Hughson edges Hilmar in TVL thriller as freshman QB throws four touchowns
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hughson starts freshman Hudson Baldwin; he threw four TDs in 35-29 win
- Baldwin drove final scoring march and connected with Titus Beers for decisive TD
- Hughson ends regular season 8-2 and will open Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs on Nov 14
Hughson High football coach Shaun King believes in going with what works.
Several years ago, King chose a freshman to quarterback his offense. That quarterback, Robert McDaniel, led the Huskies to three consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section championships.
Now, King is doing it again. He’s handed the keys to his offense to another freshman and, so far, it’s turning out to be another great decision.
Hudson Baldwin, a left-hander, passed for 334 yards and four touchdowns on Friday night, leading Hughson to a thrilling 35-29 Trans-Valley League win over Hilmar at Husky Memorial Stadium.
The victory concluded Hughson’s regular season at 8-2, including a 4-2 record in the TVL, and the Huskies will have a three-week break until their Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoff opener.
Asked why he’s so confident in starting a freshman at quarterback, King said it was because it had worked before. “Probably since we just finished with another freshman quarterback, Robert McDaniel,” said King, whose former protégé is now at San Jose State. “He helped me with the confidence, for sure.
“Huddy has a great head on his shoulders, very calm, you see his demeanor, on and off the field. We felt confident all summer. He’s a great kid, doesn’t get riled up ... and it’s on to the next play.”
Calm for a freshman
Baldwin was cool and collected even during crunch time on Friday.
With the game tied at 29 late in the fourth quarter and his team at its own 26, Baldwin calmly marched the Huskies down the field and into Hilmar territory.
He gave Hughson the lead with a 30-yard pass to junior wideout Titus Beers, who outreached a Hilmar defender and walked in for the winning score. It was Beers’ second touchdown reception of the game.
Hilmar had a last-gasp effort to try to win the game, but Hughson’s Karsen Moore made a game-sealing interception.
Baldwin said he appreciates the confidence his coaches have in him. “It feels great, just knowing that they’re there for me, in that they just trust everything I do,” he said. “Even if I make a mistake, they pick me back up.”
Hughson forced to pass it
With Hilmar’s swarming defense stifling the usually proficient Hughson running game, the Huskies turned to their passing attack to move the ball.
Baldwin was 16 of 25 and completed seven straight passes to finish the game.
Besides the game-winner, Baldwin also connected for touchdown passes of 32, 46 and 3 yards. The latter, a connection to senior running back Eli Wilbanks, gave the Huskies a 29-21 lead.
But on the ensuing possession, Hilmar quarterback Jorden Jacobo hit fellow junior Nathan Ayala on a short pass, and Ayala did the rest. He raced 68 yards for the tying score.
Hughson wideout Lawson Aviles had a productive game. The senior scored the Huskies’ first touchdown, a 32-yard touchdown reception, and added an eight-yard touchdown run early in the second half.
Hilmar hangs tough throughout
It was a wild, back-and-forth affair — par for the course in the always competitive TVL.
Junior Cohen Felber, part of Hilmar’s rotation at quarterback, had a big night on the ground for the Yellowjackets. He ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns, including 35-yarder in the first half and a 67-yarder in the second.
The Yellowjackets dropped to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the TVL, but their spot in the section Division V playoffs seems secure. Hilmar was ranked second in Maxpreps’ D-V rankings heading into the game.
Frank Marques, in his final season as Hilmar’s coach, said his team is playing its best football of the season down the stretch. The Yellowjackets nearly pulled off a shocking upset of unbeaten Sonora on Oct. 3, losing 22-21.
“We’re peaking,” Marques said. “We’re a young team, a lot of juniors are playing, so we’re getting better and better each week.
“Right now we cannot win a league title, so our goal now is going to be to win the section title. And we got a lot better tonight. As a young team, we learned a lot of lessons.”
Hilmar gets a chance to end the regular season on a winning note. The Yellowjackets play at Ripon next Friday night.
Like last season, Hughson has a bye for the final week of TVL play and will have a three-week break before opening the section playoffs on Nov. 14.
Last year, the Huskies did some team-bonding at a local bowling alley. King expects to do something similar this year. Whatever works, right?
“We’ve already done it, so we’re going to go with that same plan we had last year,” King said.
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 11:45 PM.
