turnovers, and returning senior Zane Gerbo recovered two fumbles. But in their two losses, Davis gave the ball away eight times (5 interceptions, 3 fumbles). So during their bye last week, head coach Trevor Mew said one of his team’s main focuses was limiting its own mistakes, taking care of the ball and executing assignments on offense and defense. The bye also gave guys chances to adjust to new positions. The Spartans lost three linemen throughout the course of the preseason, and though it is uncertain if they will be back Friday night, others have a game and a couple weeks of practice under their belts.
Davis welcomes Central Valley for a jampacked day that features homecoming in addition to the Spartans’ league home opener at Johansen High. They are looking to improve on last season’s third-place finish where they barely missed out on the playoffs after a three-way tie. Central Valley brings a big, physical presence up front and doesn’t make many mistakes. The Hawks have not scored less than 20 points in a game this season and are coming off a season-high 34-point effort in their first win over Modesto High. Junior Gomez has thrown four touchdowns without a pick and Erick Mendoza has four rushing touchdowns. Mew said he and his coaching staff are confident the team can compete and earn a playoff spot out of the WAC. That journey starts Friday.
